High School Basketball: Camden Catholic Final Quarter Push Past Cherokee Tuesday, February 8, 2005 By Jerome Michaels SJSports Special Correspondent Two teams from two different division chasing two different leaders met on a basketball court in Marlton looking to add one more game to their win column. The Fighting Irish from Camden Catholic were looking to extend another winning streak to three games after losing to the division leading Camden. In their inter-conference battle against the Chiefs from Cherokee, the Irish jumped out early establishing a twenty point lead in the first half. Cherokee would battle back in the second half only to see Camden Catholic break the game open in the final quarter. The Irish cruised to their 69-54 victory to keep pace in the Olympic Conference National Division. The way this game started out, it seemed as if Camden Catholic would make every basket thrown while a barrier appeared to be surrounding the Cherokee’s end of the court. The Irish would expand on their advantage to a very comfortable lead during the second quarter before the Chiefs began to watch their shots fall. The halftime score didn’t really show the momentum swing Cherokee was exhibiting but it was evident during the next quarter. Trailing by sixteen points at the break, Cherokee went on a 19-7 run to pull with four points heading into the final quarter. That’s when the shooting woes found its way to the other end of the court for Cherokee that Camden Catholic took full advantage of. The Irish quickly pushed their way back to a double-digit lead and cruise the rest of the way. Brian Connelly led all scorers with 27 points while Connor Crawford added 18 points for Camden Catholic. Carl Wray finished with a team high 17 points for Cherokee and Clarence Jackson contributed 14 points. Photos by Mark Fletcher