Cherry Hill East came out of the fight on top Thursday night, defeating Lenape 59-50. This matchup was highly anticipated, the teams facing off in an effort to be crowned the number one team in South Jersey’s group four category. The East Cougars remain undefeated and avenged last season’s rough championship loss.

The game was close for the majority of the night, both East and Lenape played tough defense. Neither side was able to build a large lead throughout the first three quarters. Lenape repeatedly responded with baskets of their own, while East struggled with separating the lead. Chris Abreu (‘27) upped the Cougars and crowds energy after throwing down a one handed slam in the third quarter.

After the slam, everything took a turn. The Cougars took control, outscoring Lenape 16-4 in the fourth quarter. Abreu led the Cougars with an astonishing 23 points. Without the trust of his teammates, he wouldn’t have been able to make key plays when the Cougars needed it most.

Jamieson Young (‘28) was also a key component in East’s big win. He finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds. In addition to his offensive gains, Young made monumental defensive contributions. His four steals helped to control Lenape’s rapid offense, causing the Indians to struggle getting clean looks at the basket.

Lenape was led by Nolan Barnes (‘26) who scored 13 of their 50 points. Jaidyn Boyd (‘27) contributed 12 points, and Colin Myers came up with 11. The tough rivalry loss dropped Lenape’s season record to 9-2, giving them their first League loss of the season.

East improved to 11-0 continuing their undefeated season. The Cougars remain the only unbeaten team in South Jersey currently. The Cougars are now ranked number one in South Jersey, ninth in the state.