The Salem senior guard would catch the basketball, zip it around to a teammate, rotate, and wait for another pass. The process continued . . . and continued again.

"We were just trying to waste as much time as we could," Saunders said. "But it was hard. We were so happy, knowing we're going to states."

Saunders played a key role in Salem's 63-48 win over Central Jersey champ Academy Charter in an NJSIAA Group 1 state semifinal, dropping in a team-high 20 points and adding four assists.

The win means the South Jersey-champion Rams (28-2) will play Newark Science for the state title at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rutgers.

"It's big. That's all we've been talking about all season," said junior forward Quayshun Morris, who added 14 points and eight rebounds for Salem. "That was our goal, to win the state title. And now that we're here, we've just got to put it away."

A 24-8 Salem run spanning the middle parts of the second and third quarters turned a close game into a romp. With the game tied, 16-16, Morris finished off a feed from Derrick Parsley. A Lamont Johnson stickback stretched the Salem lead to four, and Tony Northrop's foul shots made it a six-point margin.

Meanwhile, Academy Charter (20-6) found itself in the middle of a cold spell. The Panthers hit just 5 of 28 shots in the first half, including 1 of 13 from three-point range.

"From the scouting report we saw, they were an outstanding shooting team," Salem coach Brad Spicer said. "So we were very surprised."

Up 11 at the break, Salem turned up the heat in the third quarter. Saunders started the frame by draining a baseline three. After Charter fought back to within 10 points, Shamaar Gilbert hit a jumper from the elbow and Morris hit two in a row for a 16-point Rams lead.

By the time Academy Charter senior Ashzon Artis found his stroke, it was too late. Artis connected on nine of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers never got closer than 10.

Academy Charter, located in the Shore town of Lake Como, entered the game having won 16 of 17, including a tough 62-55 win against rival Asbury Park on Tuesday.

Panthers coach Shawn Heeter admitted his team might have run out of steam.

"It was a great run," Heeter said. "Once you get to this level, you're playing the cream of the crop."

Now, Salem is one win away from being just that.

Academy Charter 12 8 13 15 - 48

Salem 14 17 18 14 - 63

AC: Ashzon Artis 21, Ludner Innocent 13, Nate Pacius 9, K.K. Jean-Baptiste 3, Romain Jean-Francois 2.

S: A.J. Saunders 20, Quayshun Morris 14, Tony Northrop 11, Shamaar Gilbert 7, Derrick Parsley 7, Lamont Johnson 4.