Three McDonald’s All-Americans were featured on Wednesday night in a battle of two of the top teams in the state of New Jersey. A packed house was on-hand at Brookdale Community College to witness 5-star talents Kahlil Whitney (Kentucky commit), Scottie Lewis (Florida signee) and Bryan Antoine (Villanova signee).
Ranney got the upper-hand on this night, with a convincing 61-49 victory. The win for the Panthers avenged a heart-breaking defeat that they suffered in last season’s Non-Public B title game. Roselle Catholic won after a last-second dunk by LSU freshman Naz Reid gave the Lions a two-point win.
History did not repeat itself on Wednesday night.
Plenty of Awards tonight!!! pic.twitter.com/8ymObslRLh
— Ranney Athletics (@RanneyAthletics) January 31, 2019
The win marks Ranney’s third victory over a team ranked in the USA TODAY Super 25. Roselle Catholic was ranked No. 15 ahead of the game, and Ranney checked-in at No. 16.
The other wins over ranked opponents came against No. 9 South Central (NC) and No. 17 Federal Way (WA). Ranney is also scheduled to play No. 4 Montverde (FL) at the Metro Classic on Feb. 8th.
This was Ranney’s first victory over Roselle Catholic in program history. The two powerhouses could be on a collision course again for the playoffs. New Jersey is one of the few states in the country that crowns a “true state champion.”
The winners of the various public and private school classifications all qualify for the Tournament of Champions— where one champion is crowned for the entire state.
Broken Trophy? No Problem! 😂 The Celebration rolls for The TOC Champs. #njhoops @rc_basketball @NazReid @KahlilWhitney pic.twitter.com/U7pesYhinM
— Jersey Sports Zone (@JSZ_Sports) March 18, 2018
Ranney. Roselle Catholic, and Gill St. Bernards (who beat Ranney earlier this week) are considered by many to be the top three teams in the state. All three teams play in the Non-Public B classification, which will send one team to the Tournament of Champions.
Roselle Catholic won the 2018 Tournament of Champions— it was the team’s third title in the last six seasons. Ranney School has never reached the final.
Final Stats:
Bryan Antoine poured in a game-high 25 points for Ranney. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
Final: Ranney School: 61, Roselle Catholic: 49 | Villanova commit Bryan Antoine wins the Game MVP Award with 25 points. pic.twitter.com/vl6ChZ4p10
— Pat Lawless (@PatLawless_) January 31, 2019
Scottie Lewis added 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks, while guarding Kahlil Whitney for the entire night. Junior forward Phillip Wheeler went for a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds— all coming in the second half.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari was in attendance to check-in on Kahlil Whitney. The Kentucky commit scored 15 in the loss. Junior center Cliff Omoruyi also added 15 points, while UNLV signee Josh Pierre-Louis scored 13.
Michael McLamb is the High School Hoops Editor at Mars Reel. You can follow him: @McLambSays
