Last week we saw all. Last week there were surprises and senior stars. There were record makers and hit makers on display. Last week we saw the high and lows. It was a great week of basketball in the Shore Conference. Oh Yeah, about that gap between the top dreams… well you know what we call that, FAKE NEWS!
IT WAS A WEEK OF SENIOR STARS
Last week the fun started with #1 Manasquan doing something we have not seen in 4 years. They knocked off SJV, something all Shore Conference teams have dreamed about but haven’t been able to accomplish. Many believed that Manasquan was not in the same world as SJV and RBC. Well they not only lived in that world last Friday, they owned it. Lisa Kukoda had her troops ready to go. They say you win with seniors. Well, Hope Masonious had 21 points, Katie Collins 14 points and McKenna Karlson 13 points, proving that theory’ is correct. The 3 seniors scored all of Manasquan’s points with the exception of two. Every time it looked as if SJV was about to make a big move. All three seniors at some point made a bigger move. Manasquan wanted to prove they were too legit to quit and they didn’t. In fact they just confirmed for one night they were the new solid #1.
BUT DID I TELL YOU IT WAS A WEEK FULL OF SURPRISES?
Two weeks ago RBR added another first to their list of first’s under Coach John Truhan. When RBR won its first WOBM in school history, it was thrilling and exciting. They did so by cooling off a red hot WALL without star Camryn Gardner. But then two days later they lost to Howell. It was proof that RBR was not there yet. They had lost a 2nd game in overtime, they had already suffered a tough heartbreaking lost to State Top 20 and current Shore #4 Ocean Twp. It seemed they couldn’t catch a break and the sky was falling, well that’s what people thought. So when another red hot team, # 1 Manasquan came rolling in. Everyone excepted Manasquan to dispose of RBR quickly and they almost did just that rushing out to a 14-2 lead. But JOHN TRUHAN is the coach at RBR and many people for some strange reason forgot this. This is the man who stopped the legendary George Sourlis from winning a SCT chip while at Colts Neck. This is the man whose RBR team pulled off the biggest upset in Shore history by beating RBC and the All Time winningest Coach Joe Montano, in the SCT. Now he will be known as the man whose RBR team knocked off #1 MANASQUAN and all their highly touted roster of D1 players . Because that’s exactly what he and his merry band of pirates did last week. JT is really running out of miracles to perform. He also got some outstanding performances
CAMRYN GARDNER is back healthy and made key blocks and foul shots in the fourth quarter vs Manasquan, she dominated both ends in the FOURTH. She was a problem Squan could not solve.
SYNAI BLYCHANTON handled the ball well under fire and was the key to relieving pressure and she led RBR in assists and created open looks for others on the block and outside the arc. She showed all the signs of a player ready to go to the next level.
ZOE GULLEY made big shot after big shot and did work rebounding on the weak side. She was the glue to the back of the RBR zone in another brilliant TRUHAN scheme. Did I tell you, she hit big shot after big shot in the 4th quarter?
CAROLINE POLLOWAY is a walking double/double….she shined early breaking the Manasquan press with layups and stretching Manasquan’s pressure….her length created problems for Manasquan inside the paint where Manasquan usually thrives. She dominated the Manasquan frontline line at times with 10 points and Rebounds.
Don’t forget RILEY JOYCE the energizer bunny that extended possessions and really applied pressure to the ball Manasquan primary ball handlers (Shaunessey and Hollawell ). RBR had a very nice team win
DID I TELL YOU IT WAS A WEEK OF RECORD SETTERS
DEYVN QUIGLEY had 58 points last week as Manchester shocked RANNEY. It was the most points that I can remember a player ever scoring in the Shore Conference. More importantly she did it against a quality opponent and Manchester beat a quality opponent. She is chasing history and it’s clear that the Manchester’s , players , coaches, players and fans are all in. She has now become the biggest story in Ocean County since Destiny Adams was chasing 2,000. DEYVN already has that. Now she is chasing Kelly Hughes all time scoring record. Her schedule the rest of the way makes that more than likely. This weekend will not be her last 50 point game this year.
NINA EMNACE went “Cookie Monster” crazy as a freshman to win TRINITY HALL’s first big chip; A SCT COVID SEASON CHIP. Then she led Trinity to a Top 10 Shore ranking, then she lead Trinity to a state Top 20 ranking. Then she won the Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and was First Team All Shore. Then she signed at the best academic school in the country Harvard. So this past weekend it was only right. That she became the TRINITY HALL’S ALL TIME LEADING SCORER. “The Cookie Monster” only has two things left. PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND A SCT CHIP…. who ever thought all this was possible 4 years ago? Well I guess she did
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, RBC IS FINALLY #1
ST ROSE gave RBC a moment to pause last weekend. That’s because Jada Lynch and Cassidy Kruise took turns putting the breaks on RBC from running away from St. Rose at home. But then again ADDY NYEMCHECK is not like everyone else and she does play at RBC. She may be the best player in the Shore Conference right now. She more than any other reason is why RBC is #1 in the Shore for the first time in over a decade. But it’s Christina Liggio and Tessa Carman that brought the heat to St. Rose’s doorstep and turned the lights out . RBC is now #1, we told you the weekend had lots of surprises.
THEY DID IT THIS WEEKEND
It may not seem like a big story. But Marlboro got their first win of the season. Many, myself included was not sure if Marlboro would win a game this year. But this was a great week for surprises.
Last week Shore Reg felt it had turned the corner as a team. They had won 6 straight and Coach Wishart celebrated winning his 100th game. But Nick Russo and COLTS NECK had a little surprise for SHORE REG. Colts Neck really has turned the corner, after a tough 4 point lost to Trinity Hall. Colts Beck knocked of Shore Reg in the weekend of dashes hopes.
DID YOU KNOW THERE WAS A BLOCK PARTY
Holmdel beating Notre Dame is not going to grab headlines. But Mackenzie Teevan blocking 10 shots is news and points to her rapidly improving game. For the record the official shot block number was 13 but whose counting
NEW STARS ARE ON THE WAY
CORE SKILLS is proving the 2029 class is an entirely different animal. They have gym rats and special talent on the way.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
HOPE MASONIOUS- SENIOR- MANASQUAN
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
CALI BROWN- JACKSON MEMORIAL
COACH OF THE WEEK
JOHN TRUHAN-RED BANK REG
TEAM OF THE WEEK
RED BANK REG
UP COMING TRAINING….
TONIGHT CORE SKILLS
SATURDAY CORE SKILLS
