Sports
Gilbert's Clutch Shooting Leads Madison To Playoff Win
Dodger defense comes up big in quarterfinal-round victory over Newark Tech.
Trailing 22-9 at halftime of Wednesday night’s North Jersey Section 2, Group II state playoff quarterfinal, it looked as if 's bid for redemption against Newark Tech—the school that bounced the Dodgers from the the state tournament in 2010—would go unfulfilled.
Cue junior sharpshooter Matt Gilbert.
Gilbert, who went scoreless in the first half, found his range in the second, hitting four 3-pointers, including the game-winner with 20 seconds left, helping Madison to a 37-35 win and advancing the Dodgers to the state sectional semifinals where they host Ridgefield Park on Friday.
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Click here for a complete photo essay from the game.
“It’s a great feeling, but I have to thank my team,” said Gilbert, who finished with 12 points. “Coach gave us a good talk at halftime, and we knew that we had to come out and at the very least, go down fighting.”
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While Gilbert's shooting from beyond the arc helped the Dodgers overcome what looked to be an insurmountable deficit, the win was the ultimate team effort.
“We didn’t deviate from what we thought,” Madison head coach Bill Librera said. “We told our kids at halftime that we’re not asking them to do anything that we haven’t been asking them to do all year. We just thought it was our time to hit shots.”
Frustrated inside by Newark Tech's bigger front line and struggling to hit shots in the first half, the Dodgers' defense needed to play as close to perfect as possible to keep the game within reach.
And Madison did just that, showing Newark Tech a multitude of defensive looks, pressuring on the perimeter and challenging the Terriers' size inside with raw heart and determination.
“We knew it was going to be tough, especially because of their size,” said senior Mike Haughey, whose three-point play tied the game in the fourth quarter. “One of the things that coach has been stressing all season is our rebounding. I think that really came up big today.”
“Matt [McHale] and Jake [Meister] down low, undersized compared to these guys, but very strong and very tough,” Haughey said. “I think the toughness really helped us out on the boards and throughout the game.”
McHale and Meister would combine for 13 rebounds in the win.
Slowly but surely, the Dodger shots began falling, and with just 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter, senior point guard Aaron Fant electrified the Madison High gymnasium as he drained his second three-pointer of the night with a defender's hand in his face, this one getting the Dodgers within seven, 29-22.
With a newfound confidence the Dodgers came out in the fourth quarter sizzling.
“Strong character,” said Fant, who finished with a team-high 14 points. “We’re never out of a game. As much as we were turning the ball over and not hitting shots in the first half, we never count ourselves out of games.”
Gilbert and Fant would open the quarter by each hitting three’s, and with about six minutes remaining, Madison trailed by only one point.
Newark Tech would work to get a lead back, but it wouldn’t last long as Haughey put together a three-point play, with the successful foul shot again tying the see-saw affair, 31-31.
“What can I say? It feels good,” said Haughey, who finished with three points. "Especially to get the team that knocked us out last year. It’s a great feeling right now.”
With the Madison defense holding Tech to just 13 points in the second half, Gilbert would play the hero, hitting another pair of three's—both from the corner—sealing the Madison win.
“Matt Gilbert, we talked about yesterday how he needed to step up,” Librera said. “We spoke about it in practice, and the way he bounced back in the second half just makes you very proud.”
While clutch shooting and comeback ferocity were highlights in Wednesday night’s game, it isn’t uncharted ground for Madison.
“This just didn’t happen today,” Librera said. “These kids are great kids, the senior leadership has been here all season and I’m just happy to be a Dodger with them.”
“But we’re not done,” he added, referring to Friday's semifinal game.
