Boys Basketball 2023 Shore Conference: Manasquan, St. Rose, Raritan, Ranney advance to semifinals

SCT Quarterfinals

St. Rose 61, CBA 39

MIDDLETOWN – St. Rose’s is heading into uncharted territory, as the second-seeded Purple Roses, in search of the program’s first-ever Shore Conference Tournament championship, cruised into the semifinals with a 61-39 victory over seventh-seed CBA at Middletown South.

St. Rose (21-2), featuring a lineup bolstered by six high-level transfers, got 12 points and nine rebounds from 6-8 junior Matt Hodge, who transferred in from Belgium with his brother, freshman guard Jayden, who finished with nine points.

It was a balanced attack for the Purple Roses, winners of seven straight. Chipping in with 12 points was Peter Mauro, a sophomore transfer from Gill St. Bernard who sat out the first 30 days of the season, per NJSIAA transfer rules, along with Evan Romano, a sophomore transfer from Holmdel who finished with 11 points, with the pair sparking a second-half rally that put the game away.

St. Rose plays Ranney in the first semifinal Tuesday night (6 p.m.) at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River.

“They played us tough as heck at CBA so I knew they believed they could win,” said St. Rose coach Brian Lynch, who played on CBA’s 1995 NJSIAA Non-Public A championship team alongside CBA coach Geoff Billet.

“The Shore Conference Tournament, once you get to the neutral court sites, that’s when the lights went on for me. Where everybody shows up from all over the Shore to watch those game. I was telling the guys, these are special moments. We have a big game today, neutral site, quarterfinal, against CBA, and I thought they came out from the very beginning focused.”

CBA (13-8), which has 16 SCT titles on its resume, has now lost to St. Rose twice in the past week, falling in the regular-season finale.

With Matt Hodge taking charge early, scoring on a drive in the final seconds of the first quarter to put St. Rose up 17-10.

“I thought it was one of Matt’s overall best games. Not numbers-wise - he doesn’t need to score – but his efficiency,” Lynch said. “He’s a special guy.”

The lead extended to 33-19 at halftime, and grew to as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.

After winning 14 straight to open the season, St. Rose has not lost since dropping back-to-back games against top-seeded Manasquan – the two shared the C North title – and Roselle Catholic, considered the top team in the state.

Ranney 75, Toms River North 60

With high-scoring Isaac Hester leading the way with 33 points and 10 rebounds, Ranney continued to show why it’s the most dangerous team in the tournament. Winning for the third time in five days, the 11th-seeded Panthers took care of the third-seeded Mariners (18-6), the A South champions, in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal showdown with St. Rose.

The highest seed ever to win an SCT title was Rumson-Fair Haven in 2015, when they beat CBA in the final as the 11th seed, four years after reaching the finals as the No. 14 seed.

The Panthers also got 17 points from junior Drew Buck and 14 points Jahil Bethea. Toms River North was led by Delani Hyde's 18 points, while Micah Ford added 14.

(1) Manasquan 57, (9) Rumson 30

Sophomore Darius Adams followed up his 30-point performance in the Round of 16 with 19 points for top-seeded Manasquan (20-4) in a comfortable win over ninth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven. Manasquan is looking to reach its fourth straight SCT final when it takes on the winner of the Central-Raritan game in the second semifinal (7:45 p.m.) on Tuesday.

The 2020 SCT champs, Manasquan got 12 points from junior point guard Ryan Frauenheim, to go with 10 points from senior Jack Dettlinger.

(4) Raritan 57, (13) Central 37

The Rockets (19-1) have lived up to their seeding, rolling into a semifinal showdown with top-seeded Manasquan with a dominating victory over the Golden Eagles, with the B South co-champs having snapped Middletown South’s 15-game winning streak two nights earlier.

Mike Diller led the way with 18 points, with the Rockets’ only loss coming in a regular season-ending game against Cedar Creek.   The A Central champs got 13 points from Jack O’Leary, and 11 apiece from Jack Coleman and Billy Tigar.

Tue., Feb. 14

Semifinals at Toms River North

St. Rose vs. Ranney, 6 p.m.

Manasquan vs. Raritan, 7:45.

Sun., Feb. 19

Final at Monmouth University, 2 p.m. (Girls' final at noon).

