Coming into Senior Night against the Mount Olive Marauders, the Oratory Prep Rams were 16-8. A week earlier, the team had lost to Westfield in the Union County quarterfinals, so they were trying to get back on track before the state tournament. After the seniors were introduced, the Rams were ready to go, but they got off to a slow start. They only trailed 15-13 after one, but things got worse in the second. By halftime, Mount Olive had opened up a 35-25 lead after star guard Christian Rodriguez beat the buzzer.
Coming out of the half, the Rams desperately needed a spark. Down 10, Connor Lee and Archie Mueller helped Oratory put together an 11-2 run, flipping the game around. Mueller hit a three-pointer to give the Rams a 43-42 lead, and a little later in the quarter, Lee and Will Kostka knocked down back-to-back threes, putting Oratory up 49-45 going into the fourth.
Right before the fourth quarter started, multiple Mount Olive fans were ejected from the game. Angry, the Marauders answered with a quick three to open the quarter, but Oratory did not let the momentum swing. With the Rams up one, Marcus Johnson hit a jumper to put the Rams back up three. Mount Olive got one back at the line, but after that, the Rams took over.
Johnson decided to take matters into his own hands, knocking down a three and celebrating with the Ram crowd. Then, he came up with a steal and took it all the way for a layup, drawing a foul in the process. Just like that, Oratory was up seven, and Mount Olive was running out of answers. From there, Lee and Mueller helped finish it off, and Tyson Moose added two late free throws as the Rams closed out a 68-57 win. After the final buzzer, a Mount Olive player went at an Oratory player and had to be pulled away by his own teammates before it turned into more.
All of Oratory’s seniors found a way to contribute to the win. Lee led all scorers with 20 points and also finished with four rebounds and three assists. Mueller had 11 points, three rebounds, and six assists, while Johnson added 14 points and three assists. Ryan Fay was getting double-teamed for most of the night and finished with only two points, but he still made an impact on both sides of the floor with seven assists and five rebounds. Will Kostka played strong inside with three rebounds and three blocks, while Michael Dragone pulled down five rebounds. Tyson Moose and Eric DeVomecourt chipped in too, combining for eight points.
Last Saturday, the Rams beat Madison 54-52 in a thriller and enjoyed a week off before the sectional state tournament. On Thursday, Paramus Catholic upset Delbarton 65-61, so Oratory will host the Paladins on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line. Just one loss will end the Rams’ season, and with the way they have played over the last few games, it will be exciting to see how far they can go in the postseason.
