Week-3: Larson Ford Boys Basketball Game of the Week Video Highlight 1/16/25

Week-3:
Larson Ford Boys Basketball Game of the Week Video Highlight 1/16/25

Class A Coastal

No. 6 Red Bank 46, No. 5 Rumson-Fair Haven 44 (OT)

Senior Zayier Dean scored nine of his 14 points in the second half and overtime, including three game-tying free throws with 1.1 seconds left in regulation to help the Bucs rally from a double-digit deficit for a road win over the rival Bulldogs.

Rumson led by as many as 11 points and as late as the final seconds of the third quarter, 36-25. The Bulldogs also led, 39-36, for nearly four minutes, with both teams struggling to score in the latter half of the fourth quarter. With 13 seconds left, Dean stole an inbounds pass near midcourt and Red Bank used its final timeout with 8.7 seconds left.

Rumson used its three fouls to give to burn the clock down to two seconds. Sophomore Justin Valentino found Dean curling into the corner and the senior was fouled going up for the potential game-tying three-pointer. Dean hit the first two attempts to end a scoreless drought of 3:52 and cut Rumson’s lead to 39-38. The Bulldogs then took a timeout in an attempt to ice Dean and draw up a plan with 1.1 seconds left in case he made it.

Dean hit the free throw out of the timeout to tie the game and Rumson’s inbound pass hit the ceiling structure, giving Red Bank the ball underneath the Bulldogs basket with 1.1 seconds left. Senior Ronald Richardson could not handle the inbound pass and time expired.

Richardson and Fisher each hit tying shots for Red Bank in overtime and Dean again came through when he hit a driving layup to put the Bucs ahead, 45-43. The lead was Red Bank’s first since starting the game with the first four points.

Both teams made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, giving Rumson the ball with a chance to tie with 25 seconds left. The Bulldogs ran the clock down and got the ball to 6-foot-9 junior Luke Cruz, whose baseline 10-footer missed the mark, with Richardson contesting.

Richardson scored 12 points, with Fisher and senior Anthony Moore each adding seven. Fisher grabbed five rebounds and Moore pulled in nine.

Senior David Carr led Rumson with 15 points, while Cruz posted 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots in the loss.