Another tough loss for Camden

Another Saturday afternoon.

Another capacity-plus crowd.

Another state power across the court.

Another close loss for the Camden High School boys' basketball team.

"It's extremely frustrating," junior forward Jamal Holloway said after Camden fell, 65-58, to Ewing in the ninth annual Jeff Coney Classic on Saturday at Rancocas Valley.

Holloway scored 21 points with 21 rebounds and junior guard Brad Hawkins added 16 points for Camden (12-3), the No. 2 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 20 rankings.

Senior swingman Trey Lowe, a 6-foot-6 Temple recruit, scored 19 with 12 rebounds and junior forward Justin Porter added 17 points for Ewing (16-0), the No. 9 team in nj.com's state rankings.

"You can't ask for anything better," Camden coach John Valore said of the atmosphere in Rancocas Valley's gymnasium and the competition provided by Ewing, the Group 3 state finalist in 2014.

But for Camden, the event followed a familiar scenario: The Panthers pushed one of the state's best teams to the limit but couldn't make enough plays to win the game.

It was the same story on Jan. 24, when Camden lost, 50-46, to St. Anthony of Jersey City, the state's No. 1 team, in the Panthers' packed gymnasium.

"I love the competition," Valore said. "But we have to learn from this. Play defense, protect the basketball. And above all else, make your foul shots."

If there was a difference in the game, it probably was shooting - Ewing's from behind the three-point line and Camden's from the free-throw line.

The Blue Devils made five three-pointers, including junior guard Shane Jardine's buzzer-beater at the end of the first half. Camden was 1 for 10 from behind the arc.

Camden was 17 for 28 from the foul line. The Panthers missed nine free throws in the first half, creating a deficit they spent the rest of the game trying to overcome.

"Worst free-throw-shooting team I've had in 45 years," Valore said.

The 6-foot-4 Holloway generated his second 20-20 game of the season, following a 28-point, 25-rebound performance against Woodrow Wilson. Holloway also scored his 1,000th point on a putback in the second quarter and finished the game with 1,015 career points.

"He's our bread and butter," Valore said of Holloway. "Where would we be without him?"

Camden never led, but the Panthers rallied behind Hawkins and Holloway to tie the score at 38-38 midway through the third quarter.

Ewing answered with a 13-2 surge as Lowe led the way with six points, including a pair of dunks, and a sharp feed to senior forward James Wright for a layup.

"When we go on our runs, it's usually through him," Ewing coach Shelly Dearden said of Lowe. "He's our go-to guy."

Camden pulled within three points on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter but the Panthers couldn't get any closer.

"Free throws and defense," Holloway said of the keys to the game. "We're not in the right place right now. We have to get back to where we were when we had our winning streak."

The game was a part of a brutal stretch for Camden that included the loss to St. Anthony's, an overtime victory over No. 8 Lenape on Thursday, and a home game coming up Monday vs. No. 1 Camden Catholic.

"I could schedule games we know we're going to win, but what good what that do us?" Valore said. "Between the Olympic Conference and these games, it's competition for us. It challenges us.

"But we have to learn from this game. We have to play better than this."

Camden 12 15 17 14 - 58

Ewing 17 16 21 11 - 65

C: Brad Hawkins 16, Tory Whiting 2, Rasool Hinson 6, Will McCants 1, Jamal Holloway 21, Myles Thompson 12.

E: Trey Lowe 19, Shane Jardine 6, Justin Porter 17, Deon Hale 6, Edamiyon Doggett 5, James Wright 8, Howard Grammage 2, Colin Haynes 2.