By Jim Hintelmann
LITTLE SILVER – Red Bank Regional junior Sadiq Palmer is perhaps best known as a standout wide receiver-defensive back in football, but he is equally as talented on the basketball court.
Palmer showed his ability on the court last Tuesday in the Bucs’ 59-54 overtime win over top-seeded St. Joseph’s of Metuchen in the championship game of the Albert E. Martin Buc Basketball Classic.
Palmer also scored a game high 18 points against Red Bank Catholic Saturday, but the Bucs suffered their first setback of the season in a 59-54 upset.
Palmer, despite sitting out part of the St. Joseph’s game due to foul trouble, scored 15 points, including seven in the overtime, and that earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award.
The tournament has been renamed in the memory of Albert Martin, who collapsed during a preseason scrimmage in December 2012 and died at the hospital later that night.
“This meant a lot to our team,” said Palmer. “We’re doing it for Albert. This will be our motivation for the entire season. We’re on a mission.”
The Falcon’s Branislav Vujadinovic had tied the game at 49-49 with a putback with 1:12 remaining in regulation to set up the overtime.
Palmer scored the first seven points for the Bucs in the overtime to give Red Bank a 56-51 lead but Vujadinovic drilled a three-pointer with 34 seconds remaining to cut the gap to 56-54.
Red Bank’s Anthony Mitchell hit a free throw with 23 seconds to go and St. Joseph’s still had a chance for a tie, but a trey by Bryce Layne missed and Eddie Hendrex (13 points), who did a brilliant job coming off the bench both scoring and rebounding, dropped in two foul shots to clinch the win.
St. Joseph’s won the N JSIAA Tournament of Championship title last year but had only one returning starter, junior Breein Tyree.
“We took a page out of the Middletown North (which lost to St. Joseph’s, 57-44 in a semifinal game) playbook,” said Red Bank coach Scott Martin. “It gave us somewhat of an idea what defense to play, especially against Tyree.
“We went to a triangle and two for the first third of the game,” he explained, “and then went to a box and one on Tyree. We wanted to have their other players take the shots.”
Tyree was held to 10 points with his only baskets coming on a pair of slam dunks. Vujadinovic made up some of the slack with 26 points, but it wasn’t enough.
“Hendrex had a frustrating time in his first four games,” said Martin, “but tonight, he gave us what we needed off the glass. He can really jump.”
The Falcons started off strongly, scoring the first six points of the game. Treys by Mitchell and Justin Gilson tied the game, but the Falcons went back in front, 22-18 after the first quarter.
St. Joseph’s led, 37-31 at halftime, but Red Bank rallied in the second half and grabbed the lead, 45-40, on two baskets by Mitchell and a putback by Jack Navitsky.
The Falcons battled back, though, and tied the game on a drive by Vujadinovic and that set up the overtime.
Red Bank’s fast start did not come as a surprise to Martin since the Bucs had most of last year’s team coming back.
“Last year we got together and made a good run in the state tournament but lost the sectional final to Ewing,” said Martin. “We have a very deep team and I always use 10 players every game.”
“We wanted to win this for Albert and his mother,” said Martin (no relation). “She still comes out for every game.”
RBC (5-2), which never trailed in the game, used its three-point goal strength in defeating the Bucs, making nine of them including four from by Liam Byrne.
Seniors Kevin Fazio and Liam Byrne, and junior Eddie Hahn led RBC with 17, 16 and 14 points, respectively. Hahn also had three slam dunks which drew a roar from the RBC fans. Also in double figures were Evan Madigan (11 points ) and Joe Montano (10 points). They accounted for all but three of RBC’s points.
Fazio, who replaced football star Quenton Nelson, now at Notre Dame, was effective inside.
“He doesn’t play the high post and pass off like Quenton did,” said RBC coach James Catalano, “but we got Fazio to face the basket and attack the rim. He’s good at that. We played hard and stuck to the game plan.”
“Red Bank is a good team and a big rival for us,” Fazio said. “They have great chemistry and play well together. But we wanted to disrupt that chemistry and play better defense. We’re building confidence now. We have a tough schedule and need to be ready to play every game.”
