VIDEO: Reserve players spark Middle to comeback win over AC in Hall's Carpet Care Game of the Week

Posted: January 15th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Junior Aydan Howell and senior Bubba McNeil are reserve players for the Middle Township High School boys basketball team at this point of the season.

They both proved their value to the Panthers Monday evening.

Howell’s two three-point plays – one on a shot from beyond the arc and another on a basket while being fouled and sinking the ensuing free throw – gave Middle Township the lead early in the fourth quarter against Atlantic City. McNeil then closed the game out by going 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the period to cap a comeback from a double-digit first-half deficit as Middle posted a 54-48 victory.

“That’s the character of those kids,” Middle coach LaMarr Greer said. “‘Bub’ averaged 17 (points) a game last year. But he had a little injury with his knee before the season and he’s working his way back. Aydan could be a starter for a lot of other teams in South Jersey but he comes off our bench. He’s waiting his turn. That’s our program and that’s the culture of our program. Players wait their turn.”

Middle (12-2) trailed by as many as 13 points in the second quarter. The Panthers recorded a mini surge late in the period to draw to within eight at the break.

Jamir McNeil, Bubba’s younger brother, heated up in the third quarter by scoring eight of his team-high 16 points to help Middle close to within two at 36-34 at the end of the period.

Howell then gave Middle the lead for the first time and for good less than a minute into the fourth quarter with his left-wing three-pointer. On the next possession, he tipped in the miss of a teammate’s shot while being bumped to the ground and made the free throw to give Middle a 42-38 advantage.

Bubba McNeil went on to make his eight fourth-quarter free throw attempts in the final 2:02. That came after he airballed the second of two free throws in the third quarter.

“I rushed it,” McNeil said of his bad miss. “Then I locked in and knocked them down. I knew we needed those free throws to beat a team like AC.”

Greer said he was glad it was Bubba McNeil in that position late in the fourth quarter.

“We knew they were going in,” Greer said. “We didn’t even worry about it. We work so hard on our shooting that we don’t want the kids to flinch when they get in that spot. I knew he wouldn’t flinch and that’s why we had him in the game in that spot.”

Bubba McNeil and Anthony Trombetta each chipped in 11 points for Middle.

Chris Finks recorded a game-high 18 points for Atlantic City (10-3), which was playing its first game since being disqualified from the state and Cape-Atlantic League tournaments for its role in a bench-clearing altercation during a game last week at Mainland.

The contest featured two of the state’s traditional powers among public school programs. Middle and Atlantic City regularly met in CAL title games in the 1990s and 2000s.

“Before the game, I told the kids, ‘Hey, this is Middle-AC,’” Greer said. “Forget everything else. This is Middle-AC. We knew it was going to be a tough, 32-minute game. In the first half, AC showed us that we had to match their intensity and we did that with our defense and our rebounding.

“This is two of the storied public school programs in the state of New Jersey. Their gym looks like our gym with all the (championship) banners. The kids needed to experience this to learn more about it.”