Cougars fall to Atlantic City in sectional final

On Tuesday, the Cougars lost 52-41 to Atlantic City in the South Jersey Group IV sectional final. This was truly a day to remember for all, whether the Cougars won or lost. The DiBart Gym was a sea of red, with hundreds of Countrymen filling the stands. The lines wrapped around the front of the school more than an hour before tipoff. Cherry Hill East surely put its best foot forward before the game as it hoped for a Cougars victory. However, the game itself was a struggle for the Cougars as the team ended a great season on a disappointing note.

From the outset it appeared as though Atlantic City was simply too quick and athletic for the Cougars. The game was very low-scoring in the first quarter as both teams played tight defense. The Countrymen were extremely loud on defensive possessions for the Cougars as Atlantic City struggled on offense. The Cougars ended the first down 9-4, scoring only on a Jake Gurkin ('12) jumper and two Marc Schlessel ('12) free throws.

In the second quarter, the dominance of Atlantic City down low was evident. After the Cougars went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 11-9, Atlantic City scored ten points in a row, many off of second chance opportunities. The Cougars were down 14 as the time dwindled in the half until Schlessel hit a three and was fouled to cut the deficit to 25-15 at the half.

At the half, Schlessel and Gurkin had six points apiece to lead the Cougars. It was clear that the Cougars would need to take better shots in order to win, cut down on their turnovers (they had 17 in the first half) and limit second-chance possessions of Atlantic City. Unfortunately, this would not happen in the second half although the Cougars continued to fight until the finish.

Jake Silpe ('15) began the half with a layup for the Cougars. Then, Gurkin cut the lead to six by tipping the ball in off of an inbounds pass. Atlantic City scored five in a row before Silpe hit another layup for the Cougars followed by a Gary Hettinger ('13) layup plus a foul and free throw to cut the lead to six once again. Atlantic City hit a free throw before Silpe made an unbelievable play for the Cougars, doing a spin move and laying the ball in to cut the lead to 31-26. However, turnover problems persisted for the Cougars as Atlantic City scored four in a row. The quarter ended as Atlantic City held a 37-27 lead.

Schlessel started off the fourth with a bang by draining a deep three. However, Atlantic City answered right back, bringing the lead back to ten. Hettinger hit one of two free throws and Schlessel then hit free throws to cut the lead back to seven. However, things soon turned ominous once again for the Cougars. Gurkin fouled out with 4:43 left with the Cougars down 42-33. Then, Atlantic City extended the lead to 45-33. From then on, the Cougars were never really able to get back into the game completely, as the game ended with a score of 52-41.

Although it was a sour ending to the season, the legacy of this Cougars team will be a great one. This team took the school the farthest it had ever been and provided various unforgettable memories.

Key Stats

Jake Silpe : 9 points

Marc Schlessel : 12 points

Garry Hettinger : 6 points

Jake Gurkin : 8 points

Jesse Gold : 2 points

Andrew Brown : 4 points

Cougars reach first sectional final in school history by beating Shawnee!

Yesterday, the Cougars beat Shawnee 52-42 in the South Jersey Group IV semifinals. On Tuesday, East will play Atlantic City at East in the first sectional final in Cherry Hill East history. Before I start my recap of the game, I just want everyone to realize that the atmosphere in the DiBart Gym was absolutely crazy. Hundreds of Countrymen coupled with Shawnee fans and many other East supporters made for an electric atmosphere.

Additionally, I would like to thank leading-scorer Marc Schlessel ('12) for not only having a great game (as the entire team did), but also for picking up my notes on the game during the crazy storming of the court after the game. Without him, there would be no post tonight.

This game was truly an all-day event. Fans started lining up to buy tickets two hours before the game and the DiBart Gym was almost completely filled by tipoff. The Countrymen were pumped and ready to go, aiming to cheer on the Cougars to reaching their first ever South Jersey Group IV championship game.

The game was close and exciting from the start. After Shawnee scored the first basket of the day, Jake Gurkin ('12) hit a jumper to tie the game. Gurkin recorded the first seven points for the Cougars and played like a beast in the paint. The Cougars took a 9-4 lead after a Schlessel bucket and took an 11-8 lead into the second quarter.

