With under two minutes to go in the first quarter, the Cougars were trailing the Chiefs 7-6. From there, East went on a 16-0 run which would turn out to be the difference in the game.
“I think what allowed us to go on that run in the first half was to not play emotional and use that energy of the crowd and the atmosphere to get us going,” Drew Greene (‘22) said on the run. “We still allowed ourselves to play the way we always play but used the energy as well.
The energy of the crowd played a huge factor in the game which helped East defeat Cherokee by a score of 46-30 on Friday afternoon. The Cherry Hill East student fan group, also known as the “Countrymen”, were out in full force and got the Dibart gym rocking every time the Cougars scored and when the Chiefs missed.
The Cougars trailed 3-0 very early in the first quarter which caused head coach Dave Allen to call a quick timeout like he has done many times this season. These early timeouts have helped the Cougars regroup and lock in, and it has been effective each time.
“It’s all about learning from your mistakes and being able to handle adversity,” Greene said. “At times where you’re not playing that well, you got to stay together as a team and be able to keep playing the same way, no matter what.”
Greene finished with a game-high 17 points along with six rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Jalen Holmes (‘22) was once again dominant in the paint with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
East will now advance to the South Jersey Group 4 final where they will host Lenape at 4:00 on Monday. The Cougars got to this same game two years ago where they lost to Atlantic City despite leading by four points at halftime. The trio of Drew Greene (’22), E.J. Matthews-Spratley (‘22), and Jake Green (‘22) all started in that game and are happy to be back but determined to win it this time.
“It means a lot to get back to it because we let it slip two years ago,” Greene said. “So many conversations have gone on about how we just need another chance to win the Group 4 championship and now we have another shot to do so.