It was a busy Thursday with plenty of crucial divisional games making the picture a little clearer in most cases, plus some tough news out of Jackson Memorial. I’ll sum up where we’re at in the divisional races and more below.

Player of the Night

Hunter Wysocki, Sr., F, Colts Neck

In the biggest game of the week in the Shore, Wysocki scored a game-high 23 points and made several big fourth-quarter buckets down the stretch to help the Cougars finally vanquish Neptune with a 53-48 win. That not only means the Cougars will probably share the Class B North title, it also means they will be the new No. 1 team in the Shore. It also was just a major psychological boost after so many fourth quarters had gotten away from them in the past against Neptune. A win like that tells Colts Neck that it has what it takes to win its first Shore Conference Tournament title.

I also think Freehold Township senior guard Casey Skievaski deserves mention after registering 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to power a 60-59 win over Manalapan that helped the Patriots take a huge step toward winning at least a share of the overall Class A North title.

Bell Done for the Season for Jackson Memorial

Senior point guard Elliot Bell has been suspended for the remainder of the season for a violation of school rules, according to Jackson Memorial head coach Joe Fagan. This marks the second straight season that Bell has failed to make it to the end with Jackson Memorial, as he was declared ineligible last January because of a residency issue.

This definitely hurts No. 4 Jackson (14-1), as Bell was a four-year starter on a team that relies heavily on its starting lineup. Bell was a solid ballhandler who was good in transition, but most importantly, he was a good on-the-ball defender who could pressure the smaller, quicker opposing guards. His dismissal means that senior guard Brian Kenny will have to do the lion’s share of the ballhandling and that the Specht twins and junior guard Salam Simon will have to step up and play more meaningful minutes.

Bell’s situation also may mark the debut of the All Shore Media cover jinx, as I wrote about Bell in the latest issue of our newspaper here. While Bell’s transgression was bad, it’s not even close to when I was at The Asbury Park Press in the early 2000s and wrote stories on Lakewood running back Dwayne Jones and Middletown South running back Trent MacCray changing their lives and moving on from getting into trouble only to have both of them eventually commit armed robberies that landed them in jail for multiple years.

Breaking Down the Divisional Races

Class A North

Freehold Township’s win over Manalapan looks to have all but guaranteed the Patriots at least a share of the overall Class A North title. They still have games against Howell, Marlboro and Middletown South, who are a combined 7-33, in order to clinch it. Head coach Brian Golub wasn’t having any of it when I indicated that they have cleared the last significant hurdle to a title yesterday because Marlboro and Howell are rivalry games and Middletown South has played some good teams tough this season. Howell did take Manalapan to double overtime in one loss, but I still think as long as Freehold Township doesn’t have any kind of major letdown, the Patriots will get their piece of the pie. I don’t think too many people were thinking they were going to be champs in the preseason, especially with Middletown North as the heavy favorite, so that’s a great job (so far) by the Patriots.

Middletown North can still tie Freehold Township for the overall crown. The crucial game looks to be when the Lions travel to Christian Brothers Academy on Feb. 6 for a rematch after beating the Colts by 19 in their first meeting. Middletown North has never swept CBA in the regular season in the history of its program, but will almost certainly have to do it in order to get a piece of the A North title. CBA, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to ruin Middletown North’s shot at a crown. If CBA wins, that most likely means Freehold Township will win its first overall outright division title since going unbeaten in Class A North in 2006-07 when it finished No. 1 in the Shore Conference.

Class A Central

The division crown essentially comes down to Tuesday’s game at Raritan against visiting Holmdel at 6:30 p.m. The Hornets’ only loss to a Shore Conference team so far this season was an 18-point setback against Raritan, the defending division champion, in their first meeting. If Holmdel gets the win, it would have a one-game lead on Raritan with two games to go against St. John Vianney and Red Bank. So if its beats Raritan and then St. John Vianney, it’s guaranteed no worse than a tie for the title and can win it outright by winning all three or by having Raritan lose another divisional game. The Rockets, meanwhile, would have a one-game lead on Holmdel with three divisional games left it they win. They would have to beat St. John Vianney and Red Bank Regional to guarantee at least a tie for the title unless Holmdel loses another divisional game and could win it outright by beating Holmdel and then beating SJV, RBR and Matawan.

Class A South

Jackson Memorial has not lost a game in this division since the 2009-10 season, but Southern is only one game behind. The rematch is on Feb. 7  at Southern. If both teams win out up to that point, that game will be for either an outright title for Jackson or a shared overall title, but if either team loses before then, it changes everything.

Class B North

This division is all but settled after Colts Neck’s win over Neptune last night. No one else in the division has come close to beating these teams all season, so now that they split two games, it most likely means they will each win out and then share the division title.

Class B Central

Everyone in the division keeps doing favors for Asbury Park, and last night was another example as Mater Dei Prep upset Point Beach to put the Blue Bishops in sole control of first place. The Blue Bishops did some heavy lifting of their own, as they went on the road and edged a red-hot Keansburg team to gain first place. If Asbury Park wins its next two divisional games against Point Beach next Thursday and Keyport on Feb. 6, it will clinch at least a tie for the division title and could clinch it outright if Keansburg suffers another loss in its next two divisional games. Point Beach can still give itself a shot to tie Asbury Park by beating the Blue Bishops next week and winning the rest of its divisional games. Keansburg also has a chance to get a piece of its first division title ever if Asbury Park loses one of its final three division games and the Titans win out.

Class B South

This division can all but be over tonight if Lacey beats Central, which will give the Lions no worse than a tie for the title. They could officially wrap up the outright championship with a victory over last-place Pinelands on Tuesday.

Class C Central

Lakewood can clinch at least a tie for its second straight Class C Central title with a win over Jackson Liberty at home Friday night, and you know the Piners are eager for that one after losing to the Lions for the first time in school history in their first meeting this season. With a win there, the Piners can close out the outright title with a victory over Monsignor Donovan on Tuesday.

Notes/Thoughts

—That’s a huge win for Colts Neck over Neptune. This is what the Cougars wanted, to show everyone they are the best, so now comes having to handle the crown of No. 1, which several teams have not been able to do this season. Colts Neck had been right there for three quarters so many times with Neptune over the past few seasons only to struggle in the final period. They finally closed one out, and their confidence is sky-high right now. They are a multi-dimensional team, as they could rely on senior scoring machine Hunter Wysocki to handle that part down the stretch while senior guard Sean O’Reilly focused on stifling Neptune senior guard Jaheem Woods, who was held scoreless after halftime by O’Reilly.

While the loss of 6-9 center Steven Faust was tough after he was injured in a car accident, they have revamped themselves into a sleeker team that pushes the ball more and finds more space for Wysocki inside to operate. Now that the Neptune burden is off their back, the next challenge will be winning a tournament, which has proved elusive when they have been very close in the state tournament in recent seasons. They need to ride this momentum into a trip to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and then take it from there.

—Neptune has had tough losses before and bounced back. The guards continue to play well, but the Scarlet Fliers need more production out of their frontcourt in big games if they are going to ever fulfill the promise of this group and take home a tournament title. They can either make this Colts Neck game a hiccup or a road block.

—Took in Freehold Township’s 60-59 thriller over Manalapan in the Patriots last huge hurdle in A North, and the tandem of Casey Skievaski and John Horrigan got it done. Skievaski is a sneaky player in that doesn’t wow you with athleticism but is so smart and poised. He turns the corner off the high pick and is so dangerous because he can pull up from 3-point range, pull up from the foul line or find Horrigan and others on the block for layups when teams rotate to pick him up. His family moved to Freehold Township from Florida before his sophomore season, so that was a nice stroke of luck for the Patriots. He rebounds, he plays defense, he hits free throws and he makes big plays. If the Patriots continue to excel, he has to get some All-Shore consideration along with Horrigan.

—If Manalapan’s Andrew Saray and Evan Pruden are going to shoot that well from 3-point range in the postseason tournaments while complementing junior standout Anthony Firkser, the Braves will be tough. They kept Manalapan right in the game by hitting from long range when Firkser was being smothered by a few defenders. Boston College and UConn have been in to see Firkser recently for football, as he is also a standout wide receiver who may project as a tight end at the next level if he does not decide to play Division I basketball, where he also has interest.

—Heard it was a great atmosphere at Holmdel for the Hornets’ 52-35 win over Rumson with a packed house and everyone decked out in “Hornets’ Nest” T-shirts. The enthusiasm has definitely been renewed in that program as it rattled off its eighth straight win. Rumson is struggling with center J.J. Conklin out with a concussion and point guard Drew Corsi also out of action.

—Break up Mater Dei Prep! The Seraphs were 3-11 but have won two straight against B Central leaders Asbury Park and Point Beach. Their scoring and defense have both improved, and sophomore guard Sam Miles, who had 19 in the win over Beach last night, continues to play well. Tonight is an interesting game as the Seraphs play a streaking Ocean team in a nondivisional matchup. Mater Dei has become the monkey wrench in the B Central race to make things even more interesting down the stretch, so it will be interesting to see how the Seraphs compare to a solid team from Class B North.

