EAGLES HOLD IN FOURTH TO BEAT LIONS

A huge fourth quarter rally by Middletown North could not stop Middletown South (10-2, 6-2) from winning their fifth straight game and helping their position for the Class A-North divisional race.

The Eagles led the entire game, starting out on fire, and went up 16-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Lions came back fighting in the second quarter, but the Eagles matched them and extended their lead to 12 points, 28-16, at the half.

South appeared to be in the drivers seat as Kyle Cancilleiri and Garret Thiel helped the Eagles extend their lead even further, to 41-27 going into the final period.

Middletown North, however, would not go away quietly on their home floor. They forced a lot of Eagles mistakes and turnover while winning the quarter 20-12. However, in the end it was not enough to beat the experienced Eagles team, who hit clutch free throws down the stretch, with Cancilleiri going 3-3 from the charity stripe after a bad streak at the free throw line in the last week.

Cancilleiri paced the Eagles while recording his second double double of the year by scoring a game-high 19 points and bringing down 11 rebounds. Thiel added 17 points of his own while Matt Callori continued his current hot streak by scoring 11 and grabbing 5 boards. Callori is averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game over the course of South’s current five game win streak.

Shilique Calhoun scored a team high 16 points in the losing effort. Thiel did a good job slowing down John Nardini and holding him to 12 points.

The Eagles will welcome the Manalapan Braves onto their home court on Thursday for another tough A-North divisional match up.