Shawnee scored the first four points of the second, until Gary Hettinger ('13) stopped the mini-run with a layup. The Cougars generated very little offense in the quarter, scoring only seven points, while being extremely shaky on free throws. The game was tied at 18 at the half with Gurkin leading the way with 11 points and five rebounds.

The Cougars allowed Shawnee to score the first points of the second half before Hettinger scored four straight points for the Cougars to give them the 22-20 lead. After Shawnee re-tied the game, Hank Davis ('13) drained a three. After a Schlessel free throw and a Jake Silpe ('15) layup, the Cougars took the 28-24 lead into the final quarter. The third quarter showed one of the reasons why the Cougars have been so great this year, in that some of the complementary players picked up the scoring in vital situations, as Davis and Hettinger came through in the clutch to help maintain the lead.

Davis started the fourth quarter right where he left off, hitting a three then making a layup to extend the lead to 33-24. Shawnee cut the lead to 34-32 a minute later before Hettinger made a huge play, hitting a difficult layup, getting fouled and making the free throw to make the lead 37-32. Gurkin and Schlessel both scored to increase the lead to 41-32. The Cougars led 43-35 before they began to make the fans truly nervous. They missed the front end of two one-and-one free throws, giving Shawnee another chance to re-enter the game with only a few minutes left. However, Schlessel hit eight free throws towards the end of the game to seal the deal for the Cougars to send them on their way to the school's first ever South Jersey Group IV championship game.

Player of the Game: Everyone. Every single Cougar. You win a game like this and every player matters.

Key Stats

Hank Davis : 9 points

Jake Gurkin : 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks

Garry Hettinger : 9 points

Marc Schlessel : 17 points

Jake Silpe : 3 points

Jesse Gold: 3 assists, 3 steals

Cougars handle Toms River North in quarterfinal win

Yesterday, the Cougars defeated Toms River North in the South Jersey Group IV quarterfinals by a score of 47-30. The win marked the first time the Cougars have won in the quarterfinals since 2006.

The Cougars started off the game with a bang, as Hank Davis ('13) and Marc Schlessel ('12) hit threes to give the Cougars a 6-0 lead. Toms River came right back by scoring five in a row before Schlessel hit another three followed by a layup to give the Cougars a six-point lead. The quarter ended after Brett Roseman ('12) scored right before the buzzer to give the Cougars a 13-5 lead.

The second quarter started with a Jake Gurkin ('12) layup as he contributed his first points of the day. The quarter was extremely low-scoring, ripe with missed shots and turnovers for both teams. A difficult Gary Hettinger ('13) layup was the only other scoring for the Cougars in the quarter as they took a 17-11 lead into the half.

The second half did not start off well for the Cougars as Toms River worked to tie the game at 18. However, Gurkin soon gathered in an offensive rebound and laid it in, giving the Cougars another lead. Gurkin scored four more points in the quarter as the Cougars maintained a 24-21 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Cougars began to take control in the fourth quarter. Gurkin grabbed yet another offensive rebound and laid it in to begin the scoring in the quarter. Then Schlessel hit a floater with 6:45 left to give the Cougars a 28-21 lead. Schlessel followed that shot by hitting a three to increase the Cougar lead to ten. From there on out, the Cougars lead never shrunk to less than nine as they slowly pulled away from Toms River. The scoreboard read 47-30 when the final horn sounded.

Player of the Game: Gurkin. Gurkin played an essential role in this victory, Although his scoring total was a relatively modest 13, he gathered in an astounding 23 rebounds and swatted away six shots on the game.

Key Stats
Gurkin-13 points, 23 rebounds, 6 blocks
Schlessel-15 points
Gold-5 points, 7 assists
Davis-5 points
Roseman-4 points

Next up: the South Jersey Group IV semifinal on Saturday at East against Shawnee.

Cougars crush West to begin playoffs

The second-seeded Cougars manhandled Cherry Hill West today in the first round of the South Jersey Group IV playoffs, 76-48. The DiBart Gym was a stellar environment for the game, with a humongous section of Countrymen diagonal from West's student section.

The game started off somewhat ominously for the Cougars. West hung in there to start off the game as they jumped out to a 7-4 lead. It seemed as though West had a chance in the game for a moment. Then, the Cougars came roaring back, going on a 17-0 run with all of the scoring coming from Marc Schlessel ('12) and Hank Davis ('13). Schlessel had 10 points in the quarter while Davis contributed nine. The Cougars led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

West scored the first points of the second quarter. Then, Jake Gurkin ('12) countered with two baskets of his own to drive the lead up to 16. However, West cut the lead to 10 by the end of the quarter as the Cougars went into the locker room with a 30-20 lead. Schlessel had 13 points at the half, followed by Davis and Gurkin, who scored nine and eight respectively.

