LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — Linden broke open a close game with a dominant second half Tuesday night, defeating Union 54–35 in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinal.

With the victory, second-seeded Linden (19–9) advances to the sectional championship game Friday night, where the Tigers will host fourth-seeded Plainfield, the No. 6 team in the NJ.com Top 20.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Linden High School gymnasium.

Linden carried a 25–18 lead into halftime before delivering its strongest stretch after the break. The Tigers surged in the third quarter, extending the margin to 46–26 entering the fourth and never allowing Union back within reach.

“I thought we had a great response in the second half,” Linden head coach Mike Rice said. “Their zone was effective in the first half and we didn’t make a whole lot of shots. In the second half we shared the ball, made the extra pass and got great shots instead of good shots — and we made them.”

Rice said the difference came from improved ball movement and a renewed focus on attacking the paint.

“We attacked the paint more,” Rice said. “In the first half we shot too many jump shots. In the second half the ball went inside before we shot it, whether it was a layup or a jumper. It was a better following of the formula.”

Jayden Holman and Jekhi Burnam each scored 10 points to lead Linden, which is ranked No. 8 in the NJ.com Top 20. Asante Jones added eight points, while Mouhamed Cisse chipped in seven for the Tigers.

Linden set the tone early with two emphatic dunks in the opening minutes, helping the Tigers build a 9–7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Union briefly grabbed momentum in the second quarter, taking a 13–11 lead with 6:03 remaining, but Linden responded with a strong run to close the half.

The Tigers’ defense tightened after halftime, limiting Union’s scoring opportunities while controlling tempo on the offensive end.

Plainfield advanced to the final with a 73–57 victory over Piscataway in the other semifinal. Micah Gordon led the Cardinals with a game-high 23 points, including a key 3-pointer that helped spark the fourth-seeded team.