JSZ brings you a pair of great matchups in boys basketball from Wednesday night. Union Catholic outlasts Linden in an early season showdown in Union County, plus Washington Township starts the season strong against Delsea in the Tri-County Conference. Enjoy the highlights!

Union Catholic 53 Linden 45 | Boys

If Wednesday night was any indication, the Union County Conference is going to generate some fantastic games this season. The Vikings saw a double-digit point lead dissipate late in the fourth quarter before a key basket from FK Muntari sparked Union Catholic (1-0) late to fuel the win. Muntari finished with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win while Yaw Ansong, AJ Altobelli and Malik Moore all scored in double figures. Linden (1-1), now led by former Rutgers head coach Mike Rice, proved they can hang with some of NJ’s best in the loss – Jayden Holman led all scorers with 14 points.

JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from Johnson High School in Clark:

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Union Catholic is made possible by Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth.

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Linden is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway.

Washington Township 48 Delsea 38 | Boys

The Minutemen turned a hot shooting night from beyond the arc into a season-opening victory over the Crusaders in Tri-County Conference action. Pietro Fornasiero scored 12 points in the first quarter on his way to a team-high 15 points in the victory. Luke McRae added 11 points, while Gevon Conrad chipped in with 10 points for Washington Twp. (1-0). Luke Van Auken scored a team-high 15 points in the loss for Delsea (0-1).

JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Franklinville: