Oratory Basketball has been on a roll all year. Aside from their success, they were 5-0 at one point and led the division. With losses to both SPF and Cranford, they are now tied for first place with SPF. This simply means that every conference matchup they play is critical to their chances of winning the division title.
The Rams have only four conference games remaining this season, including their home game against Rahway. Earlier in the season, Oratory defeated Rahway 50-32 on the road to improve to 4-0 in conference play. This was a must-win game for the Rams, and they absolutely delivered.
The Rams and Indians were tied at 9 at the end of the first quarter. Coach Daugherty decided to go with a zone defense after they gave up some lazy buckets in the paint. This allowed Oratory to outscore Rahway by 15 points in the second quarter, leading 36-20 at halftime. Senior captains John Pirone and Patrick Coniff, as well as Nick Servitto, led the way on the offensive end with a few three-pointers, crucial rebounds, and outstanding assists. Despite being down 21 at one point in the third quarter, the Rahway Indians did not allow Oratory to shut them down completely. Rahway was only 13 points behind Oratory entering the final 8 minutes after forcing a couple of turnovers and generating three-pointers. The Rams did not let this adversity deter them, and both Max Cook and Asher Bradley sealed the victory for the Rams, with a final score of 63-48 in favor of Oratory. Senior John Pirone led the offense with 17 points, while Patrick Coniff and Nick Servitto scored 13 and 12, respectively. Asher Bradley chipped in 12 more, while Max Cook finished with nine. On the defensive end, captain Patrick Coniff recorded 5 blocks and was a beast on the boards, while Max Ince took a charge and had key rebounds. Max Ince’s outstanding defensive play and flawless execution of offense earned him his first “Chain” title of the season.
With the victory, the Rams now have an 11-4 overall record, having won three straight games and improved to an 8-2 record within the conference. The Rams’ next game is against Roselle, which they defeated 73-19 at home, and on Saturday they face New Providence, who currently leads the valley division with a 6-0 conference record and a 10-3 overall record. As the season comes to a close, the Rams must win their conference games to finish as division champions.
