Sparta boys crowned H/W/S basketball champs

Finn Mell scored a team-high 12 points and Matt Maresca and Brayden DiBlasio each added nine points to help lift Sparta to victory in the finals of the 14th annual Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament on Friday night, Feb. 17.

The Spartans defeated second-seeded and defending champion Hackettstown, 50-42, at Centenary University in Hackettstown.

The H/W/S title is the first for sixth-seeded Sparta (15-9) since 2019 and the second overall.

Hackettstown (15-7) had defeated Wallkill Valley, 58-55, to win its first tri-county crown last season.

John Cristillo, who had eight points, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for Sparta, which received six points apiece from Nick Ryan and Le-Shem Little.

Hackettstown was led by Jacob Mendez, who had a team-high 12 points.

Hackettstown held a 24-22 lead with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter, but Sparta quickly answered as Little hit a three-pointer and Mell scored on a layup after a pass from Cristillo to give the Spartans a 27-24 halftime lead that it never lost.

Sparta then used a 12-9 third-quarter effort to take a 39-33 lead into the final stanza.

The Spartans used a 7-2 run to start the fourth, extending to its largest lead, 46-35, as Maresca hit a three-pointer, Cristillo made a left-handed layup and Mell added a basket with 3:32 remaining.

Hackettstown didn’t go away, however, as Ethan Almeida made a three-pointer and Ryan Due scored on a floater in the lane to bring the Tigers within six points, 46-40, with 2:06 left.

Mendez then added a basket with 1:08 left to score the Tigers’ final points and get Hackettstown within five points, 47-42.

Cristillo then found Mell with an inbounds pass under the basket and Mell calmly made the basket and ensuing foul shot to push Sparta’s lead to 50-42 with 40 seconds left and seal the victory.

Hackettstown, which was averaging 61.0 points per game, was held to a season-low 42 points as Sparta’s swarming defense was prevalent for the entire game.

Sparta, under the direction of head coach Brian Brennan, will turn its attention to the state tournament, where it was seeded ninth in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 bracket. The team will play at eighth-seeded Old Tappan on Monday, Feb. 20.

If the Spartans win, they would play top-seeded Ramapo or 16th-seeded Wayne Hills in the sectional quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Sparta last reached the sectional final in 2020, when it bowed to Ramapo, 64-50.