Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 39

PAGE D6 ASBURY PARK PRESS MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1997 SCHOLASTIC Wave Worried? Long Branch? Never Tournament of Champions Girls (1) St John Vianney and (2) Piscataway (bye) Wtdntuby it Ebaketk ((, (4) Red Bank Catholic vs. (5) Woodrow Wilson (3) Haddontield vs. (6) Burlington Township Friday at Vianney vs. RBCWilson winner Piscataway vs. Haddontield Burlington Twp.

winner Urea 24 it Rutgers (I ml) Final Boys (1) St Anthony and (2) Seton Hall Prep (bye) Tuesday at EHzahetk (8, 1 ..) (4) Shabazz vs. (5) Long Branch (3) Union vs. (6) Pitman Thursday at Rutgers (6, 1 p.m.) (1) St. Anthony vs. ShabazzLong Branch winner (2) Seton Hall Prep vs.

UnionPitman winner Mirca 23 at Rutgers (8 i.m.) Final ATLANTIC CITY Long Branch coach Don Covin calls the month of March "bonus time" for high school basketball. From the division title to the conference tournament to the state playoffs, a team on a nice roll can pick up a championship of some type every week or so. Covin's team has been stocking up on trophies from bonus time, thanks to a winning streak that began all the way back on Jan. 10 and reached its 21st game last night. And to think when the opposing Englewood team tore out to an 18-point lead in the third quarter of the New Jersey State Inter-scholastic Athletic Association Group II final, there were 1 BOB JORDAN A 1 Covin's nephew, though any coach from Rick Pitino to Phil Jackson would be glad to call Chevesse a family member after last night's game.

The combination of sixth-man Danny Jennings hurting his ankle in the warmups on a slippery floor, the speed and pressing defense of Englewood calling for the need for a smaller Long Branch lineup, and a foul-out by ace guard Raheem Carter with 5:12 remaining all of that contributed to giving 5-foot-9 Chevesse Covin crucial minutes down the stretch. Chevesse played nearly the entire second half and took good care of the basketball whenever he had it, which was a team-wide problem in the first half. Chevesse Covin picked up five points, two steals and one assist in his best outing of the season. Don Covin was delighted, family member or not "Chevesse, to be honest, had been getting beat up on the last five or six games, going through a little slump, but he had remained important by being a good practice player," the coach said. "By being on the court and working hard at practice, he helped get the starters ready." "I know I wasn't real sharp in the last couple of games," said Chevesse Covin, who averaged 5.3 points per game through Feb.

7, but who produced a grand total of two 3-point field goals in the next 10 games. "I had some inju- ries, but that's nothing to blame. In my mind, my job has been to stay ready for the situations that I've been needed in." Chevesse Covin says being coached by his uncle hasn't created any extra pressure. "The whole team is like a big family, anyway," Chevesse said. And a big happy family.

Especially at bonus time. Bob Jordan is a staff writer for the Asbury Park Press. PETER ACKERMANStaff Photographer Darnell Tyler (facing) and Raheem Carter are feeling like champions. "We've never come back like this before. We've never had to." Chevoss Covin THE COACH'S SELDOM-USED NEPHEW WHO PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN LONG BRANCH'S FOURTH-QUARTER SURGE ons.

The Green Wave will face Group HI champion Shabazz tomorrow in a quarterfinal as bonus time continues. "We've never come back like this before," the Wave's Chevesse Covin said after a stunned Englewood team was sent packing. "We've never had to." Covin, a junior guard and normally Long Branch's second player off the bench, is Don some observers at Atlantic City Convention Hall who had lost faith in Long Branch. Ridiculous. Didn't Darnell Tyler hit the winning shot against Christian Brothers Academy from an improbable angle with less than 20 seconds left in the Shore Conference Tournament final? Didn't Phillip Wheeler hit an off-balance, poor-look shot from the top of the key with 12 seconds left against Holmdel last week, a shot that turned a two-point loss in the Central Jersey Group II final into a one-point victory? Eighteen points down against Englewood.

Another piece of cake. And Long Branch, which turned this latest task into a 73-64 victory for the state Group II title, advances to the Tournament of Champi- Wheeler nailed a three to make it 56-55 and Walden stole the ball and roared in for a two-hand stuff to send Long Branch in front for the first time in the game. "I can't even explain how good that (dunk) felt," said Walden. "Oh man." Walden then followed his own shot for a 3-point play and a Wheeler slam made it 62-57 with 2:39 showing. A wild three off the glass by Ricardo Walker brought Englwood within 66-64 with 48 seconds on the clock, but Walden swished a pair of free throws and Wheeler converted a 3-point play to seal the outcome.

