Ridge Clinches At Least a Tie For Conference Title

PHILLIPSBURG --    On Jan. 19, prior to their game against North Hunterdon, Ridge boys high school basketball coach Mark Taylor preached the number "10" to his team.

Taylor wanted 10 wins in a row.

The number came at a pivotal time. The Red Devils were coming off a loss to Passaic 58-51 a few days earlier and senior guard Andrew Madlinger was returning from his wrist ailment.

With the tale end of January now meeting the beginning of February, Ridge is only four off the magic number.

A little under 24 hours after a memorable overtime victory over Gil St. Bernards, the Red Devils fought off wearied legs, a noisy crowd at "The Pitt" and a hungry Phillipsburg team to win 42-28 Friday night.

"Ten was the goal we set out and we're getting closer," Taylor said after the game. "I was really nervous about our team having that let down game. Phillipsburg is a tough place to play and the crowd was packed in for a Friday night."

The win for Ridge, which was the team's sixth straight, clinches at least a tie for the Skyland Delaware West Conference title – the Red Devils have won the conference title the past two years – as they up their record to 13-3 overall and 7-0 in the conference. The Stateliners drop their record to 6-6 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

It was also Ridge's 23rd straight conference victory, a streak spanning over parts of three seasons. Ironically, their last conference loss was a 2008 home setback to Phillipsburg. Ridge's next game is Tuesday night at home against conference foe Voorhees.

"Last time we played them it was chippy," said Christian Frisoli – Ridge defeated Phillipsburg 61-49 earlier in the season. "That last conference loss to them has always been in the back of our heads and most of us were sophomores.

"It did stick in my mind."

Ridge, which trailed 8-6 entering the second quarter, took the lead for good when senior John Legband drilled a 3-pointer to give the Red Devils an 11-8 lead with a little over a minute gone in the quarter. From there, the Red Devils defense, precisely its senior core -- Nick Cefalo, Frisoli and Andrew Madlinger --and the emerging junior Tom Gambino limited and often times frustrated Phillipsburg's offensive attack, which is led by guard Dana Lee and lanky, athletic player Kyle Hash. Lee scored five points and Hash scored 12, but five came when the game was already decided. Ridge was led by Madlinger's 13 points and Frisoli added 10.

"On defense, it's all about communication and that's what we did tonight," said Cefalo, who scored five points. "They have great shooters and you have to get out on them. The zone worked."

Taylor, who admitted his team doesn't play much zone, said he decided to use it as its staple defense against Phillipsburg because "he wanted to protect the legs of the team."

With Ridge leading 20-12 at halftime, Taylor was somewhat surprised Phillipsburg didn't come out with any new twists to throw at the matchup zone.

"I thought they would do something different," Taylor said.

But even when the Stateliners tried pushing the tempo or make the extra pass for an open shot, Ridge's defense was there to stop them with Gambino, who blocked four shots and altered a handful more; Cefalo, whose perimeter defense on Lee harassed their timing; and Frisoli and Madlinger, who helped prevent slashers like Hash to not find soft spots in the zone.

"Gambino's come a long way," said Cefalo. "He's a great player and rebounds well and he gives us a presence down there. All of us stay focus on that side of the ball."

On nights when the shots are not falling for Ridge, its defense will prove beneficial as the team makes its run the rest of the season. Over a nine minute span that covered the third and fourth quarters, Phillipsburg scored only five points as the Red Devils' matchup zone befuddled the Stateliners. Often at times, the zone would turn into a pressing zone on the perimeter angles.

After a week that saw Ridge play three games, one of them a classic, and take mid-terms, Frisoli and the team can now move forward.

"Goal is to win 10 straight," said Frisoli. "We play in the present and it's important to not get too high or too low."