ON THE BALL: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Gary Jennings, left, goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore guard Jennings scored 25 points to help PDS edge Delran 58-57 in overtime. The Panthers, now 11-10, will be starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament where they are seeded 11th and will be playing at sixth-seeded Wildwood Catholic in a first round contest on February 28. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team hosted North Brunswick last Wednesday, Gary Jennings knew he had to step up.

“Our team is battling sickness and injuries,” said PDS sophomore guard Jennings. “We were really down today so we had to come out play hard, play aggressive, and try to play to our best abilities.”

The Panthers played hard in the second quarter against North Brunswick, outscoring the Raiders 18-13 to build a 34-28 halftime lead.

“We just got back to what coaches want us to do,” said Jennings. “It was trying to get out in transition, finish pick-and-rolls and stuff like that.”

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers finished well as they held on for a 57-52 win with Jennings draining four free throws in the last minute of the game.

“That is just preparation,” said Jennings, reflecting on how PDS played down the stretch. “I feel like we prepare for moments like that all the time. It is execution at the end of the day.”

With PDS starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament this week where they are seeded 11th and will be playing at sixth-seeded Wildwood Catholic in a first round contest on February 28, the performance against the Raiders was a confidence builder.

“It was a great game, the states are going to be really hard this year,” said Jennings. “It is going to be a good challenge so today was good.”

Having advanced to the Prep B state final earlier this month where they topped Doane Academy 55-45 in the semis before losing 60-37 to Morristown-Beard in the final, the Panthers are battle-tested in postseason play.

“It showed us that we are able to compete with anybody on the court,” said Jennings. “Going to the Prep B final and losing, I feel like that motivated us a little more.”

Although Jennings is only a sophomore, he has been motivated to be a leader for PDS this winter.

“I feel like I am in more of a leadership role,” said Jennings. “This year I had to step into the role of a leader with my two great captains, Adam [Stewart] and Abdoulaye [Seydi],” said Jennings.

On court, Jennings has displayed his leadership role by leading PDS in scoring (326 points) and tying with Stewart for the lead in assists (32).

“Taking care of the ball was a big emphasis for me,” said Jennings, who scored 25 points to help PDS edge Delran 58-57 in overtime last Saturday as the Panthers improved to 11-10.

“Last year I led the team in turnovers, this year I have been bringing that down a lot. It is dedication, preparation, putting in the work. Hard work pays off.”

PDS head coach Eugene Burroughs liked the way his team worked in topping North Brunswick.

“It was just to maximize the moment, just have an opportunity to compete play with your teammates,” said Burroughs. “We have two seniors graduating, so for them it was another home game. That team is good. They have skill, athleticism and they can shoot the ball some. For us it is trying to tune up for states. I think the habits you can get from it in a positive way, it becomes important if you play well.”

The execution by the Panthers down the stretch was a big positive.

“It was great, we called some timeouts to get the ball in bounds,” said Burroughs. “I think our kids did a great job of just executing those little moments. As a coach, it is just trying to use those opportunities and put them in a situations to get them better. Early in the year, we didn’t handle those moments well. Getting 10 wins is the most we have had since I have been here which is great for the kids. They were locked in on that more than me. I think we picked up defensively in the second half.”

Burroughs credited Jennings with being locked in at crunch time.

“For him to make those free throws there was great for him,” said Burroughs. “He definitely has been more of a leader. He is going to get the ball and he is going to get fouled. He wants to try to make the free throw which I just think shows his competitive spirit. It is hey put it on me to make the shot. I think he played a solid game today. He had some good looks today, made some plays for his teammates. He made some nice moves and had some good shots.”

The run to the Prep B final showed the team’s collective competitive spirit.

“The Doane game was a breakthrough for us, we have been there it seems like the last four years,” said Burroughs. “We were up like 15 at the half, they cut it down to six and we found a way to hold in and win down the stretch. We went to Mo-Beard and they were good. They have size and athleticism. We played well, we played hard. I think we defended well. We got into a stretch where we just couldn’t score the ball.”

As PDS heads into the Non-Public tourney, Burroughs believes that his squad can produce some more breakthrough moments.

“I think we have all hit a wall at some point; I think just a little break of having some time off with this long holiday, our guys are looking a little fresher,” said Burroughs. “We need that going into that game. They have got size. we are going into a really small gym at the shore and Doane had prepared us for those little bandbox gyms. So when we get to them, we have an opportunity to win. It is determined on what team shows up for us. If we are going to play hard and defend and make some easy plays, I think we have a chance so I am looking forward to it.”

In the view of Jennings, the formula for success in states is simple. “It is come out, compete, and try to win,” said Jennings.