The Glen Rock High School Boys Basketball team entered Monday needing to win one of its first two games in the week to qualify for the Bergen County Jamboree. But when Monday’s home game against Wood-Ridge was postponed due to heavy rains and wind in the region, the Panthers were in the position to earn a spot in the tournament even before Tuesday’s home game against Manchester Regional.
The cutoff for determining the qualifiers for the Jamboree was originally Tuesday, and based on their 8-3 overall record, the Panthers had met the standard for qualifying, which required a minimum .650 winning percentage from a minimum 11 games. Even were the Panthers to lose to Manchester, they would still have a .667 winning percentage if the cutoff remains Tuesday.
The Panthers earned their eighth win of the season in thrilling fashion in their last game, Thursday, Jan. 19, beating Pompton Lakes, 53-50, thanks to a pair of late 3-pointers by senior Graham Reiss. Reiss, still working his way back to midseason form after missing the first eight games of the season with mononucleosis, scored a team-high 17 points in the game, including five 3-pointers. One of those tied the game at 50, and another won the game at the buzzer. Reiss was one of three players to score in double figures for Glen Rock, along with Josh Frissora (13) and James Boisits (10).
Tuesday’s game will be the second of the season against North Jersey Interscholastic Conference – Colonial rival Manchester. Glen Rock beat the Falcons, 48-41, in their season opener on Dec. 16. On Thursday, the Panthers will visit NJIC – Colonial leaders Hawthorne, which is 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the league. The Bears’ only loss this season was to Glen Rock, which beat them 54-36 on Dec. 20.