After allowing West to score the basket to start the second half, the Cougars took control once again. Jesse Gold ('12) pulled up and drained a three and then Schlessel went in for another layup. Schlessel and Gurkin carried the scoring load for the Cougars for the remainder of the quarter as the Cougars held a 47-30 lead heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Cougars made a mockery of West. West continually forced poor shots and the Cougars continuously capitalized. The Cougars cruised to the 74-48 win as they advanced to the second round of the South Jersey Group IV tournament.

Player of the Game: This award can go to three players in this game. Davis drained three-pointers early on, giving the Cougars momentum throughout the game. Gurkin was a force on both ends, scoring 18 points and gathering in 16 rebounds. Ultimately, this recognition has to go to Schlessel. He scored 30 points on the game, consistently taking what the West defense was giving him, as he continuously took advantage of West's weak interior defense.

Next up for the Cougars: Toms River North on Thursday at 4 p.m. The game will be held in the DiBart Gym. GO COUGARS!

Cougars finish off regular season with two tough losses

The Cougars capped the regular season off with two losses against two top teams. Last Monday, the Cougars fell to Eastern 57-52 in a hard-fought battle. The Cougars fell behind early and made a run too late to win the game.

Against Paul VI, the Cougars fell 53-41. Paul VI won with its athleticism and stellar defense, although the Cougars hung in there most of the game.

Cougars win overtime thriller over Haddonfield

On Saturday, the Cougars beat Haddonfield 62-59 at the Cougar Classic in an unbelievable game. It was an instant classic type of game, but it did not appear that way from the start for the Cougars. Haddonfield started the game on a 9-0 run and the Cougars looked out of it for the majority of the first half. Marc Schlessel ('12) attempted to keep the Cougars in the game in the first, scoring 9 points to keep the Haddonfield lead to two heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter was entirely Haddonfield. They dominated in every facet of the game, refusing to let the Cougars get off good shots as they held the Cougars to six second quarter points as they took a 30-16 lead into the locker room.

The Cougars attempted to work their way back in the third quarter. After Haddonfield scored a basket to open the quarter, the Cougars went on a 7-0 run thanks to a Jake Silpe ('15) three and a pair of Schlessel baskets. However, the Cougars could not fully close the gap despite Jake Gurkin ('12) scoring two baskets to counter Haddonfield scores. Haddonfield led 42-33 at the end of the third quarter.

Haddonfield opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a basket. Then, the Cougar hopes dimmed even further when Gurkin fouled out with a considerable amount of time left in the game. Haddonfield took a 46-33 lead before the Cougars registered a point in the quarter. Once again, the Cougars showed they were not done, as Gary Hettinger ('13) made a layup followed by a Jesse Gold ('12) three to cut the lead to ten. Then, Hank Davis ('13) hit another Cougar three to cut the lead to seven. Hettinger laid it in once again to cut the lead to five before Haddonfield scored three more points. Then, with about a minute and a half left, Gold hit a free throw to cut the lead back to seven. On the ensuing possession Haddonfield also hit one free throw, followed by Schlessel draining a deep three to cut the lead to five. Once again, Haddonfield struck back with a basket of their own. The Cougars would not go down without a fight, as Schlessel came right back by hitting a jumper with 20 seconds left. Haddonfield failed to score on their next possession. Then, Schlessel had the ball once again for the Cougars as he hoisted up a three that missed, but was fouled on the play. Schlessel proved to be extremely clutch, hitting all three free throws to put the Cougars within two. After a Haddonfield inbounds play, the Cougars fouled with 5 seconds left to send Haddonfield to the line for two shots with a 54-52 lead. The DiBart Gym was rocking as Haddonfield missed the first free throw and hit the second. The Cougars were down by three. On the initial inbounds play, Haddonfield tipped the ball out of bounds. So with 3.7 seconds left, Schlessel popped out beyond the arc and Gold saw him and hit him with a beautiful pass. Schlessel drained the three as time expired to tie the game in an electric atmosphere to send it to overtime.