—Brick Memorial suffered a tough blow when senior guard Vince Lombardi, the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game, recently suffered a season-ending torn ACL and partially torn meniscus, according to coach Ed Sarluca. The Mustangs have been snakebit much of the season, whether it’s with injuries or losing games at the buzzer.

—Wall has also dealt with playing without some key players. Its top player, senior forward Derek Gardner, will miss Friday night’s divisional game against Point Boro because of a football recruiting trip to Marist and also missed the previous Friday game because of a trip to Stonehill. Also, guard Jordan Petitta has a possible torn meniscus and has missed two straight games, according to head coach Michael Puorro.

Player of the Night

Jimmy Walsh, Jr. F/C, Manasquan

Walsh continues to stuff the stat sheet as he had a game-high 24 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 67-60 win over Point Boro for Manasquan’s best win over a Shore Conference opponent this season. It came one game after Walsh had a triple-double in a loss to Lakewood. At 6-6, his versatility and ability to face the basket make him a tough cover for almost every Shore Conference team. He has range all the way out to the 3-point line, can put it on the floor and hit off the dribble, and also can score with his back to the basket. Walsh also shoots better than 70 percent from the foul line so he can fill it up there. He has added more bulk and is a little stronger this season, which has made him tough. His arms also seem like they are about 10 feet long. He does a nice job of going high for rebounds and not bringing the ball down near his waist where opposing guards can paw at it.

He is as complete a player as I’ve seen this season. While he’s not overly explosive as far as dunking on people and elevating to the rim, he is very effective. He could’ve easily had 35 in that game if he had made a few chippies in the first half and not missed five free throws. Just like he’s smart in the classroom, he’s smart as a player. He knows angles well, and he times his jumps perfectly to get blocks without fouling.

I’m guessing he projects as a small forward at the next level because of his ability to play on the wing. It would be interesting to see him matched up with Raritan’s Mike Aaman, who will be a power forward in the NEC and is a rugged, physical player.

Notes/Thoughts

—Walsh and Hobbie are both excellent students in addition to being talented players, which is reflected in the fact that many of the same schools have called Manasquan head coach Andrew Bilodeau about them. Bilodeau said he has heard from Princeton, Army, Colgate, Bucknell, Radford and top Division II programs like Stonehill and Assumption. Hobbie added that he has also heard from Northwestern University.

—Hobbie is a knockdown shooter who is great off the catch and has one of the smoother strokes in the Shore. He also has the ability to fade away and still square up to the basket. It’s always a little awkward when the opposing coaching staff loudly points out the scouting report during the game for all to hear, as the Point Boro sideline was yelling, “He can’t shoot off the dribble!” That is one thing Hobbie can certainly add to his game, although he did hit a shot or two off the bounce last night.

—Manasquan is going to need that third scorer to emerge if it is going to go deep in the postseason or that puts the pressure on Walsh and Hobbie to combine for 50 in a big game. There are certainly candidates in the form of sophomores Tommy Toole and Jack Fay and senior Alex Waga. If one of those can consistently produce 10-12 points, the Warriors will be dangerous.

—Point Boro just struggled to knock down shots at key junctures and had no answer for Walsh, who rattled off 14 points alone in the third quarter. The Panthers never stopped fighting, though, and cut it to four late. Senior point guard Shaun Cooke struggled to get shots to consistently go down, but never stopped attacking. I thought junior Kyle McGarry, who I have always thought of more as a star wide receiver on the football team, showed some good range and athleticism as well.

—It was quietly a historic night for Jackson Liberty, which beat Monsignor Donovan 57-51 for its first win ever over the Griffins in the five seasons of existence of Jackson Liberty’s program. The Lions are now 11-3, tying the school record of 11 wins that they set last season in finishing 11-13. Junior Ahmed Foster has emerged as one of Class C Central’s top players and this program has made great strides. You have to put the job done by coach Mark Lax right up there with coaches like Holmdel’s Sean Devaney, Lacey’s Ryan O’Rourke, Keansburg’s James McCarthy and Freehold Township’s Brian Golub as among the best in the Shore so far this season.

—Super-competitive night in Class A South. Three games, all decided by three or less points, including a buzzer-beating putback by Toms River South’s RJ Devish that beat Brick Memorial. The Mustangs have become the heartbreak kids, as they also lost a game to Southern earlier this season on a 3-pointer by Zach Policastro at the buzzer.

—Three big divisional games on Thursday. Neptune at Colts Neck at 6:30 will essentially be to either give Neptune its second straight outright Class B North title or allow Colts Neck to share the title. Asbury Park at Keansburg at 5:15 is between two of the three teams currently tied for first in Class B Central. Also, Freehold Township at Manalapan at 4:30 p.m. is especially huge for Freehold Township. If the Patriots win, they probably guarantee themselves no worse than a share of the overall Class A North title because they have already played Christian Brothers Academy and Middletown North twice. If Manalapan wins, it still has to get by CBA a second time, something it has never done in its program history, to potentially share or win the A North title.

Alumni Spotlight

Junior forward Joe Willman (Monmouth Regional) is third on the team at 10.3 points per game and second at 4.6 rebounds per game for Bucknell, which is currently 15-6.

Just when I thought the Top 10 was somewhat stabilizing, it was torn to shreds about six hours after I posted it thanks to a Monday night headlined by Freehold Township’s takedown of No. 1 Middletown North and Mater Dei Prep’s stunner of Asbury Park. I’ll take a look at that, some extras from the weekend and a look ahead at other games to watch the rest of this week. Let’s get to it.

Player of the Night

(tie) John Horrigan, Jr., C, Freehold Township; Sam Miles, So., G, Mater Dei Prep

Horrigan poured in a game-high 24 points and had 7 rebounds to help Freehold Township control the glass and exploit Middletown North’s lack of size up front, which no team had really done this season. It resulted in a 69-54 win that ended the Lions’ 12-game winning streak and sent Class A North back into chaos with three teams tied for first with two divisional losses apiece. Horrigan is not an explosive athlete but he knows angles well and has good strength. Once he roots himself on the block, you can’t move him off of it, and he hits his free throws and makes lay-ups. He’s not going to have a bunch of highlight plays, but you look up at the end and the stat sheet is full.

I couldn’t leave out Miles because no one saw that Mater Dei Prep stunner over Asbury Park coming. Miles had 11 of his 23 in the fourth quarter to bring home an eye-opening win. While senior Ryan Yetman, who had 22 points, has been a mainstay for the Seraphs, Miles has shown a lot of promise as a sophomore and gives Mater Dei reason for optimism in the future.

Thoughts/Notes from the weekend/Monday

—I was wondering when an A North team was finally going to pack in a zone and force Middletown North to make jumpers all day. Freehold Township was the first one to really go to it, and it helped fluster the Lions. Freehold Township is normally, a pressing, trapping, run-and-jump man-to-man team, so the zone was far from its bread-and-butter. Give head coach Brian Golub credit for scrapping his usual approach and making the change. He had to do something after North put a 36-point beating on the Patriots in their first meeting on North’s home floor.

However, maybe even more impressive was the fact that Freehold Township scored 69 points on a team that was routinely holding opponents in the 40s and 50s. They won the battle on the boards and that proved to be a huge difference in reversing a 76-40 beatdown from their first game. In addition to Horrigan, senior guard Casey Skievaski was great with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.

—The whole time the Patriots were winning, all I could remember was Middletown North with its starters still in the game up by 30 in the mid-fourth quarter in their first meeting and Golub shooting sideways glances at Middletown North head coach Mike Iasparro. Golub said, “I’ve got a long memory,” as the Lions were pouring it on. I’m sure yesterday’s win was a sweet one. It also could be the second of potentially four meetings if the two lock horns in the Shore Conference and Central Jersey Group IV tournaments.

—At least Middletown North is forced to deal with facing the zone now. They saw it, and now they have to adjust to it because you known everyone and their grandmother is going to try to defend the Lions this way now. There’s a big difference between going over it in practice and seeing it live, so now Middletown North knows what it’s going to have to clean up along with the rebounding.

—Class A North is going to be a furious fight to the end. Manalapan, Middletown North and Freehold Township are all tied for first and Christian Brothers Academy is one game behind. Freehold Township plays Manalapan on Thursday in a huge game, and Middletown North and Manalapan still have to face CBA for a second time. Should be fun.

—Freehold Township needs to make up its mind. I have junior Dylan Burns hitting me up on Twitter saying not to cover any of the Patriots’ games any more because I’m a jinx, and then I have members of the Patriots’ Bleacher Creature student section busting my chops for missing a good game on Monday. I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

—The Mater Dei Prep win is a testament to the effort by the Seraphs and the coaching of Bob Klatt. Mater Dei entered at 3-11 and had already been waxed once on the road by Asbury Park, so on paper you would think they didn’t have a whole lot to play for. That effort says something about the character of the players and coaches. Sam Miles and Ryan Yetman combined for 45 points and the Seraphs may have caught the Blue Bishops looking ahead to an important divisional game at Keansburg on Thursday. Mater Dei is a young team, and that’s the kind of confidence-booster than can help a group like that make a leap forward.