Round of 16

Thurs., Feb. 9

(6) CBA 44, (23) Matawan 43

Survive and advance. It’s the mantra of any single-elimination tournament, and that’s precisely what the Colts did at home in Lincroft in Thursday afternoon’s Round of 16 against an upset-minded Matawan.

The Colts got a defensive stop in the final seconds to escape with a victory, as Colin Haluska’s long 3-pointer at the buzzer caught the rim and bounded away.

Matawan had pulled off the biggest upset of Tuesday’s first round, taking down No. 10 Colts Neck, 58-44.  But CBA (13-7), the A North champions, overcame a first quarter deficit by outscoring the Huskies, 15-6, in the second quarter to take a 28-20 halftime lead. Then withstood a fourth-quarter surge after taking a six-point lead with 3:42 to play.

It sets up a quarterfinal showdown against second-seeded St. Rose Saturday (11 a.m.) at Middletown South. St. Rose came away with a 59-51 win at CBA in the regular-season finale last Saturday. While CBA (13-7) has won 16 SCT championships since joining the conference during the 1982-83 season, the last title was in 2010.

Leading the way for CBA was senior Justin Fuerbacher, who finished with 15 points, while senior Will Bradley added 14 points.

CBA produced a strong defensive effort inside against Huskies’ sophomore Jayden Elijah, who came in averaging a double-double, but was held scoreless in the first half. But Elijah hit a series of tree throws down the stretch, including a pair with 1:36 to play to pull the Huskies within a point.

Bradley hit a pair of 3-pointers to open the scoring for CBA, and then drained another to open the second half, extending their lead to 31-20. But Matawan responded with an 11-2 run to pull within 33-31 on a Chauncey Brown 3-pointer. CBA got a short jumper by Fuerbacher at the buzzer to give the Colts a 35-31 lead after three quarters.

Haluska and Brown each finished with 13 points to lead Matawan.

(11) Ranney 61, (6) Jackson Memorial 55

Ranney (14-9) got 17 points from Drew Buck, 16 from Isaac Hester and 13 from Jahil Bethea as the continue, with the Panthers having now won six straight heading into a quarterfinal showdown with Toms River North.

(9) Rumson-Fair Haven 68, (8) Freehold Twp. 59

A 41-31 second-half surge by the Bulldogs (17-5) was enough to overcome a one-point halftime deficit, as Nick Rigby led the way with 19 points, while Luke Schorr added 18 points, with Mason Yablonski scored 15 of his 15 points in the second half. Malachi Harris led Freehold Township (17-4) with 25 points, while Jayden Holmes-Cotter (12 points) and Nick Cardone )10) finished in double figures for the Colonials.

(3) Toms River North 50, (19) Shore 45

The Mariners (18-5), the A South champions, got 20 points from junior guard Micah Ford, and 13 more from Owen Baker to win their nine straight against Shore opponents, having fallen to Hammonton earlier this week in a non-conference game. Shore (15-5), the C South runner-up, which advanced with a road upset win a Brick Memorial, got 14 points from Liam Gajewski.

(4) Raritan 61, (15) Red Bank Catholic 36

The Rockets (18-1), the A Central champs, are looking for their third SCT title, and first since 2011. With Billy Tigar leading the way with 16 points, and Michael Dillar added 10, the Rockets have not lost to a Shore Conference foe this season, having won 17 straight before losing to Cedar Creek on the final day of the regular season. Tyler Burnham scored 13 points to lead the Caseys.

(12) Central 55, (5) Middletown South 52

The hottest team in the tournament is no more, as the Eagles (15-5), winners of 15 straight games after losing four straight to open the season, failed to survive their first-round test, missing a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Golden Eagles (18-5) were powered by 15 points from sophomore Jaycen Santucci and 14 points from junior Jordan Barbot, while John Truhan added six assists.

(1) Manasquan 65, (15) Southern 48

Manasquan’s quest to reach a fourth straight SCT final, and win it for the second time during that period, as sophomore Darius Adams scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half. Junior point guard Ryan Frauenheim added 18 points. Manasquan (19-4) has won 13 straight, with its lone area loss against St. Rose, with its other losses coming at the hands of Linden, Roselle Catholic and Union Catholic in its regular-season finale.

