Jaimik Moore's Monster Second Half Sends Brookdale Into Championship Game
By Mike Ready
LINCROFT – Freshman forward Jaimik Moore (Hackensack H.S.) torched fourth seeded Union County (19-9, 16-6) for 21 second-half points, including 9-out-10 from the free throw line, fueling top-seeded Brookdale to a 95-77 win in the NJCAA Region XIX DIII semifinals Thursday night at Collins Arena.
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The win gives Brookdale (28-1, 20-1), ranked No.1 nationally in NJCAA DIII play, their third-straight berth in the NJCAA Region XIX DIII title game with a chance to bring home the championship trophy for the third-straight season on its home court. The Blues will defend their title Saturday 5:00 p.m. at Collins Arena against second-seeded Delaware County (26-5, 14-0).
Brookdale held a 39-31 lead after a first half in which Moore failed to score a single point while only taking two shots and never reaching the foul line.
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Moore heated up at the start of the second half scoring nine of his 21 points in the first nine minutes with sophomore point guard Ricky Stephens (Monmouth Regional H.S.) adding eight of his 15 total points in those nine minutes as well. During that time, Brookdale went on a 21-11 run building its lead to 18 points, 60-42, with 11:15 showing on the clock.
The Blues lead never dipped below eight points the rest of the way as head coach Paul Cisek substituted freely with an eye towards Saturday’s championship game.
Moore’s second-half heroics were not limited to his hot hand but also on the defensive side of the ball. He dominated the glass in the second half hauling down nine rebounds with three coming off the offensive glass. His 11 total boards for the game led the team and to complete his repertoire on the night, he led the team in assists with five.
“My first half performance wasn’t what it should’ve been,” Moore said. “At halftime I told myself I needed to be stronger mentally and that my second half was going to be way better. I never really doubted myself I just figured it was a slow start and I would pick it up to where I needed to be.”
All five Brookdale starters finished with double-digit scoring and four starters had four or more assists in the game.
Sophomore forward Joe Nickerson (Barringer H.S.) continued putting up big numbers for the Blues, dropping in 18 points with 14 of those points coming in the first half when Brookdale needed every one of those points to forge a lead and gain control of the game.
Stephens and fellow sophomore David Rosado (Saddle River Day School) each had 15 points and dished out four assists while Rosado had two steals and Stephens one.
Sophomore guard Cory Soanes (Matawan), Brookdale’s most complete player, does it all at both ends of the court and Thursday night was no different as he scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out four assists and had three steals. His above the rim play is a sight to be seen and is what highlight films are made of.
Freshmen Rahsaan Johnson (Passaic H.S.) and Tyrone Curry (Charlotte N.C.) each chipped in with five points and three boards. Johnson had a blocked shot and a steal as well.
“It feels great getting into the finals but we’re not just settling for getting in,” Moore said. “We want to win it and get to the nationals; that’s been our goal all season.”
