Newark Academy Uses 3-Pointers to Top Caldwell

Newark Academy boys basketball team proved they still have the sharpshooting skills that have marked teams of past.  And on Friday night they showed against Caldwell that they they can still knock them down in the clutch.

NA's Chris Cutri nailed a pair of 3-pointers to twice thwart Caldwell High rallies in the Minutemen's season-opening 60-53 win at the William E. and Carol G. Simon Family Field House. 

"This won't be confused with the last couple of years when we had 10 3s or 15 treys in a game. This is a much more athletic and defensive-minded team," NA coach Jim Stoeckel said. "[Caldwell] is pretty good offensively and I don't think they looked all that good offensively today, so I have to think we had a big part in that."

While the Minutemen effectively shut down most of the Chiefs, NA had no answer for Caldwell sophomore forward Dave Levinsky, who scored 16 of his team's 27 first-half points en route to a game-high 30 points.

"He's a big-time player. He really is," Caldwell coach Mike Mancino said. "He shows up every night. He gives you 10 boards and 15 points just about every night. He's a warrior—he gives you everything he has." 

Mancino, however, wasn't impressed with the rest of his team's effort, particularly in the second quarter when the Chiefs were outscored 12-3 over the first three minutes, eight seconds when the Minutemen extended what was a two-point lead into a 30-19 advantage with 4:52 left in the opening half before taking a 38-27 lead at intermission.

NA's Jordan Jett fueled the spurt with a pair of 3-pointers. Jett scored all of his 12 points in the opening half and was one of four players to finish in double digits for the Minutemen. Zaire Williams led the team with 17 points, while Matt Gravesande added 12 and Chris Cutri added 11.

"They were one step ahead of us the whole way," Mancino said. "The effort, I thought, was better at their end. I don't think at times we worked as hard as they did. They also have pretty good shooters and that separates them a little bit. A little bit better effort and a little bit better shooting, it's a different game."

Caldwell's shooting improved to start the second half when the Chiefs went on an 11-4 run, punctuated by Mike Fess' lay-in that cut the deficit to 42-38 with 3:15 left in the third quarter.

But NA responded with five straight points in the last two minutes of the quarter, ignited by a Cutri 3-pointer followed by a Williams basket that extended the Minutemen's lead to 47-38 entering the fourth quarter.

Caldwell answered with one last run to start the fourth when Levinsky scored the period's first five points, including a trey from the wing, that once again pulled the Chiefs within four at 47-43 less than two minutes into the quarter.

However, Cutri responded once again with another 3-pointer followed by another Williams basket in a span of just over a minute to push NA's lead to 52-43 with 5:16 left in the game.

"They kept shooting a lot of 3s and they kept going in," Levinsky said. "We just need to tighten up our defense and get closer to them on the perimeter. We're disappointed, but we're going to get better."

NA's improved defense helped the Minutemen to close out the victory—something the team has struggled to do at times in the past.

"We're not the same shooting team that we used to be, but this is probably our best defensive team since I've been here," Stoeckel said. "That's different for us. You usually don't see us pull it out with four or five minutes to go in the game. It was good to see young guys who are all role players have now stepped up to take on more of leadership roles."

Mancino said he hopes his team learned a lesson that there's no letting up in the new Super Essex Conference.

"Our thing is to get better everyday. If you get better everyday, you're playing your best basketball at the end of the year," he said. "I don't know if we got better today, but I hope we learned a lesson. That's a good club. Every time you go out in our league, you're going to face a good club. There are really no weak clubs in our league. If you let down a little, this is what happens to you."