UC Downs Linden In Watchung Opener

The Watchung Conference opener between Linden and Union Catholic was filled with plenty to talk about. How would Linden fair under first year head coach Mike Rice? Could the new pieces fit the puzzle? How good was Malik Moore? How important was the addition of Trevor Whitaker to the Vikings? The questions received some answers and fans were treated to a high intensity contest that only the Watchung Conference can produce.

Linden won the tip and on its first possession got a jumper from Derek Stash to open the scoring. Union Catholic responded on their first trips down court with a triple by Luke Schorr and a FK Muntari dunk after a steal. Schorr then finished a tap at the rim to give UC a 9-6 lead but Stash came right back with another bucket to keep the game to a point as the quarter rounded the turn. The teams traded baskets as the quarter continued to inch towards its conclusion and with a strong defensive stand in the final 15 seconds, it was Union Catholic who lead 16-12 after the first.

Malik Moore, a heralded freshman starter for the Vikes, got the first points of the second, extending the lead to 18-12. Senior guard AJ Altobelli split a pair and Yaw Ansong hit two free throws to extend the lead to 21-14 with the quarter approaching the mid-way point. Yaw added a layup to make it 23-14, prompting Mike Rice to call a timeout. Yaw threw down a dunk to push the lead to a dozen at 28-16 as the quarter neared the two minute mark. On their next trip up the floor, Muntari tossed one down to extend the lead to 30-16 and forcing another timeout from Rice. UC finished the half in control of the contest and took a 32-20 lead to the locker room.

Altobelli got UC cooking in the third with a triple on their first trip up the floor, extending the lead to 35-20 and sending Linden chasing the game once again. Ansong split a pair for the Vikes one possession later, but Linden sprung to life and went on a run to cut the lead in half, which brought a timeout from Coach Reagan and the Vikes looking to regroup but still in the lead, at 36-28, with the third approaching its midpoint. The Tigers kept clawing and cut the game to a one possession contest after a Martin Drejaj close range jumper. The Vikings were able to last out the quarter up 41-34 after both teams traded sloppy possessions and turnovers.

Linden kept churning away and cut the Vikings lead to 41-37 with six minutes to go after Stash scored on a layup. The teams played cat and mouse until Drejaj got another big putback to cut it to 41-39 with 3:36 to go. Linden didn’t give up the battle and took the lead after a Burnam layup, pushing ahead by the slimmest of margins, 43-42, with 3:01 to go, prompting a UC timeout.

The Vikings retook the lead on a layup by Muntari on their next possession and forged forward to the finish line.

Yaw, Moore and Altobelli sealed the game on the free throw line and it was the Vikings who walked out of the gym with a 53-45 victory.

GSBR Player Of The Game

FK Muntari, Union Catholic

The 6’8” forward was a dominant force on both ends of the floor for the Vikings, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Freshman Malik Moore also added 11 for the Vikes.

Jayden Holman led Linden and all scorers with 14 in the loss, while senior forward Martin Drejaj also hit double digits, scoring 10.