CALDWELL- As a senior 3-sport standout at Cedar Grove Nick Russo has seen his fair share of Panther clashes with Verona, but perhaps few games between the two neighboring archrivals have been quite as exciting and down-to-the wire as Saturday afternoon’s annual meeting in the Jimmy Jandoli Tip-Off Game to start off the Dennis Gregory Memorial Classic at Caldwell University ‘s George R. Newman Center.
Cedar Grove (8-3) snapped a 10-game losing streak vs. the Hillbillies (7-3), a skein of setbacks on the hardwood dating back to 2018 when the Panthers rallied with a 9-3 spurt to close things out while overcoming a 1-point deficit with less than four minutes left and post a 50-46 win.
“To beat them after 10 straight losses to them means everything to us,” said the 6-foot-3 Russo, Cedar Grove’s veteran football-basketball-baseball standout who scored a team-high 17 points and sank three clutch free throws in the final half minute to help increase his team’s lead to 49-43 with 19.7 seconds remaining. “There is nothing like a rivalry game against Verona no matter what the sport is and it’s great to finally get over the hump and end that streak my senior year.”
The Panthers also received a clutch performance from their talented junior guard Jermaine Russell (10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals), who made two huge plays down the stretch. First the quick 6-foot backcourt performer made a steal and converted layup at the other end while being fouled in the process and then completed the conventional 3-point play with a big free throw to give Cedar Grove the lead for good, 44-43, with 3:31 left.
Then, he delivered a nifty interior pass to teammate Matthew Kuilan (9 points) who sank the layup for a 46-43 lead with 1:26 still showing.
“I was driving toward the basket then stopped while looking for my teammates,” said Russell. “It always feels good to be able to make the right play with a pass and we scored a big bucket right there, that’s for sure!”
Cedar Grove had to feel good for a few moments with a 49-43 lead before Verona’s Mason Rossi sank his team’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it a 1-possesson game for the final time because Russell then sank a clutch free throw with 12 seconds left to sew things up at 50-46.
The Panthers’ clutch fourth quarter play overshadowed a superb effort from Verona’s senior forward Will Herman who sank a game-high 29 points, including 19 in the first half when the ‘Billies held a 25-24 lead at the intermission. He received the ‘Billies’ outstanding player of the game honors for his superb efforts in the Jandoli Tip-Off game.
Russo received Cedar Grove’s outstanding player honor for his fine performance in what was certainly an entertaining Jandoli Tip-Off to a busy weekend of games in the Gregory Memorial Classic.