Schlessel continued right where he left off in regulation during the extra session, taking the ball to the hole, making the shot and getting fouled to give the Cougars a 58-55 lead. Haddonfield hit a free throw on the next possession. Then, Andrew Brown ('13) hit a layup for the Cougars to give them the 60-56 lead. After a Haddonfield failed possession Schlessel gathered in a Cougar offensive rebound on a free throw and put it back up to give the Cougars a 62-56 lead. A Haddonfield three was too little, too late as the Cougars held on for a 62-59 win.

Player of the Game: Schlessel. Schlessel was Mr. Clutch on Saturday, scoring 30 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter to revive the Cougars' faint hopes in the game.

Key Stats:

Schlessel-30 points

Gurkin-10 points

Gold-6 points, 7 assists

Hettinger-6 points

Silpe-5 points

Cougars destroy Washington Township 63-40

On Tuesday, the Cougars defeated conference-rival Washington Township 63-40. The game was over from the start as the Cougars ran out to a 9-0 lead in the first. On the game, Marc Schlessel ('12) scored 20 points to lead the team followed by Gary Hettinger ('13) with 10. Hettinger also had 10 rebounds on the game. Jesse Gold ('12) contributed 8 assists to the winning effort.

Cougars fall to Ocean City

On Saturday, the Cougars lost to Ocean City 52-45 at St. Augustine. Hank Davis ('13) led the team in scoring with 10, followed by Jesse Gold ('12) with 9.

The Cougars; next game is tomorrow against conference rival Washington Township at 3:45. The Cougars are 16-6 on the season.

Cougars crush rival Cherokee 61-40

On Thursday, the Cougars beat rival Cherokee at Cherokee 61-40. The win improved the Cougars' record to 16-5 on the season.

The first quarter was extremely close. Cherokee went on a 7-0 run after Jake Gurkin ('12) scored the first points of the game on a layup. The Cougars tied the game at 7 and took the lead when Jake Silpe ('15) went coast-to-coast for a layup. The quarter ended with Cherokee leading 12-11.

The Cougars began to take over the game in the second quarter. A Hank Davis ('13) three capped off an 8-0 Cougars run to start the quarter. Marc Schlessel ('12) scored the last five points of the half to give the Cougars a 26-16 lead heading into the locker room.

Gurkin had a monster first half with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

The Cougars continued to dominate in the third quarter. Another Davis three gave the Cougars a 19-point lead halfway through the third at 40-21. The Cougars closed the quarter with a 44-29 lead as Schlessel hit a buzzer beating three to end the quarter.

The fourth quarter went just as swimmingly for the Cougars as they extended their lead beyond 20 points to win 61-40.

Key Stats

Marc Schlessel : 17 points

Garry Hettinger : 2 points

Jake Gurkin : 14 points

Jesse Gold : 2 points

Hank Davis : 13 points

Jake Silpe : 13 points

Cougars fall to Lenape 59-39

The Cougars lost to Lenape Tuesday night by a score of 59-39, only their second loss within the division. The Cougars got off to a good start, trailing by only one after the first quarter, 14-13. A couple Lenape shooters getting hot plus poor shooting by East resulted in the Cougars finding themselves down seven at the half, 27-20. All hopes of a comeback evaporated quickly, as Lenape outscored the Cougars 29-12 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. This was a game the Cougars surely want to forget as soon as it ended, with the final score being Lenape 59, East 39.

The Cougars look to get back on track with a win @ Cherokee this Thursday at 6:00pm. A huge crowd would be nice to support the basketball team as they look to strengthen their record in the division in hopes of winning their 2nd consecutive Olympic Conference Title.

Cougars win two blowouts before the cutoff

In the last two games before the cutoff for playoff seeding the Cougars destroyed Winslow Township on Thursday and Seneca on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Cougars won at Winslow Township 85-62 to improve to 14-4 on the season. Hank Davis ('13) led the way for the Cougars, scoring 17 points in the victory. The Cougars had five players scoring in double figures for the game in Davis, Marc Schlessel ('12) (12 points), Austin Wetzler ('14) (11 points), Jake Gurkin ('12) (13 points) and Gary Hettinger ('13) (11 points).

On Saturday, the Cougars destroyed Seneca at East 77-45. Schlessel scored 24 points for the Cougars and Gurkin scored 21. The Cougars outscored Seneca 28-9 in the first quarter to essentially put the game away.