(2) St. Rose 70, (15) Point Boro 28

It’s hard to beat any team three times in a season. But that’s what the Purple Roses (20-2) were able to do against C North rival Point Boro, easily turning back a Panthers’ team that came within two points of then early in the season.

After winning 14 straight to open the season, St. Rose has won six straight since losing back-to-back games against top-seeded Manasquan – the two shared the C North title – and Roselle Catholic, considered the top team in the state.

St. Rose now must try to beat CBA for the second time in a week. The win at CBA last Saturday marked the return of former CBA star Brian Lynch, in his second season as the St. Rose coach, for the first time with his team.

OPENING ROUND GAMES

Tuesday, Feb. 7

(7) CBA 63, (26) Keansburg 28

The A North champs rolled to an easy win, behind 22 points from senior Will Bradley, and 12 points from senior Joe White. The Colts improve to 12-7, hosting Matawan in the second round.

(8) Freehold Twp. 68, (25) Keyport, 49

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The Patriots got a monster game from Jayden Holmes-Cotter, with the 6-6 senior scoring 31 points and pulling down 15 rebounds, while Andrew Silverman and Nick Cardone finished with 13 apiece. Max Judson paced the Red Raiders with 20 points.

(9) Rumson-Fair Haven 44, (24) Monmouth 42

The Bulldogs rallied from a three-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter behind 17 points from Nick Rigby and 11 from Luke Schorr, and now brace for Freehold Township in an 8-9 showdown. Monmouth had rallied from a five-point halftime deficit behind Tahaj Wiggins' 17 points, while Jake Bauer chipped in with 15.

(23) Matawan 58, (10) Colts Neck 44

The Huskies spring the biggest upset of the first round, getting a huge effort from 6-7 sophomore Jayden Elijah, who finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds, while sophomore Amir Martinez added 16 and senior Colin Haluska chipped in with 14 points.

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(11) Ranney 85, (22) Lacey 59

The Panthers got 21 points from Isaac Hester, 19 points from Jahil Bethea and 18 from Drew Buck as the Panthers move to face Jackson Memorial. Lacey got 20 points from Troy Buxton, and 14 points from Chris Venturoso.

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(12) Central 68, (21) Point Beach 53

Double-doubles from both Jaycen Santucci (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Miles Chevalier, 23 points, 10 rebounds) as the Golden Eagles advance to take on red-hot Middletown South, winners of 15 straight.

(13) Red Bank Catholic 72, (20) Donovan Catholic 68

(19) Shore 61, (14) Brick Memorial 51

Four Blue Devils hit double-figures, with Donovan Hughes and Liam Gajewski scoring 15 points each, while Alex George added 14 and Joseph Santi finished with 10 to pull off the road upset.

(15) Point Boro 55, (18) Manalapan 51

The Panthers got 15 points from sophomore Thomas Turner and 14 from senior Shane Ryan, offsetting a game-high 21-point effort from the Braves' Dylan Sullivan.

(16) Southern 54, (17) Ocean 53

Max DiPietro's free throw with two seconds left lifted the Rams to a win over the Spartans. Caden Schubieger led the way for Southern with 15 points, offsetting a game-high 18 points from Ocean sophomore Zayier Dean, who tied the game in the final minute.

Toms River North basketball takes football mentality into 2023 Shore Conference Tournament

This year’s Shore Conference Tournament is a two-team race between top-seeded Manasquan and No. 2 St. Rose. At least that’s the way most area observers view it.

That makes third-seeded Toms River North, the A South champions currently riding a nine-game winning streak, the most interesting team in the field of 26.

Because now would be a good time to remind everyone that a group of the Mariners’ key players, including junior guards Micah Ford, Jeremiah Pruitt and Tareq Council, all won more football games, going 14-0 and capturing the first-ever NJSIAA Group 5 championship, than any team in state history.

And while Ford, a quarterback who led the Shore with 50 TDs, including 33 rushing, Pruitt, who scored 10 TDs, and Council, who caught eight TD passes, made their way immediately to the basketball court, it took some time. After r some uneven early season performances, they’ve blended nicely with the rest of the team, and bring a football mentality to the area's biggest hardwood event.

