The number four Cherry Hill East Cougars storm into the second round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 playoffs after an impressive win over the number 12 Shawnee Renegades at East on Tuesday the 3rd. Both teams entered the game on cold streaks, with Shawnee having lost their last ten and East having only won two of their last six.

The conference rivals’ previous match followed a similar narrative, a tight first half being blown up by Easts’ second half adjustments. Senior Ryan Greene (‘20) dropped 13 points on 60% shooting, to go along with six assists and four steals. His younger brother, Drew Greene (‘22), had 12 points of his own as the duo led a late surge in front of a thunderous East crowd.

In the first quarter, defense was key. Both teams came out with stingy schemes that wouldn’t be cracked until late in the contest. Ryan Greene scored all five of East’s points in a very tedious quarter of action. Shawnee took an 8-5 lead, but the game was very far from finished.

In the second frame, Drew Greene started scoring from all angles, but Shawnee had held on to a 14-13 lead with four minutes remaining. A deep three from Drew and a few defensive stops, though, gave East momentum. He continued with a tough and-one that got the crowd on their feet as East took a 17-15 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, as is customary this season, East started to take over. E.J. Matthews-Spratley (‘22) had two threes this quarter, including a sweet buzzer-beater after a dime from Drew Greene. Jake Green (‘22) hit from deep as well, and a Cougars flurry gave them a 30-22 lead heading into the fourth.

The game ended hot for the Cougars. East got up 33-24 with four minutes remaining. East held sophomore guard Andrew Ball (‘22) to two points on the game and didn’t allow a single double-digit scorer. Late in the quarter, Easts’ Humza Hussain (‘20) entered the game and drilled a three. Hussain has played a key role for the Cougars this season and is a fan-favorite every game. His late three was joined by several others that gave the Cougars a 47-29 win.

On Thursday, March 5th, East faces fifth seeded Eastern at East. The Vikings are coming off of a 58-54 victory over Rancocas Valley. The two previous matchups between the Cougars and the Vikings had come down to the wire, so this game is sure to be a thriller.