Rumson-Fair Haven boys basketball gains momentum in Class A Central race
On Thursday night, the No. 8 ranked Rumson-Fair Haven boys basketball team stated its case to remain in the hunt for the Class A Central division title.
Scott Gyimesi tallied 14 of his team-high 21 points in the first half as the Bulldogs toppled Raritan, 58-38, at Raritan High School.
“I thought we played a really good first quarter. Then we let them (Raritan) get back into it with a few three-pointers in the second quarter,” Gyimesi said. “But I think once we slowed it down in the third quarter, that’s when we really took over.”
The Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1) jumped out to a 20-11 lead after the first quarter with Cal Famula scoring five of his eight points in that time frame while Gyimesi had six points during that first quarter.
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The lead shrunk to 34-26 at halftime as Raritan’s Jack O’Leary went 4-for-4 from the foul line and added a field goal for six points during that stretch.
Raritan’s Justin Rivera also got hot from 3-point range as he nailed two of his five three-pointers in the second quarter and finished with a game-high 24 points overall for the Rockets (6-3, 3-2).
The victory vaults the Bulldogs into sole possession of second place in the Class A Central division behind division leader Red Bank Catholic.
In other boys basketball games:
Brick Memorial 57, Toms River South 37: Josh Michigan powered the Mustangs (7-3, 5-2) to the Class A South win over the Indians (3-7, 2-4) with 19 points while Dorian Alston added 14 points. Also, Luke Braaten added nine points and 12 rebounds and two assists while Jeremiah Crispin had seven points. Toms River South's Gavin Migliori had a team-high 14 points while Easton Slack added 10 points and Colin Raimann had seven points.
Jackson Liberty 59, Colts Neck 56: It took three overtimes, but the Lions (8-3) prevailed over the Cougars (4-6) as Dahkarioo Pritchett led four player in double figures with 16 points in the nondivisional game. Connor Gallagher added 13 points while Phanique Dupree (11 points) and Dylan Teopaco (10 points) each made big contributions. Colts Neck's Will Surdez finished with a team-high 14 points while Henry Shell had 13 points and Michael Belcher had 12 points. The game was tied, 35-35, after regulation, 44-44, after the first overtime, and, 49-49, after the second overtime.
Central 52, Barnegat 42: John Truhan reached double-figures in scoring for the third time in the last five games as he finished with 13 points as the Golden Eagles (9-3) turned back the Bengals (2-9) in a nondivisional game. Teammate Justin Soranno finished with a team-high 19 points and a team-high 12 points and Luke Krzyzkowski added eight points. The Golden Eagles have won eight of their last nine games. Barnegat's Gabe Terry had 10 points while Cole Toddings added nine points and Mason Krey had eight points.
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Red Bank 49, Donovan Catholic 44: Collin Teter registered a game-high 18 points while Nick Valentino added 13 points and Brian Tobin had 10 points as the Bucs (5-5) stopped the Griffins (7-4) in a nondivisional game. Donovan Catholic's Jalin Butler finished with a team-high 14 points while Kyree Drake added 10 points and Alex Melon had six points.
Middletown South 53, Middletown North 36: Bragging rights for Middletown belong to the Eagles (4-7) after they toppled the Lions (4-5) in a nondivisional game. Middletown South's James Mayerhofer finished with 17 points while Tommy Schork added 15 points and Dylan Csik added 14 points.
More: Brick Memorial boys basketball stays hot in Class A South action
Holmdel 80, Matawan 54: A career night in scoring for Nick Seeloch (34 points, five rebounds and three assists) powered the Hornets (6-5, 4-3) to a Class A Central win over the Huskies. Teammates Evan Romano (14 points), Ben Kipnis (13 points) and James Vallillo (eight points) also had some key plays. Matawan's Colin Haluska had 18 points while Chauncy Brown added 13 points and Jayden Elijah had 11 points.
Marlboro 81, Manalapan 55: The combination of Jack Seidler and Jonathan Spatola produced 50 points as the No. 3 Mustangs (11-2, 5-2) cruised past the Braves (4-7, 2-5) in a Class A North game. Seidler finished with 29 points, Spatola added 21 points and Ryan Mendes and Zack Molod each had nine points as the Mustangs won their fourth game in a row. Manalapan’s Michael Cerreto finished with a season-high 23 points while Gabe Blackwell added 19 points and Jim Bruno had five points.
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Howell 70, Long Branch 26: The Rebels (6-4, 2-3) completed the regular season sweep of the Green Wave (1-8, 0-6) as Zach Emery had 15 points and two rebounds in the Class A North game. Teammates Dylan McVeigh added 14 points, two assists and three steals and Damien Padilla had seven points, 12 rebounds and two assists. Long Branch’s Bruce Gooding had 10 points.
Keyport 74, Keansburg 53: The No. 9 Red Raiders (8-1, 6-1) snagged their third win a row as George Mitchell provided 24 points and DJ Thomson added 22 points in a Class B Central triumph over the Titans (2-6, 1-3). Also, Max Judson added 10 points while Trevor Ahmed and Michael Ford each added six points. Keansburg’s Michael Alonso finished with a team-high 23 points while Andrew Valle added 12 points and Na'Sun Lee (seven points) and JonPaul DeBow (five points) also contributed.
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Sherlon Christie is a sports reporter at the Asbury Park Press and has covered sports at the Jersey Shore since 2004. Don't miss any of his coverage by subscribing at https://subscribe.app.com/. You can contact him via e-mail at schristie@gannettnj.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sherlonapp, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sherlonapp and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sherlon_christie
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rumson NJ boys basketball gains momentum in Class A Central race
