Linden Tigers Defeat Roselle, 65-50, to Enter Tournament with Momentum

Linden opens Union County Tournament on Saturday against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, a team they've beaten twice this season.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The No. 8 Linden Tigers delivered a 65-50 victory over Roselle on Thursday night, sending them into the postseason with momentum. Linden led 21-12 after the first quarter and maintained control throughout, despite a third-quarter push from Roselle. Abraham Desrosiers led Linden with 16 points, while Jekhi Burnam and Jayden Holman each contributed 11 and 10 points respectively. Roselle was led by Zaire Hopson's game-high 21 points.

Why it matters

This win gives the Linden Tigers confidence and positive momentum heading into the Union County Tournament, where they will face a familiar opponent in Scotch Plains-Fanwood, a team they have beaten twice this season. Linden is looking to make a deep postseason run after a strong regular season.

The details

Linden built an early lead, going up 21-12 after the first quarter, and maintained a 30-22 advantage at halftime. Roselle made a push in the third quarter to cut into the margin, but Linden responded with an 18-9 fourth quarter to close out the 65-50 victory. Linden's balanced scoring attack was led by Abraham Desrosiers' 16 points, while Jekhi Burnam and Jayden Holman added 11 and 10 points respectively.

  • Linden led 21-12 after the first quarter.
  • Linden carried a 30-22 advantage into halftime.
  • Linden responded with an 18-9 fourth quarter to close out the 65-50 victory.

The players

Abraham Desrosiers

Led Linden with 16 points in the victory.

Jekhi Burnam

Contributed 11 points for Linden.

Jayden Holman

Added 10 points for Linden.

Zaire Hopson

Scored a game-high 21 points for Roselle.

Mike Rice

Head coach of the Linden Tigers.

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What they’re saying

“Dang had a couple dunks that really changed momentum. They don't have the bigs that we have. But we have to become more disciplined with everything we do. When we're disciplined, we can beat anybody in the state.”

— Mike Rice, Head Coach (tapinto.net)

“When something bad happens, we can't hang our heads. We have to grind. That's a work in progress. But we're hungry. This team has the ability to do special things.”

— Mike Rice, Head Coach (tapinto.net)

What’s next

Linden opens the Union County Tournament on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, a team they have beaten twice this season.

The takeaway

This win gives the Linden Tigers momentum and confidence heading into the postseason, where they will look to make a deep run after a strong regular season. The team's balanced scoring attack and disciplined play will be key as they aim to defeat familiar opponent Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the opening round of the Union County Tournament.