Schools
Absegami Boys' Basketball Team Eyes Playoff Rematch with Atlantic City
The Braves' first-round playoff basketball game is set for Feb. 28 in Atlantic City
Having already lost twice to Atlantic City High School, one would think the Vikings are the last team the players on the boys' basketball team want to face in the upcoming playoffs.
However, that’s not the case.
No. 12 Absegami will travel to fifth-seeded Atlantic City at 7 p.m., Feb. 28 in the opening round of the NJSIAA Group IV playoffs.
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“I think it’s good for our team,” Absegami’s Lamar Monroe said. “We got them in the first round, and it can show everybody what our team is made up of. We have to pull together and it could be a great team win.”
"We lost to them twice, but that is the team we want to play,” Absegami’s Darryl Loveland said. “We want to show everybody we can beat them. We had our chance twice already and this is our opportunity here. Everyone doubts us.”
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The Braves (13-8) are a confident bunch these days.
Absegami has won six of seven games, and the Braves believe they are playing their best basketball of the season.
“I feel like our team is a lot better than we were in the beginning of the season,” Monroe said. “We have become a lot closer as the games have gone by. There was some adversity a couple weeks ago but we had a big talk about it and everybody talked and everybody listened and everybody pulled together as a team. We all have the same goals and are on the same page right now.”
Absegami has won every game in the month of February except one, and that was an eight-point loss to North Jersey power Linden in the Battle by the Bay Invitational hosted by Atlantic City.
The Braves were a late entry in the three-day tournament that features several area programs and some of the best teams on the East Coast.
The loss to Linden may have been just as important to the Braves as the seven wins this month.
“I know we didn’t even play to our full ability,” Absegami coach Mike Bult said. “It was a good experience. We played one of the top teams in New Jersey in Group IV. It was helpful and it was a good gauge of where we are at. If we pull together and we believe in each other, it could get interesting.”
The first time the Braves played the Vikings, they found themselves down 24 points, but rallied to take a lead late in the game However, Atlantic City was able to pull it out in the end.
In their last meeting, the Vikings never let the Braves back into the game and won by 24 points.
“We are a lot stronger and a tougher team,” Monroe said. “We feel like we should get the win.”
