The Hillbillies boys basketball record fell to 5-3 with a 42-36 defeat at the hands of the Nutley Raiders on Saturday. Tied at 17 apiece at half time, Verona was outscored 25-19 in the second half. Anthony Huber had 13 points for the Maroon and White and Alex Kaslander had 11. Matt Braschi, Dean DeNicola and Packy Malanga combined for 12 points in the effort. Nutley’s Joe Feraco led all scoring with 16 points. The next game for the Verona boys will be at home on Tuesday, January 10 against Glen Ridge at 4 p.m.
Amanda Langan’s outstanding performance wasn’t enough to hold off Newark Academy in Verona on Friday. Langan a junior, led the team with 19 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. Verona kept it close in the first half heading into the locker down by just two 27-25. A sluggish third quarter for the Maroon and White turned out to be costly when they were outscored 18-9 by the Minutemen. The two squads matched point for point in the fourth quarter but Verona just wasn’t able to overcome the difference. Seniors Amanda Cummings, Caroline Mols and Julieanne Mascera combined for 16 points. Sophomore Julie Rosenberg netted five points with a three-pointer from long range and freshman Sarah O’Neil chipped in with two points. The Hillbilly girls are still in search of their second win of the season. They face Montclair Kimberley Academy at MKA on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