ENGLEWOOD (64): Wynn 0-2 0-0 0. Norwood 5-6 2-2 12, Jones 7-13 00 17, Washington 3-8 0-0 6, Bradley 2-5 7-10 11, Walker 3-13 0-1 7, Richardson 3-9 3-4 9, Whiteside 1-1 00 2. Cooper 0-1 0-0 a Totals: 24-58 12-17 64 LONG BRANCH (73): Corbett 1-3 0-0 2. Walden 5-11 9-11 19, Wheeler 8-15 3-3 20, Carter 64 10-10 22. Tyler 2-8 1-9 10, Covin 2-4 1-3 5, Hampton 0 0-0 0, Pearson 0 0-0 0, Gillis 0 0-0 0.

Rice 0 00 0, Grace 0 00 0. Totals: 24-49 24-36 73. Cnglewood 16 19 16 13 64 Long Branch 10 13 20 30 73 Fouled out: (E) Norwood, Jones (LB) Carter. 3-point goals: (E) Jones 3, Walker. (LB) Wheeler.

Rebounds: Englewood 32 (Walker 5). Long Branch 33 (Tyler 10). Assists: Englewood 13 (Walker 8). Long Branch 16 (Corbett 8). Turnovers: Englewood 19.

Long Branch 19. 9 II From page Dl Covin in and go with a smaller lineup and that hurt them. "We pressed them back. I think they got a little tired. Walden came up big and that was the difference in the game." Walden scored 11 of his points and 6-4 senior forward Phillip Wheeler eight in a 30-point fourth quarter that stunned the Maroon Raiders.

"We were playing the way we wanted to play," said Englewood coach Gerald Akridge. "We got into foul trouble and all of a sudden the roof just caved in." Before Walden and Phil Wheeler took charge, Long Branch junior guard Raheem Carter (22 points) triggered the Wave comeback. Two jump shots by Carter ignited a 10-0 run that got Long Branch within 46-38 late in the third quarter and sent its substantial rooting section into a frenzy. "The first half I just played bad, point blank," said Carter, who scored 10 points in the third quarter. "I felt in the second half I had to step it up.

We were down bad and I just had to give us a lift." But when Carter fouled out with 5:12 left it appeared Long Branch's rally might run out of steam. "I didn't even know I had four fouls," said Carter. "It was like the whole world collapsed when the fifth foul was called on me. When I fouled out, Tidy (guard Tawshawne Corbett) said, 'We're going to win this one for you. We're not going to let this one go "When Raheem fouled out we needed another leader, we needed somebody who could handle the ball, I just tried my best," said Walden.

"I told E.G. that this was his time now," said Covin. "He said, 'Coach, get me the ball' I told him to shoot and that's what he did." Piscataway wins Group IV crown ELIZABETH Lisa Guarnerl, the team's lone senior, scored 25 points as Piscataway unseated defending champion Elizabeth, 59-51, in the NJSIAA Group IV final yesterday. It is the first state title for Piscataway (28-1), which lost in the 1991 and 92 finals, and the first Group IV champion from Central Jersey since Hightstown won in 1987. Elizabeth (24-3) lost while playing on its home court, the Dunn Sports Center.

With the score tied 31-31, the Chiefs used a 7-2 run at the end of the third quarter to take a 38-33 lead. Gina Abroscat, who had 10 points, hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to cap the run. Piscataway put It away when Guarnerl hit a layup, then fed sister Jessica for a basket that made it 52-41 with 1:21 remaining. GROUP BURLINGTON TWP. 43, CRESSKILL 34: Lakai Brice scored eight of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter for the victorious Falcons (23-4).

Burlington Township made Its first trip to the final and became just the third team from Burlington County to win a girls state group title. GROUP II: HADDONFIELO 68, MEND-HAM 63: Pilar Prassas scored seven of her 14 points in the game's deciding run. The Bulldawgs (28-1) won their third state group title in five years and first since moving from Group I to Group II. GROUP III: WOODROW WILSON 48, WARREN HILLS 43: Senior guard Patrice Chambliss had 12 points, eight assists, nine rebounds and seven steals to lead the Tigers (23-5). It was Wilson's second straight state title and Chambliss earned the game's most valuable player award for the second consecutive year.

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