With the two wins, the Cougars reached Saturday's cutoff date with a 15-4 record. It looks as though they have earned the number two seed in the South Jersey Group IV playoffs and will face Cherry Hill West in the first round of the playoffs.

For now, the Cougars will try to win the conference and a big battle against Lenape looms on Tuesday.

Cougars Defeat Pennsauken 69-59

On Tuesday night, the Cougars defeated the Pennsauken Indians by a score by 69-59. CHE never trailed in the game, leading 22-9 after one, and 34-17 at half. Jake Gurkin ('12) had 15 points at the half, while Marc Schlessel ('12) had 12 points. With the exception of a couple Pennsauken runs, the game was never in doubt, as East led 53-39 after three, and finished with a 10 point win. Schlessel led the team with 27 points, while Gurkin was close behind with with 23 points.

The Cougars have two more games (@ Winslow Twp 2/2/12 and home to Seneca 2/4/12) before the cutoff for the playoffs. If East wins these two games, they will go into the cutoff with a 15-4 record, hoping to edge out Shawnee for the 3rd seed in the Group IV Playoffs.

Cougars drop two close games in a row

On Thursday, the Cougars fell to Camden Catholic 43-42. The game had a very slow tempo which favored Catholic and the Cougars failed to convert having possession with 4.5 seconds left at the end of the game.

On Saturday, the Cougars fell to Medford Tech 58-55. Although the Cougars lost, the game was extremely memorable as Marc Schlessel ('12) scored his one thousandth career point with 55 seconds left in the third quarter on a three-pointer.

The losses brought the Cougars record down to 12-4 on the season.

Cougars edge out Camden 56-52

The Cougars defeated Camden at Camden 56-52 on Thursday. The game was extremely tight but the Cougars pulled out the win in the end as Marc Schlessel ('12) sank his free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound with ten seconds left to put the game away. He had 29 points on the night and 12 in the fourth quarter alone. Jake Gurkin ('12) had 11 points, Hank Davis ('13) scored 8 and so did Gary Hettinger ('13) to round out the scoring for the Cougars.

Buzzer beater lifts Cougars over Eastern!

Jake Gurkin ('12) gathers the rebound with four seconds left, passes to Jesse Gold ('12), Gold gives the outlet pass to Marc Schlessel ('12) who lays it in as time expires! The scoreboard reads 60-58 in overtime as the Countrymen storm the court! Down goes number-one ranked Eastern!

This is all a Cougars fan needs see to remember one of the all-time great games when East took down top-ranked Eastern at Eastern in overtime, 60-58. This was one of those games that could be labeled an instant classic.

The first quarter was evenly matched for both teams. Gary Hettinger ('13) started the scoring with two free throws. Eastern scored down five straight points, but their run was halted by a Schlessel three which tied the game. The Cougars were down 11-8 towards the end of the quarter, but Hank Davis ('13) hit a three to tie the game at 11 to end the scoring in the quarter.

The second quarter started with a Gurkin bucket on which he was fouled and made the free throw to give the Cougars a three-point lead. Schlessel heated up in the second, as he hit two threes, the second of which put the Cougars a 22-15 lead. The Cougars led 24-19 as they went into their last possession in the half. Jake Silpe ('15) handled the ball as the Cougars readied to take the shot when he encountered some tough defense and momentarily lost control of the ball on the ground. However, with about two seconds remaining he regained control of the ball on the floor and passed it to Davis who drained a three to give the Cougars the 27-19 lead heading into the locker room.

The Cougars picked right up where they left off to start the third, scoring the first five points of the quarter on two Schlessel free throws and a Schlessel three. However, Eastern refused to go away despite the Cougars' strongest efforts. After a Davis layup gave the Cougars a 38-27 lead, the Vikings scored four straight points. Then, Gurkin scored on a nice feed from Silpe to give the Cougars a nine-point lead. The Vikings answered mightily as they pressured the Cougar offense which caused troubles. Eastern scored six straight points to end the quarter as the Cougars held a slim three-point lead heading into the fourth.

