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Medford Tech's Vincent stays course, surpasses 1,000

One by one, Medford Tech's best players left the team for higher-profile programs. Eli Cain transferred to St. Benedict's. Myles Powell transferred to Trenton Catholic.

Camden Catholic's Dominic Dunn (right), diving for a loose ball with Camden's Ethan Tarte, is one reason the Irish have promise for next season.
Camden Catholic's Dominic Dunn (right), diving for a loose ball with Camden's Ethan Tarte, is one reason the Irish have promise for next season.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff

One by one, Medford Tech's best players left the team for higher-profile programs.

Eli Cain transferred to St. Benedict's.

Myles Powell transferred to Trenton Catholic.

Dennis Tunstall transferred to Life Center Academy.

"Those were my brothers," Medford Tech senior Shakwel Vincent said. "I looked up to all of them."

Vincent is a top player who spent all four seasons at Medford Tech. He's made his mark with the Jaguars, reaching 1,000 career points in Saturday's double-overtime win over Delaware state power William Penn at the Tri-State Showcase at Bishop Eustace.

"We just keep going," Vincent said of Medford Tech's relentless philosophy under coach Nick Powell.

Fittingly, Vincent reached the 1,000-point plateau on a three-point jumper. He's made 63 of them this season and 184 in his career.

"That was just how I pictured it," said Vincent, who lives in Willingboro.

Vincent said he never imagined he would become a 1,000-point scorer at Medford Tech. When he joined the program, Cain and Powell were leading the team to the South Jersey Group 2 title, and Tunstall was starting to emerge as a dominant inside force.

"I thought I would be a role player," Vincent said. "But those guys left, and coach told me he needed me to score. He doesn't want me to lead the county in assists. He wants me to score."

Vincent and junior guard Aziz Parker, whose three-pointer was the game-winner Saturday against William Penn, have sparked Medford Tech's resurgence in the last few weeks.

Medford Tech (9-8) has risen to No. 19 in The Inquirer Top 25 and looms as a dark-horse threat in the South Jersey Group 2 tournament.

"We're starting to get there," Medford Tech coach Powell said. "We just need to be a little more consistent."

Tourney talk. There are 21 teams classified in South Jersey Group 3 in boys' basketball. Just four of them had winning records after playing 16 games, the cutoff for postseason qualification.

Timber Creek, Highland, Toms River East, and Ocean City project as the likely top four seeds.

Defending champion Winslow Township looms as the likely No. 5 seed despite a 6-10 record after 16 games.

Tourney talk II. Projected top seeds when the brackets are announced Thursday: South Jersey Group 1: Schalick; South Jersey Group 2: Camden; South Jersey Group 3: Timber Creek; South Jersey Group 4: Washington Township; Central Jersey Group 2: Bordentown; Central Jersey Group 3: Ewing (Pemberton No. 2); Non-Public South A: St. Joseph Metuchen (St. Augustine No. 3); Non-Public South B: Patrick School.

Red-hot Chimeras. Watch Willingboro (10-6) in Central Jersey Group 2. The Chimeras have won nine of 10 and six in a row.

Seniors James Alexander and Antonio Parnell, junior Julius Chamble, and sophomore Greg Thurman have fueled Willingboro's surge, which has included a victory over Trenton Catholic.

"The kids have found their niche," Willingboro coach Jeff Haddock said. "It's nothing we weren't doing at the beginning of the season, but they've learned how to finish games."

Willingboro started 0-4, but Haddock said the team never lost its confidence.

"We were in every game," Haddock said. "Missed free throws, turnovers in the last two minutes, it was all little things.

"Once the kids started to execute and manage the end of games, we've had some success."

Young Irish. Camden Catholic (6-10) has struggled in the win-loss column by the program's lofty standards, and the team sorely misses senior point guard Jamal Parker, who is out with an ankle injury.

But Camden Catholic could be laying the groundwork for a big bounce-back in the future with a lineup that features a promising pair of freshmen in forwards Baba Ajike and Christopher Okafur as well as sophomore swingman Dominic Dunn.

In Saturday's 45-42 loss to Haddon Heights, the 6-foot-5 Okafur generated nine rebounds with six points. The 6-4 Ajike scored eight points, and the 6-3 Dunn made a strong play with a steal and layup for a 42-38 lead with around 90 seconds to play.

This and that. Glassboro (14-3) has won six in a row. Senior A.J. Kittles has averaged 24.5 in that stretch. . . . Audubon (9-8) has gotten a lift from the return of junior guard Dillon Tassi, who missed eight full games and parts of two others with an ankle injury. Tassi has scored 36 points in the last two games, both victories.

Gloucester (14-5) senior Jaleel Hatcher has 942 career points, 933 in two seasons with the Lions after transferring from Camden. . . . Lenape (10-8) has won four of five. Junior Dante Owens-Hill has averaged 12 points in that stretch. . . . Delsea (6-12) has won three in a row behind senior Kaleb Morton, who has averaged 20.6 points.

Pitman (11-6) has won four of five behind senior Kyle Collinsworth (14.1 average) and sophomore Luke Castagna (13.5). . . . Pemberton (12-5) senior Taro Gaither has averaged 16.5 in the last six games.

Woodbury (13-5) junior Ja'Zere Noel has scored 20 or more in six straight games. . . . Shawnee (11-7) sophomore Dylan Deveney has averaged 14.2 in the last four games. . . . Ocean City (13-6) is coming off a 3-0 week that included an overtime victory over Middle Township led by Connor Laverty's 30 points. . . . The pairings won't be set until Thursday, but Wildwood Catholic (13-3) and Holy Spirit (11-6) could meet in an 8-9 game in the first round of the Non-Public B tournament.

panastasia@phillynews.com

@PhilAnastasia

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