James leads Teaneck to win over Pascack Valley by Greg Mattura of The Record
HILLSDALE – With his more renowned teammates missing from the lineup, Ja’Quaye James was an opening-night hit with one three-pointer after another.
The junior guard led a barrage of 16 three-pointers by Teaneck on Friday night that helped offset the benching of senior standouts Jawaun Daniels and Leondre Washington.
James stroked seven treys as Teaneck, reigning state Group 3 boys basketball champion and No. 1 in The Record preseason Top 25, pulled away to a 76-56 victory over No. 14 Pascack Valley.
“Just to show that we’re really a deep team, we were without two starters and we still played really well,” James said after producing 31 points and eight assists.
“I said they were probably 30 points better than anybody in [Bergen] county when they’re fully loaded,” said Pascack Valley coach Al Coleman, whose team played well. “I might be a pessimist, but they might be 50 points better.”
LEONDRE WASHINGTON: Teaneck’s Washington may have to sit out 30 days
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Teaneck coach Jerome Smart declined to comment on why the 6-foot-6 Daniels, last season’s Record Player of the Year, and the 6-foot Washington were in street clothes for this Big North National Division game.
Washington, who transferred back to Teaneck after spending his junior season at Roselle Catholic, was told by school officials that he has to sit out 30 days, as per NJSIAA transfer rules, His family asserts that they provided the bona fide change of address that should make him eligible immediately. Meanwhile, Smart said Daniels could return to the lineup within several days.
“This is just the hand that we’ve been dealt,” Smart said. “Sometimes you have adversity, and it’s a teachable moment for these kids. Things happen and you have to overcome and persevere and do what you need to do to be successful.”
James, senior guard Adrian Baucom and junior guard Jayden Dawson more than made up for the absence of Daniels and Washington. The trio combined to shoot 16-for-27 on three-pointers (59 percent). The 5-8 James assisted on five three-pointers via penetration and kickouts.
“That’s what we expect from him,” Smart said of James. “It’s his third year. This is not new to him. He’s been on this stage before, and he’s the kind of kid who accepts the challenge of picking up the slack. And he kind of went out there and took it personal, and he knows what to do.”
Teaneck scored all 24 of its points in the third quarter thanks to eight three-pointers. Baucom (19 points) hit four of his five treys in the third. James and Dawson (16 points) chipped in two apiece to extend a 36-32 lead to 60-44.
“Last year that was our weakness,” Smart said of perimeter shooting. “So all offseason and all early this preseason we’ve been focusing on shooting the basketball, and it’s starting to pay off. Guys have confidence now and we were able to knock down shots.”
“That’s why you push everybody to their full potential, from top to bottom,” James said. “Because you never know when your name or your number is going to be called. One day it might be me, the next day it might be a younger guy, or a freshman.”