By Garrett Hemmerich
WEST MILFORD – The boys Highlander basketball team, led by tournament MVP Josiah Basket, beat Pequannock 75-61 in the final round of the Blue and Gold Tournament in Pequannock Friday night.
It was the second outstanding performance of the tournament for Basket, who had four 3-pointers on his way to 25 points after an impressive 34 points in the first-round win over Montville.
Senior Brandon Licursi’s all-around play earned him Player of the Game honors for the Highlanders after racking up 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals against Pequannock.
West Milford’s big second quarter, in which they outscored the Golden Panthers 22-12, helped push the Highlanders ahead and Pequannock was never able to recover.
All-tournament pick Chris Gomez had 12 points and Zack Milko added 11.
Milko and Gomez were both critical to West Milford’s first-round victory over Montville as well, with Milko adding eight points to go with his team-leading 13 rebounds and Gomez putting up 17 points and dishing out seven assists.
In addition to Basket’s performance, which earned him Player of the Game honors in the initial round, junior Kevin DeRaffele also had a big game, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the 90-67 win over Montville.
The Highlanders (4-2) were scheduled to play the Wayne Valley Indians next in an away game on Jan 3.