As for Asbury Park, if that isn’t a wakeup call, nothing is. I thought this team was going to blow through B Central this season, but it has been far from the case. Maybe they bought into too much of their own hype early on and felt like they were just going to roll over teams and haven’t been able to deal with adversity when they are in a tight game. The good news is that they still have games against Point Beach and Keansburg, and if they win them both they can still win the division title outright provided they win their other divisional games.

—Congrats to Colts Neck senior guard Sean O’Reilly, who scored his 1,000th career point in the second quarter of a win over Red Bank Catholic last night. He joins senior forward Hunter Wysocki in the 1,000-point club for the Cougars, and is the third Shore Conference player this season along with Point Boro’s Shaun Cooke and Raritan’s Mike Aaman to hit the mark. Next up looks to be Middletown North senior Jason Huelbig.

—Raritan just continues to own Rumson-Fair Haven, and the Rockets are quietly right in the hunt for a second straight division title. As great as the coaching job that reigning All Shore Media Coach of the Year Denis Caruano did last season, he might be doing an even better one this season with a team that has one superstar (Mike Aaman) and an entirely new group of guards and bench players that struggled badly at points this season.

—He doesn’t get a ton of attention because his young team has struggled, but keep an eye on St. John Vianney senior center Arick Sodini. At 6-6, he can play with his back to the basket and face up. He’s not big, but has good length and is versatile enough to make it hard for most teams to match up with him. He had a career-high 31 points in a win over Matawan to give the Lancers their first win in Class A Central and their second win overall.

—Ocean is quietly 9-5 after going 6-19 last season. The Spartans battled injuries early on, but have been right in the mix behind the big two of Colts Neck and Neptune in Class B North and also have a solid nondivisional win over Barnegat. Senior forward Nick Gallombardo and junior guard Alex Cirlincione have led the way for an underrated defensive team. They could be the type to spring an upset in an early-round state playoff or SCT game.

—As for this past weekend, the big win was Jackson Memorial’s 44-41 triumph over Freehold Township on Saturday, which became magnified when Freehold Township went out and stunned Middletown North yesterday. Jackson is the best defensive team that I’ve seen this season because its length is so bothersome, particularly on the perimeter, where the long arms of 6-5 senior Brandon Holup and 6-7 senior Brandon McDonnell, the latter of whom also had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win, make  it tough to get any clean looks. McDonnell, who has offers from Navy, New Hampshire and Dartmouth, has now added interest from St. Peter’s, according to Jaguars coach Joe Fagan.

I also like 6-8 sophomore Eric Carter. He is athletic and made two nice moves off the dribble against Township but just couldn’t finish. That will come with time and more refinement, but he has potential. You have to think he could potentially be 6-10 by the time he is a senior, and if he continues to polish his game, no team in the Shore will have a match-up to stop him. Actually, he may already be 6-10 if you count his old school, Kid-and-Play box haircut, which is one of the most awesome looks in the Shore.

The funny thing about Jackson is that while their length helps on defense, it doesn’t seem to be a factor on offense. The Jaguars are like a European team on offense because Holup and McDonnell are primarily wing players who want to shoot jumpers. Neither of them really post up anybody, so when they have the size advantage, they don’t really use it in a traditional way.

Good to see Jackson Memorial point guard Elliot Bell back in the fold this season. I wrote a feature for the latest issue of our newspaper, the All Shore Media Sports Review, on everything Bell underwent last season, when he had to watch Jackson’s tremendous year from the stands after being declared ineligible.

—Southern 6-5 sophomore Mike Gesicki has really turned it on in the past few weeks. He had 25 points and 12 boards in a win over Toms River South on Friday that helped the Rams keep the pressure on Jackson Memorial in Class A South. Another Shore Conference coach recently told me he thought Gesicki, a great athlete and explosive leaper, was the best pure prospect in the entire Shore, but because of his prowess in football and volleyball, he may never realize his full potential in basketball. From what I hear, Gesicki’s best sport may be volleyball, which is scary given the potential he has shown in the other two sports.

—Neptune had a heart-breaker on the road in a one-point loss to a Trenton team that is 11-1. Even though it was a tough one to swallow, Neptune now has the added experience of playing a good team in a hostile gym and battling until the end. People wonder sometimes why a Neptune or others will get the benefit of the doubt by me in the Top 10 rankings after a hard loss. It’s because they actually go out and play good teams rather than just play their division schedule and line up a bunch of cream puffs in their other games. They actually challenge themselves rather than puff their chest out about their hollow record.

Alumni Update

Junior forward Mike Engemann (CBA) nailed six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 27 points for Roger Williams University in a win over Salve Regina Saturday. Rogers Williams also includes freshman guard Adam Cook (Manasquan) and junior guard James LeCardi (Rumson-FH). Click here for more

Games to watch the rest of this week:

Tuesday

Jackson Memorial at Toms River North, 6:30 p.m.: The Jaguars will try to put a little more separation between themselves and the rest of Class A South while looking to beat Toms River North for the third time this season.

Point Boro at Manasquan, 6:30 p.m.: The old rivals go at it in a key Class C Central game to remain in the hunt behind division leader Lakewood.

Wednesday

CBA at St. Anthony, 5 p.m.: The Colts go up to Jersey City to play New Jersey’s No. 1 team and a top five team in the country when they face the unbeaten Friars in their annual meeting. Might not be pretty for the visitors.

Thursday

Neptune at Colts Neck, 6:30 p.m.: This is the game of the week in the whole Shore Conference. No. 2 Neptune plays No. 3 Colts Neck, and given Middletown North’s loss on Monday, this game is essentially to be the new No. 1 team in the Shore. Neptune can also all but wrap up its second straight outright Class B North title, while a Colts Neck win would most likely result in a shared title because the Cougars lost to Neptune in their first meeting.

Asbury Park at Keansburg, 5:15 p.m.: Asbury Park will try to recover from an upset loss to Mater Dei Prep by facing a Keansburg team having one of its best starts ever at 12-2. The two teams are tied for first in Class B Central, so this is huge for the divisional race. Asbury Park won the first meeting this season.

Freehold Township at Manalapan, 4 p.m.: One of these teams will keep its hope alive for at least a share of the Class A North title while the loser may be on the outside looking in. The teams have split this season, with Freehold Township winning the more recent meeting by 20 points, and the Patriots enter sky-high after a takedown of No. 1 Middletown North.

Friday

Jackson Liberty at Lakewood, 6:30 p.m.: Jackson Liberty stunned the Piners in their first meeting for their first win ever over Lakewood, so the home team will be out for revenge and to stay alone in first place in Class C Central.

Saturday

Holmdel at Middletown North, 2:30 p.m.: Two top-five teams in the Shore square off, with Holmdel looking to continue to surprise.

Lakewood at Point Beach, 1:30 p.m.: These teams have played some great games in recent seasons, and this is a good nondivisional game with SCT seeding implications.

Thursday was an exciting day of hoops that saw Christian Brothers Academy pick itself up off the mat, Lacey pick up its biggest win of the season to continue a great start, and No. 1 Middletown North overcome a rough shooting afternoon to take sole possession of first place in Class A North.

Click here for the Thursday scoreboard

Click here for a story and video highlights from Lacey’s win over Lakewood

Click here for a story and video highlights from Middletown North’s win over Manalapan

Click here for a story and highlights from Asbury Park’s win over St. Rose

Player of the Night

Jim Dengler, Sr., G, CBA

CBA’s back was against the wall as it threatened to fall to 6-6 and suffer its fourth divisional loss of the season, an unheard-of total for the Colts. They were at home against a Freehold Township team that entered ranked No. 5 in the All Shore Media Top 10 and found a way to put themselves back into the conversation as a Top 10 team after their first loss ever to Manalapan only two days earlier. Dengler, who was starting just his second game, scored a career-high 17 points and make the biggest shot of CBA’s season thus far, a free throw with two seconds left in overtime, to give the Colts a one-point win amidst a roaring crowd on their home floor. CBA has had trouble scoring all season, so Dengler’s emergence would be huge. CBA had four players in double figures, including another senior guard, Joe Saker, who made a huge, game-tying shot with six seconds left in regulation to send it into overtime. To keep up with a  team like Freehold Township that can score in bunches and push the tempo is a good sign. Don’t write off the Colts just yet.

Thoughts/Notes

—Outside of Middletown North, Class A North is starting to cannibalize itself. Manalapan, CBA and Freehold Township are all taking turns beating one another, pulling each other further down in the rankings in the process. CBA has to prove its win over Freehold Township wasn’t a blip on the radar, but I think all three are solid teams. It will be interesting how the Shore Conference Tournament seeding committee will view Class A North this season. Will they rate it highly and say that it was a very competitive division so even if the teams beat up on one another, they should all be seeded highly, or will teams like a Holmdel or a Lacey or others from arguably weaker divisions get higher seeds over A North teams because they have gaudier records?

