Tollis, Guilder Each Score in Double-Digits in Loss

In the second half, Montville High big man Matt Guilder looked like a force in the paint. Undersized Hopatcong had no answer for Guilder’s size and dexterity. At the end of the second 16-minute half, Guilder had 10 points and had changed the game.

The problem for Montville? He was glued to the bench on the first half thanks to three quick fouls in the first four minutes of the game.

Montville was defeated by Hopatcong 63-49 Monday night at Hopatcong High School. Hopatcong standout guard  Matt Tobin led all scorers with 25 points.

“This was a game I thought we could’ve won,” Montville first-year head coach Bill Medina said. “I don’t think our players played a complete game. We played well for two-and-a-half quarters.”

Hopatcong held a 11-10 lead after the first quarter thanks to five points by senior Jake Smith. Smith, a senior, got the start for the Chiefs on Hopatcong’s senior night. His three-pointer in the final minutes gave the Chiefs the edge at the end of the first.

Tobin opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, giving Hopatcong a four-point lead. By the end of the quarter, on the strength of Vinny Marinoni and Hunter Guard 3-pointers, Hopatcong held a 30-22 lead at the half.

Pete Tollis led Montville with eight points in the first half.

Montville battled back in the third quarter and found success against Hopatcong’s zone defense. For much of the quarter, the Mustangs used crisp ball movement—changing sides of the floor and getting the ball into the high post—en route to a 16-point quarter.

The Mustangs pulled to within six points with a Jon Lacy layup with a minute left, when Tobin answered yet again. Tobin caught an inbound pass, went to his left, and threw up a fadeaway 18-footer over two Mustangs that hit nothing but net.

The two clubs played out much of the fourth at the same pace. Pete Tollis finished with 12 points while Ellis Carter added 11.

Montville falls to 6-18 on the season.

Hopatcong: Matt Tobin 25, Joe LoBue 2, Hunter Guard 12, Nick Krowl 5, Jon Parker 9, Jake Smith 5, Vinny Marinoni 5.

Montville: Matt Guilder 10, Pete Tollis 12, Ellis Carter 11, MikeDellostrillo 5, Jordan Gajdos 4, Jon Lacy 2, Mike Trifori 5,