Sports
Highland Cruises Past Cumberland
Junior Tyree Brown scores a career-high 29 points and adds 13 rebounds to lead the Tartans past the Colts, 57-31.
After struggling so much in the fourth quarter for the majority of this 2010-11 season, the Highland boys’ basketball team found one possible solution against Cumberland—make it a nonfactor.
Highland junior guard Tyree Brown scored a career-high 29 points and added 13 rebounds in his team’s easy 57-31 victory Thursday.
The Tartans (7-8) have now won two straight games after a difficult loss to Sterling last Friday. Highland picked up a 44-40 road win over Clearview on Tuesday—a game in which they fought off a late fourth-quarter rally by their opponent.
Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Highland head coach Andy Thies believes Tuesday’s win was an important confidence boost as they finish down the stretch.
“If you really look at our schedule, we’ve only been beaten three or four times,” he said. “The rest of our losses are ones where we’ve found ways to beat ourselves.”
Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Brown scored 20 first-half points to help the Tartans take a commanding 32-7 lead into the half.
Perhaps more impressive than the halftime score was that Highland was able to stay focused and add to their lead after taking a 16-2 lead to the bench at the end of the first.
“We didn’t play to the score. We were able to do what we needed to do both offensively and defensively,” Thies said. “I think the key for us is not to worry about the opponent, but to focus on what we need to accomplish.”
Cumberland (1-14), which has now lost 11 straight games, cut the Highland lead to 38-21 at the end of the third, but were unable to get any closer as the Tartans quickly closed the door on any hope of a comeback with a quick start in the fourth quarter.
“It was nice to be able to have that type of a fourth quarter today,” Thies said.
The win moves Highland within one-game of the .500 mark.
With wins over Pitman (16-1) and Schalick (5-11) in its final two games before the Feb. 7 tournament cutoff date, which was extended this week because of games missed due to inclement weather, Highland will automatically qualify for the NJSIAA Group III postseason tournament.
Highland 16 16 6 19 57
Cumberland 2 5 14 10 31
Cumberland
Chris Burch, 2 points, Patrae Thomas, 1, Wesley Savage, 2, Nic Pace, 6, Milton Morris, 2, Jeron Hadden, 12, DeSean Cross, 2, Miles Carter, 4
Highland
Dasheem Sanders, 3 points, Aaron Canty, 4, Tim Brown, 9, Tyree Brown, 29, Brandi Bell, 6, Marvin Ayi-Bamah, 4, Jon Williams, 2
