Cole’s Triple Double Advances New Providence in State Tournament

had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots in a valiant performance of sheer dominance to help lift his team past Weequahic  High School, 58-41 in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 first-round game in New Providence Tuesday night.

“[Cole’s performance] doesn’t surprise me. He’s just a great player with blocked shots and scores for us. It’s a typical performance for him,” said New Providence head coach Art Cattano.

Justin Singer finished with 16 points, while added 13 including three 3’s in the third quarter.

New Providence played tough defense, especially in the first half, leaving Weequahic with very few looks at the basket. However, it was a game where the Pioneers were forced to overcome mental mistakes that led to turnovers because of errant passes, travel calls, and a three second violation.

But it was Weequahic’s undisciplined style of play and poor performance from the charity stripe (4 for 19) that helped New Providence advance to the second round of the tournament.

“I was a little upset a couple times. I didn’t think we took care of the ball as well as we should have, but we got it back,” Cattano said.

The Pioneers were able to overcome Weequahic’s athleticism and full court pressure that the team intermittently applied throughout the game by moving the ball down court quickly with nice moves and long passes.

“I thought we played real well. We played together, handled the pressure and came out with the win,” said Cole, who plays center.

It was clear from the expressions of the Weequahic players that Cole’s inside pressure and blocked shots were frustrating the offense.

“That’s what I try to do every game, be a force on the inside and try to contest as many shots as I can and keep the ball in play,” said Cole, a senior.

The Pioneers came out of the gate firing with getting things started with a quick layup to give his team an early lead that it never relinquished. Cole followed by hitting a layup, two foul shots, and a three to extend the lead, while Singer and Fuschetto netted free throws of their own before the quarter ended with New Providence up, 16-7.

Justin Singer led the way for New Providence in the second quarter with eight points, but the Pioneers were outscored 12-10 in the quarter to close the half with a comfortable, 26-19 lead.

The third quarter was arguably the team’s best with Fuschetto starting the rally by opening the half with seven unanswered points followed by an easy layup and a two-handed dunk by Cole. Fuschetto continued his scorching third quarter performance with another 3-pointer before Singer closed it with a layup giving his team a 47-28 lead.

New Providence spent most of the fourth quarter knocking time off the clock with longer possessions by passing more and shooting less. It took the team 1:39 to drop its first points of the quarter when Singer hit two free throws.

Weequahic attempted a comeback when it went on a 9-0 run following Singer’s foul shots to cut the lead to 49-37, but New Providence pulled away and kept Weequahic at bay for the remainder of the game.

The Pioneers now set their sights on the second round when the team hosts Bloomfield Tech Thursday night at home. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

“We definitely have to keep getting better and that’s the key," Cole said. "I think if we play well enough to our potential, we have the ability to go far in the tournament."