Gurkin started the fourth quarter with a bang as he rejected an Eastern player which led to a Schlessel layup on the other end to give the Cougars a 42-37 lead. With 5:50 left and the Cougars leading 42-39, Gurkin hit a beautiful hook which elicited an electric reaction from the crowd. After another Eastern bucket, Schlessel hit a floater to keep the lead at five. After yet another Eastern basket, Schlessel hit another floater to give East the four-point lead at 48-44. Eastern then went on a 5-0 run to take a 49-48 lead. With 1:06 left, Eastern hit a free throw to extend the lead to two. The Cougars answered back, as Silpe took it to the hole himself, hitting a leaner to tie the game at 50. However, Eastern scored on their next possession, making the Cougars' hopes look dim. With only about 10 seconds left, Silpe had the ball in his hands to determine the outcome of the game. As he drove into the lane and put the ball up to the basket, his shot missed. However, Gurkin made a spectacular play to tie the game up at 52 by tipping the ball into the basket on the rebound with only two seconds left. It appeared as though the clock had run out during regulation and the game would be going to overtime. However, Eastern was granted one last chance by the officials as two seconds were added onto the clock. Eastern missed the last-second desperation heave, so the game went into overtime.

If it seemed as though the game could not get any more exciting, it did in overtime. The extra session started off slow, but an Eastern travel with 3:18 left allowed Schlessel to hit a three for the Cougars on the ensuing possession to give the Cougars the 55-52 advantage. Eastern responded by knocking down two free throws on the next possession to cut the lead to one. Eastern hit another layup to take the late lead at 56-55. Then, Gurkin responded right away by hitting a huge three from the top of the key to give the Cougars a 58-56 lead. Eastern responded once again by hitting a shot from a very close distance after a mad scramble for the basketball to tie the game at 58. The Cougars failed to take the lead on the ensuing possession, so Eastern had the opportunity to win the game as they inbounded the ball with 20.3 seconds left. The Vikings missed a wide open three which would have given them the late lead with about seven seconds left. It looks as though the game will head into double overtime. Well, Jake Gurkin, Jesse Gold and Marc Schlessel had something different to say about that. Gurkin gathered in the rebound off the miss with four seconds remaining. He passed the ball quickly to Gold who displayed the vision of a true quarterback in gunning the ball downcourt into the arms of a streaking Schlessel who was open heading towards the basket. Schlessel caught the ball gracefully as he laid it in the net to give the Cougars the win. A sea of red flooded onto the court to celebrate. Game. Set. Match. 60-58. Cougars win one of the greatest high school basketball games anyone in attendance has ever seen.

Player of the Game: The whole game was unreal, a case could be made for everyone. Schlessel with his 27 points and the heads-up play on the winning basket by speeding downcourt and having the discipline to still hit the shot, Gurkin for his 17 points and 10 rebounds, Gold for his unbelievable pass on the winning play and Davis for his huge eight points off the bench and the buzzer-beater to end the first half.

Bottom Line: Everyone wins.

Key Stats

Schlessel-27 points

Gurkin-17 points, 10 rebounds

Davis-8 points

Cougars fall to Shawnee 64-49

The Cougars lost their second game in a row on Saturday as Shawnee defeated them 64-49. This game was rough as a whole for the Cougars as they fell to 10-2 on the season.

Cougars stumble against Washington Township

The Cougars fell to 10-1 on the season on Thursday with a 43-34 loss to Washington Township. The game was very sloppy, as the Cougars committed too many turnovers. Hank Davis ('13) was the only player to reach double digits in points for the Cougars as he scored 13.

Cougars beat Triton to reach 10-0

On Tuesday, the Cougars beat Triton 65-60 to improve to 10-0 on the season. Although the final score was close, the Cougars maintained a consistent lead throughout the game and never relinquished control.

The Cougars led by 12 at the half and after three quarters, but things got dicey in the fourth as Jake Gurkin ('12) got into a little bit of foul trouble. However, Marc Schlessel ('12) scored the Cougars' final five points to close out the game.

Player of the Game: Schlessel, He closed out strong for the Cougars and led the team with 22 points.

Key Stats

Schlessel-22 points

Gurkin-16 points, 15 rebounds

Hank Davis ('13)- 13 points

Jesse Gold ('12)-9 assists

Gary Hettinger ('13)-10 points

Cougars stay perfect, beat Woodrow Wilson

On Saturday, the Cougars knocked off previously undefeated by a score of 69-57. Marc Schlessel ('12) led the way for the Cougars by scoring 30 as the Cougars coasted to a relatively easy victory. Jake Gurkin ('12) contributed 13 points and 15 rebounds as well. Although the final score was somewhat close, the Cougars maintained a steady lead throughout as bench players received a good deal of playing time. Austin Wetzler ('14) scored nine to lead the scoring off the bench.

