Nottingham begins Gr. 3 title defense with win over WW-P North (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

For a defending state champion, the Nottingham boys basketball team came into its new season about as far off the radar as possible, because of the graduation of so many of its stars from last year.

Off the radar for all of 32 minutes, that is, after the Northstars beat back the team that many said could usurp them as the kings of the Colonial Valley Conference.

In the final month of the 2017-18 season, Jaden Sands was putting on a show almost every night for the much improved West Windsor-Plainsboro North boys basketball team.

The only problem for Sands and the Knights was his four week hot stretch in February, where he averaged almost 20 points per game (including 25 against TCA and 33 in a first round win in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 3 playoffs) coincided with the greatest month in the history of Nottingham basketball.

The Northstars went out and won their first Mercer County, NJSIAA sectional, and Group 3 championships last season, led by their three All-Area (and four All-CVC) players, including Area Player of the Year Darell Johnson.

But March seems like a long time ago, and the new season is upon us. Friday night at the Galaxy, Sands and the senior-laden Knights came into town looking to become the new heir to the CVC throne.

Playing with a very young, undersized, and inexperienced squad, it was the Northstars that started their Group 3 title defense with a 68-63 victory.

The win was Nottingham's 31st straight at the Galaxy, with its last home loss coming February 9, 2016 against Hightstown.

Josh Morrison had a team-high 21 points for the Northstars (1-0), including three big free throws in the final two minutes to help ice the game.

"Everybody was saying North was going to beat us, and snap the streak," Morrison said. "But in practice, we worked hard, and we were able to pull it out."

Sands had 25 points for the Knights (0-1), including 10 in the first half, as he looked to start his early Colonial Valley Conference Player of the Year candidacy. But against a much less experienced team, and looking to make some noise in 2018-19, these are the types of games that the Knights need to win.

"We couldn't get it," Sands said. "A couple of late calls in the end took us out. This is a game that we really expected to win. With them being defending champions, we really wanted to start off with a statement win.

"We lacked communication. We have to talk to each other."

WW-P North led by two at the break, 32-30, as the Northstars kept the visitors in close contact. The Knights biggest lead of the half came at 12-5, midway through the first quarter. But it was the hosts that came out after the intermission and took control of the contest, outscoring WW-P North 16-9 in the third quarter.

"The third quarter was big for our team," Morrison said. "We preach defense, and we work on it all the time in practice. We played good D, harassed the ball, and were able to make a run."

Nottingham lost almost 99 percent of its points and minutes from last season, and head coach Chris Raba expects these early contests to be a learning experience on the speed of the game at this level. But if Friday night's opener is any indication, his Northstars' squad may be very competitive in the league.

"At one time during the course of the game, we had four sophomores and a junior out there," Raba said. "It was for major minutes, not just for a minute or two. We have nice young players. Our seniors did a good job when they were in there.

"We just have to keep working. We need a lot of work, but there is some promise here. We had incredible scrimmages. We played TCA, Hunterdon Central, and Montgomery, so I knew we would be prepared coming in. You always question when you don't have experienced kids on the floor, because you can never simulate that in a game.

"They expect to win games. For the past three or four years, we have had a pretty good team. I don't think they want to be the team that isn't as good."

Javon Jenkins had 15 for Nottingham, while Isaiah Cureton had 13, and Marcus Williams had 12, for the Knights.