By Joe Ragozzino
Sports editor
Maxim Michel scored 23 points and Michael Runcie had 15 points and four rebounds as the fourth-seeded Columbia High School boys’ varsity basketball team began its Essex County Tournament run with a 64-57 home win over No. 20 seed Verona last Saturday Feb. 4 in the round of the 16.
The Cougars led 29-25 at halftime and 45-43 at the end of the third quarter before outscoring Verona, 19-14, in the fourth quarter.
Justin Martin had 14 points and seven rebounds and Robert Gordon and Evans Osuji each had five points for the Cougars, who won their sixth straight game and improved to 14-3. Verona fell to 14-5.
The Cougars, who received byes in the first and second rounds of the preliminary, will host No. 12 seed Bloomfield Tech in the quarterfinals this Saturday Feb. 11. Michel scored 25 points and Gordon added 14 points, including three three-pointers, to lead the Cougars to a 72-63 home win over Central on Jan. 31. Osuji had 10 points and David Runcie had seven points in the win. CHS defeated Newark Tech, 65-51, on Feb. 2 in Newark. Newark Tech is seeded second in the ECT.
Essex County Tournament
Round of 16
No. 1 Seton Hall Prep defeated No. 16 East Orange Campus, 58-44
No. 9 Newark Vocational defeated No. 8 Shabazz, 67-66
No. 12 Bloomfield Tech defeated No. 5 East Side, 41-38
No. 4 Columbia defeated No. 20 Verona, 64-57
No. 2 Newark Tech defeated No. 18 Weequahic, 60-50
No. 7 University defeated No. 10 Montclair, 67-54
No. 6 Irvington defeated No. 11 Central, 72-45
No. 3 Bloomfield defeated No. 14 Orange, 73-61
Quarterfinals, Feb. 11
No. 9 Newark Vocational at No. 1 Seton Hall Prep, 1 p.m.
No. 12 Bloomfield Tech at No. 5 Columbia, noon
No. 7 University at No. 2 Newark Tech, 1 p.m.
No. 6 Irvington at No. 3 Bloomfield, 3 p.m.
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