—I was at Middletown North, which had a Washington Generals-type shooting afternoon yet still pulled out a 7-point win over Manalapan. It definitely helped that the Lions were at home so that even though they struggled mightily to make shots, they didn’t have to hear it from an opposing crowd. I liked their aggressiveness late in the game, particularly senior guard Jason Huelbig. Last season, when Huelbig would be struggling, he would often settle for long jumpers and off-balance shots, but on Thursday he took it strong to the rim. He didn’t always get the call, but the best way to break out of a shooting slump is to get to the rim and get to the foul line, and rather than back off, Huelbig attacked more despite not shooting well.

—Junior guard Will Boman is one of the top on-the-ball defenders in the Shore. Manalapan junior Anthony Firkser got 19 points but had to really work for them and get them mainly on jumpers because Boman kept Firkser in front of him the whole time. Middletown North’s defense kept the Lions in the game long enough for them to finally make something from the perimeter and bring home the win.

—Firkser is asked to do so much for that team. They don’t run any high screens for him or anything. He essentially brings the ball up, tries to make a move to shake his defender to get into the lane or pops a stepback 3-pointer. Just about everything they get is created by him, whether it’s his own scoring, finding his teammates on the block or forwards like Russell Isom and Bryan Adams getting weakside putbacks on missed shots by Firkser after he draws the defense. Firkser is big enough (6-4, 215) that even if a defender is pressed up on him, he can use his body to create space to get off his lefty jumper. He also is a menace defensively because of his length. When he was matched up with Huelbig, he did a solid job of holding him in check by getting a hand in his face and keeping him from getting into the lane for anything easy.

—Manalapan had to play the fourth quarter without senior guard Andrew Saray, a 3-point threat who gashed his forehead open with 1:03 left in the third quarter while taking a charge against Middletown North guard Cody Thompson and did not return. Middletown North athletic trainer Danielle Kanski did an admirable job trying to close up a large cut, but it was just too big to keep completely shut. That took one more 3-point shooter off the floor when the Braves tried to come back in the final minutes. Saray appeared to be OK other than the cut and should be ready to go for Manalapan’s next game.

—As is customary for the Lions, the game concluded with a Jason Huelbig breakaway dunk that you can check out here.

—While the Class A North race has started to get a little wild, so has the Class B Central race, and I went to check out Asbury Park at St. Rose to see an important game in that division. Asbury Park was stunned by Point Beach on Jan. 9, but in the interim before it met St. Rose, the Blue Bishops reclaimed sole possession of first place. A Keyport team that entered with one win stunned Point Beach in overtime behind a 24-point game from one of the most underrated sophomores in the Shore, Alex Thomson, and Keansburg beat St. Rose for the first time since 1997. That put Asbury Park back in the driver’s seat to win the division after sharing the overall title with St. Rose last season.

The Blue Bishops got a battle from an undermanned St. Rose team missing two starters, Dean Devaney and Sean Maguire, due to injury. Both were on crutches on the bench. St. Rose always plays well in its own building, and it shot the ball well enough from deep (eight 3-pointers) to stay right in the game. St. Rose’s 2-3 zone also bothered Asbury Park, often forcing contested jumpers and negating the Blue Bishops’ speed. The Purple Roses played their butts off and nearly pulled it off. You can’t ask for much more if you are coach Dennis Devaney.

However, it was only a matter of time before the speed advantage took over, and the quickness of the Conover twins, Amir and Armond, along with senior guards Thomond Hammary and Danron Morrissey, was too much in the end. The Conovers were beating their defenders off the dribble and flying into the lane for baskets or dropoffs to each other or Hammary for easy layups. St. Rose senior guard Mark Kukoda was outstanding as usual, and junior guard Conor Leddy also showed some good fearlessness in taking it into the lane.

Asbury Park is very talented, and I think it just needs to tighten up the defense, particularly in protecting the rim, to really take off. Their press becomes a little more ordinary when they leave the confines of their biddy ball-sized home court, but they still have the lethal quickness to become a ferocious pressing team on a regulation-sized court. Their outside shooting, with the exception of Hammary, also looks a little shaky so they are going to have to be more consistent because most teams are just going to sit in a zone all game because they can’t compete one-on-one with Asbury’s explosiveness.

—I went to interview Armond Conover shortly after the game, and he and his brother were both already busy programming the phone numbers into their cell phones of two girls who had come out of the stands to meet them. “C’mon Stump, you’re messing up their flow!” Asbury Park head coach Dave Johnson cracked when I interrupted the number exchange to grab Armond. I guess their scoring prowess extends beyond the court.

—The win over Lakewood is the one Lacey has been looking for – a takedown of an established power. While the Lions’ defense has been excellent all year, it’s improved offense has been the difference. They were able to put up 55 points on a pretty good defensive team at Lakewood, and when the Piners’ press started eating them up in the second half, they made some adjustments, took care of the ball better and closed out the win. Point guard Tasheen Carrow is huge when it comes to that because not only is he quick and can handle the ball, he can make free throws, as he went 10-for-10 from the stripe in the win. At 11-1, Lacey is right up there among the most surprising teams in the Shore, and you have to put head coach Ryan O’Rourke among the early Coach of the Year candidates.

—While senior forward/center Mike Aaman was his usual dominant self in helping Raritan avenge an earlier loss to Shore Regional, it was the Rockets’ other big man, 6-5 senior Connor Flynn, who had the most encouraging night. He had a career-high 13 points and 16 rebounds in the 55-37 win. He probably became the first player besides Aaman to lead Raritan in rebounding in a game since about 2009.

General Notes

Junior guard Sam Brodsky scored a career-high 21 points and buried six threes in Middletown South’s win over Howell…Manchester senior guard Damiun Moore hit a career-high six threes in a win over Marlboro…Sophomore guard Vinny Facchino made his debut for St. John Vianney in a loss to Red Bank Regional. Facchino, a transfer from Marlboro, scored a career-high 17 points and his five threes in the loss in his first game back after sitting out 30 days because of the NJSIAA transfer rule…Keansburg has beaten Mater Dei Prep in consecutive games for the first time in 14 years, according to Titans coach James McCarthy.

Alumnus of the Day

Richard Stockton College junior forward Bill McDonough (St. Rose) is second on the team at 13 points per game and leads the team at 8.3 rebounds per game. On Wednesday, he had 21 points and 15 boards in a win over Rowan. Guard Ibn Moye (Central) also had a season-high 13 points off the bench in the win. Click here for more.

Tuesday turned out to be a historic day in the Shore Conference, with Manalapan beating Christian Brothers Academy for the first time in school history and Keansburg beating St. Rose for the first time in 15 years, so here’s a look back at that and everything else that went on.

Click here for the Tuesday scoreboard and details.

Click here for the game story and video highlights from Manalapan’s win over CBA.

Click here for the game story and video highlights from Holmdel’s win over Red Bank.

Player of the Day

Russell Isom, Sr., F, Manalapan

Isom tied for the team high with 12 points, helped hold CBA senior Eric Shaw to two points, and had a strong day on the offensive boards to keep possessions alive as Manalapan went on the road to beat the Colts, 53-43, for the first win over CBA in school history. That’s one to tell the grandkids about. The victory also kept Manalapan tied for first in the loss column in Class A North with Middletown North and Freehold Township, setting up a key showdown at Middletown North on Thursday.

Thoughts/Notes

—The scary part might be that other than a few incredulous CBA alumni who texted, emailed or messaged me on Twitter, Manalapan’s win over the Colts was not really that shocking. Manalapan just seemed like a flat-out better team. CBA has struggled to score all season, and even though senior forward Kieran Hughes had a career-high 27, the rest of the team managed only 16 points combined. I have not seen a CBA team struggle offensively like this really, well, ever, and that’s going back to the 1980s. Plus, CBA’s home floor is not as hostile as it once was. Matt Manley said there was only about 75 fans or so in attendance on Tuesday, so Manalapan was able to do its thing without a roaring crowd to deal with.

—Great job by Manalapan to bounce back after looking a little shaky there for a week or so with a 20-point loss to Freehold Township, a loss to Holmdel and a triple-overtime victory over a two-win Howell team. The key for the Braves has been balanced scoring. Seeing them earlier in the year, it seemed like if star junior guard Anthony Firkser didn’t have a big night, they would have no shot against most teams, but with guys like Evan Pruden, Isom, Andrew Saray and Bryan Adams stepping up, this team can still stay in the game if Firkser is not going for 20-plus. Firkser is also unselfish, as he dished out 7 assists in the win over CBA. He trusts his teammates and will give it up, and they rewarded him with a historic win on Tuesday.

Now comes the real test against Middletown North on Thursday. The Lions will be out for blood, looking to avenge their only loss of the season, and their crowd will be out in full force. I think the expectation is that Manalapan might get overwhelmed in this game, so if the Braves hang right with the Lions until the end, that is a great sign in what has a chance to be one of their best seasons in school history.

