Basketball Recap: Isaac Anderson Key Part of Team Effort in Highlanders Win

It's playoff time, and Northern Highlands had no trouble coming through when it counted. They were the clear victor by a 68-48 margin over the Montville Mustangs on Saturday. Given the Highlanders' advantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Mustangs are ranked 104th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Northern Highlands got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Isaac Anderson out in front who went 9-for-15 en route to 21 points and eight boards. Anderson is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 45% in the last four games he's played. Zack Blacher was another key player, shooting 47% from the field on his way to 17 points and five rebounds.

Highlanders

Assists

03/01/25 vs Montville	19
02/26/25 vs Dwight Morrow	12
02/22/25 @ Cliffside Park	13
02/20/25 vs Hackensack	9
02/18/25 vs Paramus	14
+ 48 more games

Northern Highlands was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2023.

Northern Highlands has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.0 points over those games. With the defeat, Montville broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 18-5.

Coming up, Northern Highlands will square off against NV - Demarest at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. NV - Demarest will roll in looking for their fifth straight win, something Northern Highlands surely won't give up without a fight. Montville does not have any more games scheduled as of now.