Cougars Move to 8-0 as they defeat Cherokee 56-44

After coming off a huge win against 7th ranked Lenape, the Cougars moved to 8-0 with a convincing 56-44 win over conference rival Cherokee Thursday afternoon. The game seemed much closer than it should've been, with the Cougars running away with it in the end.

The first half was a close one, as the Cougars led 11-10 after the first quarter. It seemed as though this would be another one of those games where it would be close until the fourth quarter, and then hopefully East would pull away in the end. The half ended with the Cougars leading 29-24, as Marc Schlessel ('12) and Jake Gurkin ('12) led the team with 8 points apiece, while Jesse Gold ('12) chipped in with 6 points in the half.

Both teams struggled to get any offense going in the third quarter, as East led 39-34. The fourth quarter would be an interesting one, as big man Jake Gurkin fouled out on a questionable referee decision with 6:41 left in the game. That prompted coach David Allen to bring in junior Andrew Brown for a big man presence on defense. With the Cougars leading 46-42 with 1:32 to go in the game, freshman Jake Silpe nailed a huge 3 to make it 49-42, and virtually put the game out of reach. Silpe ('15) scored 7 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, with East putting Cheroke away 56-44.

Stats:

CHE: 14/17 from the FT line

Hank Davis : 3 points

Jesse Gold : 7 points

Jake Gurkin : 9 points

Garry Hettinger : 3 points

Marc Schlessel : 21 points

Jake Silpe : 13 points, 4 assists, 4 steals

Cougars beat Lenape for huge conference win

The Cougars once again showed the South Jersey basketball world that they are indeed for real by defeating Lenape 57-46. In their first game after being placed in the top ten in South Jersey, the Cougars showed they are here to stay.

The Cougars jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a basket from Marc Schlessel ('12) and a three from Jake Silpe ('15). Lenape immediately struck bacj in a big way, going on an 8-0 run. However, the Cougars managed to control the damage as they took a 15-14 lead going into the second quarter via two jumpers by Jesse Gold ('12), a Silpe layup, two free throws from Gary Hettinger ('13) and a Schlessel three.

The Cougars fell behind by two as Lenape capitalized on early opportunities in the second. However, they went on an 8-0 run as Jake Gurkin ('12), Schlessel and Silpe provided the scoring to give the Cougars a 28-24 lead at the half.

The Cougars once again expanded their lead in the third quarter as Silpe started the half with a layup, followed by a Schlessel three to give the Cougars a 33-24 lead. Lenape cut the lead back down to five before Hettinger hit a layup for the Cougars. Then, Schlessel threw up an alley-oop for Gurkin which he laid in to give the Cougars a 37-28 lead. Gurkin hit two free throws to end the scoring for the Cougars in the third as they held a 39-32 lead heading into the final quarter.

Hettinger scored four points to start the quarter for the Cougars, the first two off of a tip-in and the last two on a layup after a beautiful pass from Gold. Lenape managed to cut the lead down to 49-44 but Silpe hit two clutch free throws for the Cougars and the team never looked back on its way to a 57-46 victory.

Player of the Game: Gurkin. He recorded a triple-double as he recorded 16 points, 16 rebounds and 10 block shots for an outstanding all-around performance.

Key Stats

Gurkin-16 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks

Schlessel-16 points, 5 rebounds

Gold-4 points, 6 assists

Silpe-11 points

Hettinger-10 points

Cougars finish Virginia B. Whitaker Invitational with 3-0 record

The Cougars defeated Williamstown 45-41 and Gloucester Catholic 69-34 to improve to 6-0 on the season as they finished off the Virginia B. Whitaker Invitational with a 3-0 record.

The Cougars maintained control of the Williamstown game throughout, but Williamstown made a late run to make the score close. Marc Schlessel ('12) led the Cougars in scoring with 18 points and Jake Gurkin ('12) hit two late free throws to seal the win for the Cougars.

The Gloucester Catholic game was a complete rout, as the Cougars were able to clear the bench out in the fourth quarter. Schlessel led the way once again with 22 points and reserve Tyler Berlinsky ('12) chipped in eight points off the bench.