—As for CBA, this season somewhat reminds me of the St. John Vianney girls basketball season from five years ago when the Lancers didn’t make the state playoffs for the first time since the 1980s at a program synonymous with championship success. It was like the apocalypse, although the Lancers promptly imported a loaded freshman class that went on to restore the program to glory with a Tournament of Champions title and four straight Non-Public A titles. I don’t see that kind of talent in the pipeline at CBA, so it could be rough going for a few seasons. As for right now, CBA plays No. 5 Freehold Township Thursday and then undefeated St. Anthony, the No. 4 team in the nation, on Saturday, so the Colts could be 6-7 by week’s end, which might be the worst record they have ever had at this juncture of the season. The possibility exists that CBA could be swept in A North by 3 public schools (Middletown North, Freehold Township, Manalapan), which would be mind-boggling and unprecedented.

It also could put CBA on the bubble to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament, which is unfathomable. Maybe that Mayan calendar is right. Maybe the world will end in 2012. Time to circle the wagons and fight back if you’re the Colts.

—What also has to hurt is that if CBA put together a team of all the transfers that have left the school in the last three years, the Colts could be No. 1 in the Shore. Rumson guards Jack Donnelly and Drew Corsi, Point Beach center Riley Calzonetti, Middletown North guard Tim Frawley and center Tim Rhatigan, and Manasquan 3-point bomber J.R. Hobbie are all CBA transfers and among the top players on their teams. In the old days, it just meant CBA was bursting at the seams with talent and those type of players would not have seen a ton of time anyway, but it is a different story at this time.

—Just underneath the Manalapan headline was Keansburg improving to 9-2 with a 37-31 win over St. Rose for its first win over the Purple Roses since 1997. Head coach Jim McCarthy has resurrected this program and has a nice core with the trio of juniors Danny Markulin and Tyler Walters and senior Brian Woods. Keansburg was looking for that one solid win to validate its excellent start on the heels of a six-win season, and got it last night. It also may have caught St. Rose looking ahead to a showdown with Asbury Park on Thursday.

Keansburg’s calling card has been defense, as when it keeps teams under 50 points, it has a chance to beat anyone, as it nearly felled Point Beach earlier this season in a one-point loss. However, the Titans have to be on their game every night, as they are not talented enough to just coast through wins. They needed a 3-pointer in the final seconds to beat a one-win Henry Hudson team and went to overtime with a one-win Keyport team, so their m.o. has been to play up against good competition but also to nearly get caught by teams they should beat. Still, it’s fun to see a new team in the mix among the usual Asbury Park-St. Rose-Point Beach triumvirate in Class B Central.

—I finally got a chance to see #8 Holmdel in person and the Hornets looked great in a 22-point win over Red Bank Regional. When they are knocking down threes, they are a tough team to defend because of the improvement of 6-6 senior Dan Baumlin. He has added the strength to score inside and force teams to respect him as a real threat, which opens things up for 3-point snipers like Kyle Nodes and Christian Vikse. Baumlin had a career-high 23 points go to with 18 rebounds in the win over the Bucs.

Vikse has a smooth lefty stroke and will put it up from as deep as about 23 feet, so he is a weapon. Holmdel also shares the ball very well, as no one is really a ball-stopper. It moves around the perimeter and into the post quickly, which is a credit to veteran coach Sean Devaney and his staff.

The Hornets have all the ingredients of a team that can pull an upset or two in the Shore Conference Tournament. They shoot the 3 well, Baumlin does a nice job on the defensive boards along with forward Matt Nasra, and they play hard and as a team. Devaney acknowledged that they have had some lucky wins that they pulled out of the fire in the final seconds of regulation or in overtime this season, and that if they are not on their game, they can get caught, which nearly happened in a two-point win over a one-win St. John Vianney team, but they are dangerous.

—As for Red Bank, senior guards Seph Williams and Asim Jules can get into the lane at will off the dribble, but they just have to finish better with a little more touch around the basket. Also, 6-5 junior center Albert Martin is a specimen but needs to do a better job of going up strong to draw contact and force the issue a little. This team has the potential to steal an early-round tournament game if it can finish better in the paint.

—Congrats to Point Boro senior point guard Shaun Cooke, who registered his 1,000th career point in bittersweet fashion last night. Cooke, who needed six points to get 1,000, got it in the second quarter on his way to a game-high 26 points, but it came in a loss on the road up in Middlesex County to JFK-Iselin. Hopefully Cooke can get a loud ovation from the Panther Pit before the next home game for his accomplishment.

—Congrats to Marlboro, which picked up a 62-56 win over Middletown South for its first victory of the season. Good job by the Mustangs to keep plugging away and getting better under head coach Mark Truhan. It’s so easy to pack it in when you know you aren’t going to be part of the postseason, but with a junior-laden team along with sophomore standout Mike Fasano, the Mustangs can take solace in that they are building for the future.

—Manasquan may have lost to surging Middletown North, which has now won 11 straight last night, but junior forward Jimmy Walsh is having a first-team All-Shore-caliber season. He put up 22 points and 16 boards last night against the Shore’s No. 1 team and has been a double-double machine. He has taken a big leap forward in his third varsity season and is putting up some Mike Aaman-like numbers. He’s definitely worth going to see if you get a chance.

—How boring is Class B North? This used to be one of the most competitive divisions in the Shore by far, and now it’s Neptune, Colts Neck and everybody else. The silver lining is that it has helped a young Long Branch squad compete and gain confidence, as the Green Wave are in third place with a young core of sophomores and juniors as new/old coach Don Covin tries to rejuvenate one of the Shore’s proud programs.

Quick notes

Junior Dylan Burns had a career-high 11 points in Freehold Township’s win over Howell…Senior point guard Eric Youncofski had a career-high 22 points in Middletown North’s win over Manasquan…Mike Aaman’s monster season continued with 30 points and 15 boards in Raritan’s win over Matawan…Lacey is off to a 10-1 start after a win over Toms River East. That may be the Lions’ best start ever. The real test comes Thursday in a nondivisional game against Lakewood…Central is right up there in heart-breakers this season. The Golden Eagles lost on a buzzer-beater lay-up by Southern’s Mike Gesicki last night and earlier this season lost a WOBM Classic consolation game to Toms River East on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Alumnus of the Day

Freshman guard Roy Mabrey (CBA) leads Division II St. Anselm’s in scoring at 15.7 points per game in his first season. He had 15 in a loss to Southern Connecticut State last night.

A lot of the divisional races heat up this week as teams take their second turn through divisional play, so the contenders and pretenders will be weeded out further by Saturday. There also are some good nondivisional and nonconference matchups as well. As always, make sure to check highschoolsports.net before you go anywhere in case of schedule changes.

Tuesday

Manalapan at CBA, 3:45 p.m. – One of these teams will stay in the hunt in Class A North, while the loser will be on life support as far as any shot at grabbing a piece of the division title. Manalapan has been sputtering lately, while CBA is also struggling to find offense. This is a very important game for both of these teams.

Matawan at Raritan, 6:30 p.m. – The Rockets’ overall record (6-5) may not be the greatest, but they are tied for first in Class A Central, so they need this one as they try to defend their division title.

Red Bank at Holmdel, 6:30 p.m. – Another important Class A Central game, Holmdel needs this one to keep pace with Raritan in the race for the title.

Keansburg at St. Rose, 5:30 p.m. – Keansburg is off to an 8-2 start after a six-win season, but it hasn’t had that big win yet. The Titans almost got Point Beach, losing by a point, so they will try to pull the upset on the road against traditional B Central contender St. Rose, which is tied for first and needs this win to keep pace with Point Beach and Asbury Park.

Middletown North at Manasquan, 6:30 p.m. – The No. 1 Lions roll into Manasquan, which has already tied its win total from all of last season with nine victories. The Warriors don’t have that signature victory yet, and toppling a team that has won 10 in a row and is ranked No. 1 would certainly qualify as that. JR Hobbie and Jimmy Walsh have been a great tandem for Manasquan, but are they enough to overcome the Lions, who will get even deeper today now that Mater Dei Prep transfer John Dini, a junior forward, will be eligible after sitting 30 days?

Thursday

Freehold Township at CBA, 4 p.m.: The Patriots beat CBA in a thriller on Freehold Township’s home court the first time around, so they will be looking to complete a rare sweep of the Colts and their first since finishing No. 1 in the Shore in 2007. This game will have important Class A North title implications.

Manalapan at Middletown North, 4 p.m.: The only team to beat Middletown North this season is Manalapan in a last-second upset, and now the Lions will look to prove that was a fluke while the Braves want to shake up the Class A North race with a sweep.

Lakewood at Lacey, 6:30 p.m.: This is a good nondivisional match-up with Shore Conference Tournament seeding implications as well as Top 10 implications. Lacey is looking for that first real big win to hang its hat on during a 9-1 start, and this is the Lions’ chance. Lakewood also will be without starting guards Jameer Jones and Dajuan Morris as well as reserve Idequan Allen for violation of team rules, so it will be an uphill fight for the Piners and a good opportunity for the Lions.

Asbury Park at St. Rose, 6:30 p.m.: Asbury Park won a thriller on its home court in the season opener, and this is a pivotal Class B Central game between the old rivals. The winner gets an important leg up in the three-way race for the title with Point Beach.

