UPDATED: Ridge Hoops Now at 10-10 After Tuesday's 52-51 Loss to Hillsborough

The boys basketball team won its third straight game on Monday, defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School, 44-31.

That win puts the Red Devils above the .500 mark at 10-9, as the team prepared to meet Hillsborough High School on Tuesday and Gill St. Bernard's on Thursday.

However, Tuesday's contest reportedly resulted in a tight 52-51 loss against Hillsborough High School, putting the team's record at an even 10-10..

On Monday, pre-game talk in the gym focused on Bridgewater's Sal Vitello. Vitello is a scoring force who poured in 21 points last Saturday even in a loss against prep power Seton Hall Prep.

Ridge came out a little sluggish at the start of the game against Bridgewater-Raritan, scoring only six points in the first quarter.

Obvious emphasis was placed on confining Vitello, as the Red Devils held him to a single 3-pointer in the first quarter. However, other players still were able to give Bridewater a 20-16 lead at halftime.

"We had a bad first half," Ridge coach Mark Taylor said."We were not executing on defensive and offensively we were flat."

Ridge was a different team in the second half, showing better ball movement, more intensity, and more fluidity in its shots.

"We changed totally at the half. I left the kids to themselves for the last two minutes of halftime," Taylor said. "I told them it was up to them now. You know what to do."

Just two minutes into the third quarter, Ridge had tied the score at 22 and then took the lead through the final buzzer.

The Ridge defense held Bridgewater to just 11 points in the second half, keying the victory.

Ridge has now won five of its last six games.

Ridge was led in scoring by Dylan Kerwin with 15 points, Jack Kerwin with 12, and Conor Skea with eight. J.B. Kole added four, Tom Gambino three and J.D. Moore had two.

"Great leadership by Skea tonight," Taylor said after the game.