Defense leads Roxbury boys basketball over Chatham

SUCCASUNNA – After finishing last season with a record of 10-16, the Roxbury boys basketball team has experienced a resurgence this season thanks in part to its defense.

Defense was the name of the game on Wednesday night as the Gaels improved to 8-1 with a 32-29 victory over Chatham.

"I think confidence, we were a young team last year and this year we have two seniors and three juniors starting so I just think it's confidence and we're playing very good defense right now," Roxbury junior guard Stephen Loreng said. "We're hitting shots and that's why we're playing well."

The Gaels held the Cougars (7-3) to their lowest score of the season, but Chatham also did the same for Roxbury.

"It was going to be who made the most shots pretty much and whoever defended the best, and that's how it worked out," Roxbury senior guard Anthony McMyne said.

The game came down to the final seconds as Roxbury held a 28-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Chatham rebounded from only scoring seven points in the third and opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to get within 28-27 with 4 minutes 11 seconds left.

Junior forward Stefan Goles tied the game when he hit the first of two free throws with 3:43 left, but junior forward Grant Dixon hit a pull-up jumper 30 seconds later to put Roxbury back in front 30-28. Another trip to the free throw line, this time from freshman guard Jack Rooney, pulled the Cougars back within one, 30-29, with 1:27 left and both teams then traded turnovers but couldn't capitalize.

The Gaels then inbounded the ball and sent it down to senior forward Doug Alexander, who was waiting under the basket and scored for the 32-29 final.

"We knew they were big coming in and we knew they were trying to get the ball inside and we played really good half court defense the whole game," Loreng said. "We knocked down some shots at the end, Grant Dixon hit a huge shot at the foul line, that's a big pull-up shot and we just played great defense all game."

Chatham opened the game and took a 10-4 lead with 3:30 to go, but the Gaels outscored them 6-3 to get within 13-10 after the first quarter. In the second quarter it was all about defense as Roxbury managed five points and the Cougars managed two for a 15-15 tie at the half.

"They're a very good defensive team, they were packing it in really tight, we both were playing great defense and I think that's why there was really no scoring," Loreng said. "We had good opportunities, a few of us missed a few shots but there was just great defense."

In the third quarter Roxbury rebounded, outscoring Chatham 13-5. Loreng opened with a 3-pointer and Chatham answered back with a basket and from there the Gaels rolled on a 11-3 run to take a 28-20 lead after three.

McMyne led all scorers with 11 points and Loreng scored eight. For the Cougars, junior forward Jake Bevich scored eight points and Goles chipped in six.

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: 973-428-6674; lknego@gannett.com