Friday

Lacey at Manchester, 5:30 p.m.: Lacey can put some more distance between itself and its closest pursuers in Class B South by knocking off the Hawks, who have played Lacey tough the past few seasons. Manchester can give itself a fighting chance at a piece of a title with a win.

Saturday

Jackson Memorial at Freehold Township, 1 p.m.: This is a great nondivisional game between two of the top five teams in the All Shore Media Top 10. It will have important SCT seeding implications and could be a preview of an eventual showdown in the Central Jersey Group IV bracket.

Neptune at Trenton, 2:30 p.m.: The Scarlet Fliers head out to Tornado Alley for their annual match-up with the perennial Central Jersey Group IV contenders for a good nonconference test.

CBA at St. Anthony, 3 p.m.: The Colts travel to Jersey City for their annual meeting with the Friars to face the defending national champions, who are currently ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Today and have not lost a game since the 2009-10 season.

The Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase made its debut at a new venue, Long Branch High School, this season with five games involving all Shore Conference teams. As always it was a long day of hoops that had its moments, so let’s get to that along with some other non-Boardwalk notes.

Also, click here for the latest All Shore Media Top 10 heading into the new week of action.

Player of the Day

Brandon Federici, Jr., G, Colts Neck

The Cougars needed a win over a ranked team in the worst way, and when Lakewood left the door open, Federici stormed right through it. He finished with a game-high 20 points to win his team’s MVP honors, and more importantly, he scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and essentially had just about every key basket for Colts Neck in its one-point victory, including a putback of his own miss that proved to be the game-winner with 10 seconds left. It was a strong performance on the big stage that should be a big confidence booster for Colts Neck.

Thoughts/Notes

—Before I get to the individual games, I thought the atmosphere was subdued this season. This was the sleepiest crowd I can remember at the Boardwalk event. Long Branch has a great gym, but with the games being removed from Monmouth University because of a new NCAA rule that it can’t be on a Division I campus because it could be a recruiting advantage, it made it seem more like a nice day of high school hoops than something that screamed “must-see event.” The Colt Crazies didn’t even make the trip to watch the CBA game and no schools really brought much of a vocal student section. Yes, some of the games left something to be desired, but usually the crowd can turn an ordinary game into something more memorable just by being loud, and that didn’t happen.

I also think it hurt not to have any nonconference powers there, like St. Pat’s or St. Anthony or St. Benedict’s or even a team that was originally supposed to be involved in the event, Gill St. Bernard. Some primary selling points of the Boardwalk in the past have been exotic match-ups that you would never see in the regular season or even the state playoffs until at least the Tournament of Champions. Plus, the star power is usually high, with a litany of high-profile Division I talent. It was only two years ago that current Cavaliers rookie and No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving was in the house at Monmouth U running the point for St. Pat’s against CBA. This season, there was only one committed Division I player, Wagner-bound Raritan senior Mike Aaman, and one other with offers, Jackson Memorial senior forward Brandon McDonnell.

The rise of other showcases, particularly the SFIC Festival up at Kean University, which was held a week earlier, has pulled a lot of the North Jersey powers into other events. That hurts the chances of getting them to come down to the Shore for a game a week later. St. Anthony, Hudson Catholic, Seton Hall Prep, St. Joseph-Metuchen, Trenton Catholic, St. Pat’s and St. Benedict’s all played in the SFIC this season.

I think the Boardwalk Showcase is a great event, and the hope is that maybe this season was just a hiccup and it will get back to being a “circle it on the calendar” type of event.

Now, on to the games.

—As Matt Manley wrote in his game story, Colts Neck has struggled to close teams out in the final minutes, but this time it was able to take advantage of Lakewood leaving the door open. The Piners were up four with a minute left and shot the ball rather than sitting on it and waiting to be fouled, then they missed the front end of two one-and-ones and finally a layup at the buzzer that would’ve won the game. That had to be a gut-wrenching loss for the Piners, who could’ve added a win over Colts Neck to one over Neptune to their resume for the Shore Conference Tournament seeding.

Junior guard Brandon Federici was the one who brought it home, as I wrote above, but I thought the two veterans, senior guard Sean O’Reilly and senior forward Hunter Wysocki, also made some key contributions. Colts Neck was struggling to generate any offense or knock down shots after being down seven at the half before O’Reilly finally broke the ice with 7 of his 10 points in the third quarter. He hit two threes and I felt like that was a big turning point in the game.

Wysocki struggled to finish, scoring only 7 points, but he had 9 rebounds, blocked 5 shots, dished out a couple of assists and took a charge. He could’ve gone into a shell because he wasn’t scoring, but he continued to play hard and do the little things to help the team win rather than mentally check out of the game. That’s what senior leaders are supposed to do, and he came through.

It was terrible to hear about 6-9 senior center Steven Faust, who was in a car accident on his way to the team bus before the game and missed the game. Faust was driving during the accident, and he reportedly suffered a broken wrist and a broken collarbone, according to Colts Neck coach Lou Piccola. That most likely means his senior season is over. Faust was not a big scorer for Colts Neck, but his length altered a lot of shots in the paint, and he also kept a lot of possessions alive on the offensive boards.

—As for Lakewood, when it rains, it pours, as two starting senior guards, Jameer Jones and Dajuan Morris, as well as senior Idequan Allen, have been suspended for two games for violation of team rules, according to Lakewood coach Randy Holmes. That means they will miss a nondivisional meeting with a 9-1 lacey team on Thursday, another game that will be important for the SCT seeding resume.

—While Jameer Jones and Tyrice Beverette are known commodities at guard and were two of Lakewood’s top scorers in the loss to Colts Neck, a newcomer to watch is junior forward Jared Craddox. He is very athletic and can finish in traffic at the basket, having converted several reverse layups with Wysocki and others challenging him underneath. He’s 6-3 but plays like he’s about 6-5, 6-6. He had 12 points in the loss and I thought played as well as anybody on the floor for Lakewood. His continued improvement will make this team dangerous.

—Middletown North’s 36-32 win over Jackson Memorial was billed as the marquee game of the day, as North cemented its No. 1 ranking in the All Shore Media Top 10, handing Jackson its first loss. The game was close and did have some drama, but I don’t think anyone was too excited about seeing a game played in the 30s. Frankly, it was fairly boring until the final few minutes. I had more than a few people come up to me and say, “Jeez, if this is the best the Shore has to offer this year…” which I thought was a little harsh, but given the pace of the game, I could see their frustration.

Part of it is that Jackson is so good defensively that its games are going to be low-scoring. Senior Brandon Holup held Middletown North star Jason Huelbig to one field goal, and it was a dunk off a steal near midcourt. Meanwhile, Huelbig held Jackson Memorial star Brandon McDonnell, who has offers from New Hampshire, Dartmouth and Navy, to 5 points.

While Jackson’s defense is tough, its offense had way too many turnovers (17) that proved too costly in the end. In a game that low-scoring with that few possessions, you can’t just give away the ball that many times. The Jaguars had a size advantage, but their bigger players, like the 6-5 Holup and the 6-7 McDonnell, are more comfortable playing on the perimeter and catching the ball on the wing, so they never really exploited their advantage by posting up Middletown North, whose tallest player is 6-4.

I think Middletown North did a good job of not getting frustrated and just continuing to play hard. The Lions are used to high scoring and highlight plays galore, so when they were caught in the meat grinder, I thought players might start throwing up stupid shots or having letdowns on defense, but it never happened. The toughest player on the court may have been junior guard Cody Thompson. What a find he has been for the Lions. At 5-9, he will take it up in the lane against anyone and he shoots with confidence. Plus, he has fun, as you will see him break out a smile in crunch time while everyone else’s stomach is doing loop-di-loops. His steal in the final seconds after a missed free throw by teammate Tim Frawley sealed the win.

—If you thought the Middletown North-Jackson Memorial game had its sleepy moments, you should’ve stayed for the Christian Brothers Academy-Point Beach game, which was 17-15 at halftime and had the crowd asking if there was Red Bull being sold at the concession stand. CBA eventually pulled out a 41-36 win that it needed in order to right the ship after dropping to 5-4 following a 19-point loss to Middletown North on Thursday.

The main positive CBA can take away from the game is the emergence of 6-5 sophomore forward Evan Gordinier. He had a career-high 13 points in his first varsity start, as head coach Geoff Billet inserted three new starters in the lineup. Billet said he did it just to shake things up after the 5-4 start and that it wasn’t necessarily that those guys beat out the other guys, but I think that’s just being diplomatic. The bottom line is that if the other starters were getting it done, they wouldn’t be coming off the bench now. The move worked so far, as Gordinier supplied some much-needed offense for a team that has struggled to crack 50 points in most of its games this season.

Gordinier is an excellent 3-point shooter, as he entered the game shooting 13-for-21 from behind-the-arc this season and averaging 7 points per 14 minutes of playing time. CBA is going to have to find a way to continue to generate more offense because it is going to be hard to go deep in the postseason without being able to score more than 50 points in a game. I thought another new starter, point guard Jim Dengler, also brought some good energy and dished out a few nice passes for finishes by Gordinier and senior forward Kieran Hughes.