Now, the 6-2 Ford leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points during their winning streak, including a 22-point performance in a win over Southern, which beat the Mariners earlier in the season. And junior guard Owen Baker, the team’s second-leading scorer at 12 ppg., scored 22 points as the Mariners reversed a previous loss to Brick Memorial.

“The one thing about this team compared to some other teams, especially with those three and Baker, they don’t care who they’re playing against,” Toms River North coach Rory Caswell said. “They’ve played against the best-of-the-best, whether it be in football or other things. So for them to come up against Manasquan or St. Rose, I don’t worry that they’re not going to go out there and compete. If we get that opportunity, we’re going to go at them.

“They played their final game on Dec. 5, and they were at practice on Dec. 6. We didn’t have them doing a lot of running around, but they were there and have been nothing but business. It took a little time, but after Christmas we really started to play better as a team.”

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At 17-4, Toms River North is 4-3 against teams seeded in the top-15 of the SCT, but has been playing its best basketball of the season in recent weeks.

The Mariners, who picked up a home game against Hammonton Tuesday with a bye in the SCT’s opening round, face the winner of Tuesday’s game between Ocean and A South foe Brick Memorial.

Toms River North is looking for its first-ever Shore Conference Tournament title, having lost to Manasquan in the 2020 title game.

Below are the games and seedings for the first two rounds:

Shore Conference Tournament seeds unveiled, as Manasquan lands top spot

It’s a tradition that began in 1937, when unbeaten Keyport defeated Atlantic Highlands, 31-22, at Convention Hall in Asbury Park to win the first ever Shore Conference basketball title.

And on Saturday the seeds were unveiled for the 86th renewal of the boys Shore Conference Tournament, with Manasquan (18-4) grabbing the top-seed among the 26 teams that qualified with .500 records by Friday’s cutoff.

The selection committee, made up of representatives from each of the conference’s eight divisions, gave Manasquan the nod over second-seeded St. Rose (18-2). The two split their regular-season series, sharing the C North title, and have not lost to another area team this season.

Toms River North, the A South champion, picked up the third seed, while Raritan, 17-0 at the cutoff, picked up the fourth seed, with the A Central champions poised to take on the area’s top teams. Middletown South, winners of 15 straight at Friday’s cutoff, is seeded fifth, while Jackson Memorial gets the sixth seed.

The top six seeds receive byes in Tuesday’s first round, with the winners of those 10 games, advancing to Thursday’s Round of 16. The first two rounds are played on the home court of the higher seeded team.

In the end, it’s relatively insignificant who the one or two seed is, with the final three rounds played on neutral courts.

Manasquan, which lost to Union Catholic, 59-53, at the Metro Classic at Kean University Friday night, the second meeting of the season with St. Rose at home, after losing at St. Rose in December. The Big Blue will be looking to reach its fourth straight SCT championship game, having lost to Ranney in 2019, beaten Toms River North in 2020 and lost to Marlboro last year. They also won the unofficial Shore Conference crown during the pandemic shortened 2021 season.

For St. Rose, it would be the first SCT title, and first championship game appearance for the program should the Purple Roses reach the final game.

Here are the SCT seeds, with the schedule of games listed below:

Seed Team (record at cutoff)

1 Manasquan (18-4)

2. St. Rose (18-2)

3. Toms River North (17-4)

4. Raritan (17-0)

5. Middletown South (15-4)

6. Jackson Memorial (17-4)

7. CBA (11-6 plays St. Rose)

8. Freehold Township (15-3)

9. Rumson-Fair Haven (14-5)

10. Colts Neck (14-5)

11. Ranney (11-9)

12. Central (16-5)

13. Red Bank Catholic (11-9)

14. Brick Memorial (13-8)

15. Point Boro (13-6

16. Southern (12-8)

17. Ocean (15-5)

18. Manalapan (10-10)

19. Shore (12-4)

20. Donovan Catholic (8-8)

21. Point Beach (12-6)

22. Lacey (11-9)

23. Matawan (12-9)

24. Monmouth (11-9)

25. Keyport (13-4)

26. Keansburg (7-7)

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore Conference NJ Tournament boys basketball 2023: schedule, results