After a 29-point night from John Pirone fueled a 38-point beat down over rival Governor Livingston, the Rams have advanced to the second round of the Union County Tournament. While this game was crucial to survive and advance, the emphatic manner in which the Rams won provides even more implications for the Rams. For starters, OP Hoops was coming off a 4 game losing streak after never having more than two losses in a row, so Tuesday’s blowout of a 10-win team that is 2nd in the Valley division was a much-needed change of momentum. Furthermore, Oratory’s victory now places them in the 8-seed/9-seed matchup with Union standing as the opposition. Looking at mutual opponents, Union has suffered losses to Cranford, Summit, & Rahway, all of whom Oratory were victorious against. However, Union happens to be a very streaky opponent as shown by the 5-point win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, who swept the season series to win the conference title over OP. That being said, I firmly believe the Rams control their own destiny. If we see the defensive fire, smooth transition play, and elite outside shooting that OP exhibited in their 50+ point halves against Cranford and GL, the Rams will survive and advance once again. Upon victory over a Group 4 school (such as Union), the Rams will gain much-needed powerpoints to remain a top 8 seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public A North Tournament and host a state playoff game.