—Point Beach junior guard P.J. Kineavy may have some of the deepest shooting range in the Shore, although his sophomore teammate, Matt Farrell, isn’t far behind. Kineavy had a game-high 19 points, and he calmly launched a 3 from beyond NBA range in the second half that splashed home. Despite the loss of Jarelle Reischel to graduation, this team still has a very solid core of Kineavy, Farrell and junior center Riley Calzonetti. It’s clear that those three all have to play well for Point Beach to knock off a good team because they do about 90 percent of the scoring. Still, I think the feeling was that this program might take a huge step back after losing Reischel, but it’s clear that a foundation is being built by head coach Nick Catania for continued success.

—While Neptune’s win over Raritan was a blowout, it was by far the most entertaining of all the games. There were more exciting plays in the first three minutes than in the other three games combined. It was the perfect matchup for Neptune, as Raritan’s guards have struggled mightily against fullcourt pressure all season, and that’s Neptune’s signature. The Scarlet Fliers forced 30 turnovers, and it was running-and-gunning city. Senior point guard Ikie Calderon put on a show with his passing and defense, while also finding his jumpshot, which has been erratic this season. When he is playing well and pushing the ball under control to find finishers, Neptune is extremely tough to beat.

Junior forward Keith Kirkwood continues to emerge as one of the top players in the Shore. He is an excellent rebounder and perhaps the second-best shotblocker in the Shore after 6-9 Raritan senior Mike Aaman, who had 20 points and 14 boards in the loss. Kirkwood gets off the floor quickly and has long arms, but is also smooth enough to handle the ball on the wing and find cutters to the basket. You could make an argument that he is the second-best player in the Shore right now behind Aaman. Kirkwood said he has been receiving steady interest from Monmouth University and Lehigh.

While Aaman’s team lost badly, he is still the best player in the Shore, and it’s not even close. He grabs every rebound in sight, challenges everything in the lane on defense and has added so many more moves to his offensive game. No one can check him one-on-one in this area. He did have 7 turnovers but he has been forced to handle the ball much more than usual in the backcourt against pressure this year, so it’s understandable.

—The final game was Manasquan’s win over host Long Branch, and the main news is that the Warriors tied their win total (9) from all of last season with a 3-point victory over the Green Wave. They don’t have that signature win yet, but they are clearly much-improved thanks to the tandem of junior guard J.R. Hobbie and junior forward Jimmy Walsh, the latter of whom was Squan’s MVP with 16 points and 16 boards. Hobbie is as dangerous a deep shooter as there is in this area, and he poured in 23 points in the win. Walsh is a complete package who can score, rebound, handle the ball and pass. He also has worked to add bulk to his 6-6 frame that lets him bang in the post a little more than in his first two years on varsity.

Long Branch is very young, but once its athletic, slashing guards learn to consistently finish at the rim and in traffic, this team could be dangerous. Sophomore Terrell Cox and junior Dwight Clark, the latter of whom is a Division I-A talent as a running back in football, are explosive off the dribble. Sophomore forward Hassan Foster is another one to watch.

A few quick notes from the non-Boardwalk action:

—Holmdel is now off to an 8-2 start after winning 6 games all of last season.

—After its big upset of Lakewood, Jackson Liberty has struggled with the spotlight. It lost back-to-back games to Point Boro and Manasquan last week and had to go to double overtime to beat a Brick team that is 3-10. Kudos to the Green Dragons for a great effort in defeat, as Liberty junior Ahmed Foster had to pour in 28 points to avoid the upset.

—Middletown South is 2-8 and lost to Southern on Saturday, but the Eagles have one of the best defensive players you don’t know about. Senior forward James McDonough has neutralized Southern sophomore Mike Gesicki, Middletown North senior Jason Huelbig and Manalapan junior Anthony Firkser this season, which has gone unnoticed because the Eagles have lost all of those games, but he is doing a nice job on the defensive end this season.

—

Here is a look back at an important night of action as far as several divisional races were concerned.

Click here for the Friday scoreboard with details

Click here for the game story and video highlights of Lacey’s 55-32 win over Barnegat to gain sole possession of first place in Class B South.

Click here for the game story of Jackson Memorial’s win over Southern to gain sole possession of first place in Class A South.

Player of the Night

Dajuan Morris, Sr., G, Lakewood

A lot of strong performances in some pivotal games, but Morris coming up with a game-high 21 points to help the Piners rally from a seven-point halftime deficit to cool off a hot Point Boro team with a 53-40 win was crucial. The senior guard has been a key complement to standout returners Tyrice Beverette and Jameer Jones in the backcourt. Point Boro had won five straight coming into the game, but Lakewood was able to slow down star guard Shaun Cooke and pick up a win that gave the Piners sole possession of first place in Class C Central, where they are the defending champions.

Notes/Thoughts

—Lacey played what head coach Ryan O’Rourke deemed to be its best game of the season with a 55-32 drubbing on the road against Barnegat. At 9-1, the Lions are off to their best start since at least the 1990s. Barnegat had a nearly capacity crowd ready to explode for an up-and-coming program looking to have its best season in school history, but Lacey took control from the outset and never let its foot off Barnegat’s throat.

The Lions’ 2-3 zone has been one of the toughest defenses in the Shore to crack, and it was tough again last night. Senior point guard Tasheen Carrow is a harassing defender at the top with quick hands who puts a pressure on opposing guards, and Lacey just has so much length. It seems like there are 18 arms smothering anyone who catches the ball in the middle of the paint because seniors Ryan Reitmeyer, Edgar Lenkauskas and Logan McDonald all have long arms along with junior forward Trevor Matthews. The Lions also have the human eclipse, 6-5, 280-pound senior center Tyrell Smith, in the middle.

Lacey was without Smith last night because he is on a recruiting visit to Nevada for football this weekend, so the Lions were able to paste the Bengals despite missing one of their top players. Smith,  a standout offensive lineman, also has offers from Tulane, Marshall and UMass, and he took the trip out to Nevada with Matawan senior star running back/safety Larry Alston III.

Lacey is tough to defend because, unlike last season when it had Deon Smith, Tyrell’s older brother, it doesn’t rely on one particular player to do a bulk of the scoring. Last night was all about Lenkauskas, who buried four 3-pointers on his way to 17 points, and three of the threes came in the second half and silenced the crowd any time Barnegat started to creep back in it. Carrow also was aggressive off the dribble and got to the line for 15 attempts on his way to 17 points of his own. Carrow has proven to be among the upper echelon of point guards in Ocean County.

As for Barnegat, it was just not ready for prime time last night. Senior twin brothers Aaron and Anthony McGugan struggled in shooting a combined 3-for-22 from the field. Head coach Erik Mazur felt that the Bengals settled for too many 3-point attempts against Lacey’s zone rather than taking advantage of the absence of Smith in the middle. What also hurt was that Barnegat’s own inside presence, senior center Ryan Morris, a Purdue-bound tight end, has been out indefinitely since the team’s third game of the season with mononucleosis, according to Mazur. It is questionable whether Morris will return at all this season, which is a tough loss, but here is hoping for a speedy recovery to a great athlete.

—Good job by Jackson Memorial to handle its business with a win over Southern and not get caught in the trap with Saturday’s monumental showdown with Middletown North at the Boardwalk Showcase looming. Mike Gesicki got his 18 points, but the Jaguars shut down everyone else on the Rams. Senior Brandon McDonnell continues to be one of the Shore’s best with 22 points, and Jackson is one of the Shore’s top defensive teams. The Jaguars may have some rough offensive nights, but they always defend so hard, which gives them a chance in any game.

—Congrats to Brick senior guard James Walker, who poured in a career-high 33 points in a win over Pinelands for the Green Dragons’ first divisional victory. Walker has been Brick’s top gun all season.

—That’s a nice win for Wall in its two-point victory over Monsignor Donovan. Sometimes all it takes is gaining a little confidence, and a rout of Ranney on Wednesday helped the Crimson Knights exhale after a rough stretch. They came out and got the win against the Griffins because they were finally able to get some scoring. Senior forward Derek Gardner has been close to a double-double in most games this season and he did it last night with 12 and 12, but the key was senior guard Conor Mulholland finding the range for 14 points, 12 of which came on threes.

—Manasquan is quietly only one win away from tying its win total from all of last season (9) after sending Jackson Liberty tumbling to its second straight loss after its big upset of Lakewood. The tandem of juniors J.R. Hobbie and Jimmy Walsh continues to be one of the most prolific in the Shore. It’s worth taking a trip to Long Branch for the last game today just to see those two in action.

—Lakewood trailed 26-19 at half to Point Boro, but roared back for a 13-point win by making a key adjustment. The Piners went to a box-and-one on Point Boro star point guard Shaun Cooke to cool him off in the second half, and the Panthers could not find anyone to step up and make Lakewood pay for that change. Cooke scored 15 points in the loss and is now six shy of 1,000 for his career.

