Nate Keating helps secure road win as Haddon Township upends Paulsboro
Eamon Sheehan of Haddon Township gets past Paulsboro's Jahsir Johnson in the second half of Monday's game.While its lead was never lost, all of the momentum Haddon Township took into the locker room at the break was just about gone.
The senior forward found himself on the receiving end of a few nice passes and got to the basket. He would score 11 of his game-high 23 points down the stretch and grabbed eight rebounds to help the visiting Hawks defeat Paulsboro, 63-48, in Colonial Conference action Monday. “We were struggling a lot. Then we limited the turnovers and were just getting baskets left and right,” Keating said. Nate Keating of Haddon Township looks to pass the ball as Paulsboro's Delance Samuels applies defensive pressure in Monday's game.The win was the sixth in a row for a team that returned four starters from a squad that reached the South Jersey Group 1 final. “Every night, we’re able to write experience, composure as keys on the board. We’re able to kind of tap into that,” Haddon Township coach Paddy McNamara said. “It’s really hard to win here at Paulsboro. “Every time down the stretch, in the mid-third quarter through the fourth, these guys were so resolute and together. There was never panic; they pick each other up.” Following a loss to Haddon Heights in its season opener, Haddon Township has leaned on its experience and team chemistry to secure victories. Strong defense has also been a key to success, evident by the Hawks holding Paulsboro to single digits in the first, second and fourth quarters. “It’s the same group, really, since I was in fifth grade,” said junior guard Sean Crawford, who contributed 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. “We’ve been playing together since such a young age that it’s so easy to play with them. “They got hot in the third quarter, but we stayed strong. We played together and ended up turning it around in the fourth. We got hot and took over the game.” Malakhai McKenzie of Paulsboro dribbles past Haddon Township's Eamon Sheehan during action in Monday's Colonial Conference matchup.In addition to Keating and Crawford, Eamon Sheehan added 12 points, three rebounds and two assists. Axel Mohr had 11 points and six boards. Trailing 34-16 at the break, Paulsboro rallied behind the play of Malakhai McKenzie. The senior guard scored 11 of his team-high 22 points in the third quarter to bring the Red Raiders within seven heading into the fourth. The hosts cut their deficit to four on a Delance Samuels 3-pointer in the opening moments of the fourth. That’s when Keating answered with a personal 9-0 run to re-establish Haddon Township’s double-digit advantage. Delance Samuels of Paulsboro eyes up the basket while being defended by Haddon Township's Nate Keating in the first half of Monday's game.“We did a really good job of handling pressure by not settling for jumpers,” McNamara said. “We got some nice back-door layups and finishes at the rim. Those were big-time buckets. “It all starts for us defensively; we’ve been really good. We played against some good teams that have multiple threats and we’ve rebounded the basketball very well, which was a little bit of a concern for us coming into the year.”A 1988 graduate of the University of Maryland, this is my 38th year covering New Jersey high school sports - with a focus on the seven-county South Jersey region. I've been recognized by the NJSIAA and NJPA for...
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