West Orange HS boys’ basketball team surges into state tournament

WEST ORANGE – The West Orange High School boys’ varsity basketball team is having a great season as it enters the state North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament.

The third-seeded Mountaineers will host No. 14 seed Mount Olive in the first round on March 1. The winner will face either No. 11 seed Paterson Kennedy or No. 6 seed Morristown in the quarterfinals on March 3.

The Mountaineers defeated Science Park, Mendham and Verona to improve to a stellar 18-3 record.

Senior Patrick Jamison had 17 points with four 3-pointers; senior Doug Hughes had 16 points and senior Jeremiah Moore had 10 in the 87-47 win over Science Park on Feb. 16 in Newark.

Sophomore Nasheim Harte and senior Hodari Morrison each had eight points; sophomore Matt Romano had seven; freshman Stephon Sheard had five; sophomore Robert Meaux and junior Gabe Silvera each had four; and sophomore Justin Bouyer and junior Mike Strazza each had three.

The Mountaineers rallied to beat Mendham, 47-40, Feb. 18 at home. Moore had 13 points and Silvera had 11 for WOHS, which outscored Mendham, 23-13, in the fourth quarter. Harte and Jamison each had eight points and Hughes had seven.

Hughes and Moore each had 10 points; Harte had nine and Jamison and Silvera each had seven in the 49-43 win at Verona on Feb. 20.