—I thought Point Beach might get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s meeting with Christian Brothers Academy and could be in for a game with Freehold, but the Garnet Gulls routed the Colonials. The trio of Matt Farrell, Riley Calzonetti and PJ Kineavy has continued to improve and accounted for 69 of the team’s 72 points against Freehold. It’s scary to think that this entire triumvirate returns intact next season as Kineavy and Calzonetti are juniors and Farrell is a sophomore. They are showing that Point Beach is much more than just Jarelle Reischel and that head coach Nick Catania is building a solid foundation there.

Now that I have freed up a little more time, I will try to take a look back at each day’s action with some thoughts/notes from the night. What better place to start than with a full Thursday slate that featured a showdown between Middletown North and Christian Brothers Academy, a couple of overtime games and more.

Click here for the full scoreboard with details from each game.

Click here for my game story and video highlights from Middletown North’s win over CBA.

Click here for a full preview of Saturday’s Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase at Long Branch

Player of the Night

Mike Aaman, Sr., F/C, Raritan: The Rockets’ senior exploded for a career-high 41 points to go with 16 rebounds in a 9-point win over Red Bank. In the process, he scored his 1,000th career point while keeping Raritan tied for first place in Class A Central, where the Rockets are the defending champs. His 41 points are the single-game season high for any Shore Conference player this season and one shy of the school record. He needed 32 points to get 1,000, so Raritan coach Denis Caruano figured he would most likely hit the milestone on Saturday against Neptune in the Boardwalk Showcase, so he didn’t tell Red Bank coach Scott Martin that it was a possibility. So when Aaman hit the mark during a 12-point fourth quarter that helped bring home the win, they did not stop the game or recognize the achievement.

I could see how that’s a strange situation. You’re on the road, locked in a tight game, and I’ve seen it a bunch of times where a player on the team that’s winning gets his 1,000th point, the game is stopped for 5 or 10 minutes and then the other team regroups because it kills the momentum of the winning team. Hopefully Aaman will be recognized before the Neptune game on the big stage Saturday. I have covered the Wagner-bound senior for four years and he was incredibly awkward as a 6-7 freshman playing on varsity and is now a much more fluid player who has worked relentlessly on his game, adding extra pieces every season. He was so raw offensively as a freshman he looked like his ceiling might just be as a rebounder/shot blocker, but he has made himself into an offensive force with range out to 17 feet. One thing he has always had that you can’t teach is extreme aggressiveness. Even when he was 15 years old, he went up to crush every shot of anyone coming in the lane and snatch every rebound. Congrats on the accomplishment.

Notes/Thoughts

—Next up on the 1,000-point list is Point Boro senior point guard Shaun Cooke, who is 21 points shy heading into a showdown with Lakewood on Friday night.

—Jackson Memorial’s 6-7 senior forward Brandon McDonnell was offered by Dartmouth after Tuesday night’s win over Toms River South, according to Jackson coach Joe Fagan. He added that to previous offers from Navy, New Hampshire and Division II Stonehill.

—A few thoughts from Middletown North’s 65-46 win over CBA.

Most teams are going to have to go zone against Middletown North. They are just too explosive off the dribble and have four guys who can put it on the floor and get into the lane, and five guys who can hit 3-pointers because center Tim Rhatigan is also capable. I was surprised CBA tried to go man-to-man. Middletown North senior Jason Huelbig could not be contained (as this baseline dunk illustrates), and you would rather force this team to beat you from behind the 3-point line than slashing into the lane at will. If you get behind against the Lions have to go to a fullcourt press, you are in a lot of trouble because the Lions want to do nothing more than get out and run and use their athleticism to take apart the press behind senior point guard Eric Youncofski, who had 7 assists yesterday.

The most underrated player on Middletown North is junior guard Will Boman. He completely took CBA standout junior point guard Tom Aldridge out of the game yesterday because he has good anticipation and puts forth maximum effort. He did a good job of sensing the high screens coming and worked hard to get his body in between Aldridge and the screen to ruin its effectiveness. He also kept Aldridge in front of him the whole time.

Cody Thompson has been a revelation for Middletown North. The junior guard didn’t even start as coach Mike Iasparro juggled the lineup in the first three games, finally cementing his spot in a rout of Freehold Township. Despite being 5-9, he is fearless off the dribble and will take it up in the lane against anyone. He also has 3-point range. His presence makes it much harder to double Huelbig and senior Tim Frawley. Thompson could be the key to the whole season.

CBA needs to get more aggressive offensively. Senior forward Kieran Hughes is much better offensively this season and was the only one really challenging Middletown North’s defense off the dribble and forcing the action. Senior Eric Shaw needs to get involved in the offense earlier. He was invisible until the fourth quarter. Sophomore Evan Gordinier showed a nice touch from deep for a  big man, scoring all 8 of his points in the fourth quarter, and he is a weapon that should be used more. The Colts also have to get more out of their 3-point shooters as they went 0-for-10 from 3-point range in the first three quarters and by that time it was a 22-point game.

I think Middletown North showed that when it is really on its game, there might not be a team in the Shore that can beat them, although I’m sure Neptune and others would disagree. As for CBA, Saturday against Point Beach at the Boardwalk represents an opportunity to get back in the saddle and start generating some positives from a rough 5-4 start. Last season, Middletown North beat the Colts convincingly in their first meeting only to have things come unraveled in the second meeting, although I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that none of the Lions’ stars are going to quit in the middle of the second game this year.

As for Shilique Calhoun, who deservedly took a ton of criticism for the way last season went off the rails for Middletown North after he was dismissed from the team, he is doing great on the football team at Michigan State. He redshirted this season and was reportedly unblockable in practice as a 240-pound defensive end. He could be a breakout star next season, and it seems like he learned from the situation during basketball last year and is moving in a positive direction.

—Manalapan is looking a little shaky right now after a strong start. The Braves lost by 11 to Holmdel on Tuesday and then had to go to triple overtime to beat a sub-.500 Howell team yesterday. The good news is that senior forward Bryan Adams looks like a very solid second scorer to junior guard Anthony Firkser. He can put it on the floor and get to the rim with good leaping ability, so he creates mismatches. The main question still remains of whether this team has enough scoring to win a big tournament game if Firkser doesn’t go off.

—Rumson-Fair Haven and Matawan played a double-overtime classic that Rumson won 75-67, and a big reason was senior guard Jack Donnelly putting the Bulldogs on his back. He had 12 of his 28 in the overtime periods and had five crucial points in the final minute of regulation  to get them to overtime. If he can consistently get his shooting stroke going, this team will be tough.

—Make sure to check out the montage of the four dunks by high-flying Southern sophomore Mike Gesicki against Toms River North Tuesday night by clicking here.

“He is just so tough,” Matawan coach Tom Stead said. “We had him under wraps for a good part of the game but then he got hot, and once we had some of our guards foul out, he was too tough to stop.”

Matawan still went the distance despite being without second-leading scorer Kashaun Barnes, a sophomore guard. Barnes has been suspended for 15 days for a violation of school rules, according to Stead. The Huskies had to start a freshman, Jason Dunne, in his place, and he scored a career-high 13 points. Another freshman, guard Joe Piscopo, added 10 points. Matawan has weathered star senior Larry Alston III not coming out for the team in order to focus on football and now the loss of Barnes, yet is still in the hunt in Class A Central. A big reason is senior guard Larry Smith, one of the most underrated and quickest guards in the Shore Conference.

—Long Branch has quietly worked its way to the .500 mark at 5-5 after a victory over winless Monmouth yesterday. This is a team of the future as its top three players are sophomore forward Hassan Foster, sophomore guard Terrell Cox and junior guard Dwight Clark. Coach Don Covin, who brought Long Branch to the Tournament of the Champions in the late 1990s, was brought back for a second stint to right the ship at one of the Shore’s traditionally proud programs. The athletic director at Long Branch, Jason Corley, played for Covin in the early 1990s and wanted to bring in the retired administrator to get things back on track. Looks like it’s headed in that direction. We’ll see more on Saturday when they play Manasquan in the final game on their home floor at the Boardwalk Showcase. Long Branch is only two wins shy of tying its entire total (7) from last season.

—Don’t look now, but Keansburg is off to an 8-2 start on the heels of a six-win season. It took a 3-pointer by senior Brian Woods with 3 seconds left to beat one-win Henry Hudson, but the Titans are still off to their best start in ages. They have a very solid core of junior guard Tyler Walters, junior forward Danny Markulin and Woods at the tiny Group I school. They took Point Beach to the wire in a one-point loss and hung with Asbury Park for a half. Head coach Jim McCarthy is helping this program turn things around in his third season. This team kind of reminds me of what Jackson Liberty was last year – a young team that played a fairly soft schedule in order to gain confidence and get wins that will be poised to make another leap forward the following season to become a contender in the division.

—Lacey entered the season under the radar but is now 8-1 after a good nondivisional win over Toms River North, which has come back to earth a little bit in dropping to 5-5. The Lions are hard to defend because all five starters can score and they don’t rely on one guy. Plus, their zone defense stifles most teams and slows the game down. They have a big one for sole possession of first place against Barnegat on Friday.