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Blair Boys’ Basketball Takes 7-Game Win Streak Into Break

December 19, 2023

**Brendan Oliver (22) and Lionel Saunders (5) team up for a rebound. Photo by Joe Phalon**.

The Blair Buccaneers boys are carrying a 9-1 record over their December break, capped by a seven-game winning streak.

With a couple of exceptions, most of the Bucs’ wins have been close ones. While some might say a win is a win, others might say there are wins and there are victories. Blair beach coach Joe Mantegna thought his team’s second regular-season outing was a mere win.

“I thought we were terrible tonight,” Mantegna said, despite Blair’s 79-60 win over Olympus Prep, November 29.

Mantegna after the game said his Buccaneers need to learn to hold on to the ball, their grip getting tighter during the next few games.

“You’ve got to take care of the ball,” he said. “We had 21 turnovers in our opener, and we probably had 20-plus turnovers tonight.”

The play itself, he said was good. The team works well together, passing as they should. They need to keep the ball sticky.

“We have great kids that share the ball but today there was just too much dribbling,” Mantegna said.

That’s not to say Blair didn’t score enough, but Mantegna felt the turnovers caused the Bucs to surrender way too many points on the miscues.

“That should have been a 40-, 50-point game,” he said.

Several Buccaneers did their part to keep Blair ahead, however. Eric Ihekwaba scored 22 points to lead the team, followed by Deron Rippey with 12 points. Lukas Schmid followed with 11 points and Jayden Williams with 10.

**Eric Ihekwaba scored 22 points to lead the Bucs. Photo by Joe Phalon**.

**Lukas Schmid (2) and Deron Rippey (0) double-team the Olympus offense. Photo by Joe Phalon**.

The errant ball handing may have caught up with the Bucs the following night when they bowed 80-76 against Perkiomen School of Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

But they bounced back with the seven-game streak, capped by a 51-44 win over Roselle Catholic December 15.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.