Seton Hall Prep senior Primo Delgado drives during a game this season. (Photo Courtesy of Seton Hall Prep)
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep basketball team went 2-1 last week to raise its record to 16-4 on the season.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, at SHP’s Frank J. Tracey Gymnasium, the top-seeded Pirates defeated No. 9 seed Caldwell, 70-47, in the 78th Essex County Tournament.
Sophomore Anthony Gonzalez led the Pirates’ balanced scoring attack with 12 points and six assists, while fellow sophomore Avery George scored 11 points. Senior Dylan Guzzardo scored nine points with four assists, while junior Daniel Beazer scored seven points with seven rebounds.
Seton Hall will face No. 4 seed St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark) in the semifinals at West Orang High School on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. The other semifinal matchup is No. 2 seed Arts (Newark) against No. 3 seed Payne Tech (Newark), also at WOHS on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m.
The Pirates traveled to East Orange on Thursday, Feb. 6, to face East Orange Campus and defeated the Jaguars, 55-48, behind junior Alex Ante, who scored 12 points with nine rebounds and Beazer, who also scored 12 points with nine rebounds. Gonzalez scored 10 points with nine assists.
The Pirates dropped their first Super Essex Conference–American Division game to Payne Tech, 63-58, at Tracey Gym on Tuesday, Feb. 4. SHP moved to 7-1 in the division. Guzzardo led the scoring with 20 points, while Beazer scored nine points with six rebounds, Ante scored eight points with seven rebounds.
ECT notes: Last year, St. Benedict’s defeated the Pirates, 64-36, in the semifinals, while Arts defeated Payne Tech, 64-48, in the quarterfinals. In the regular season this season, Seton Hall defeated St. Benedict’s, 65-62, at Tracey Gym and will face the Gray Bees at St. Benedict’s on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Arts defeated Payne Tech, 59-51, earlier this season and will face them at a date to be announced later.
The Pirates will be looking for their 31st appearance in the finals, while St. Benedict’s is seeking their fourth final. Arts is seeking its second final and Payne Tech is seeking first first final.
Seton Hall Prep has won 19 ECT titles. Their last one came in 2023 over Arts, 46-32. St. Benedict’s won last year’s final over Montclair Immaculate Conception, 57-34, for its only title, while Arts and Payne Tech will be looking for their first title.
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