Boys Basketball – Middletown North Rolls Into NJSIAA Tournament Off Riveting Coaches Cup Victory

MIDDLETOWN -- Of the 11 boys basketball teams that play in the Shore Conference Class A North and B North divisions, eight of them qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament and all but one has been ranked in the Shore Sports Network Shore 16 rankings this season.

That one team that neither made the SCT nor climbed into the rankings for a period of time is Middletown North and not only did the Lions have to carry those unwanted distinctions with them into the Shore Conference Tournament Coaches Cup Tournament; they also went 0-10 in Class B North divisional and Class A North crossover play.

In the Coaches Cup, however, Middletown North resembled a team that learned from those 10 losses and will be a dangerous team heading into the NJSIAA Tournament. In addition to being a dangerous team, the Lions are something else as well: champions.

Middletown North completed its run as the winner of the first ever Shore Conference Coaches Cup by beating crosstown rival Middletown South in a memorable first Coaches Cup Final, 72-69, on Thursday night.

Thursday night's championship game was a fast-paced, offense-heavy game in which both teams rode scoring waves. Middletown South led by as many as 10 in the first quarter and eight in the fourth, but Middletown North absorbed each shot from its rival and came right back.

Senior Luke Sheehan, junior Colin Byrne and sophomore Eddie Lopez combined for 50 points and 10 three-pointers to lead Middletown North. Byrne and Lopez each scored 17 points and Sheehan poured in 16 while also dishing out four assists. Senior Jason Quardt also poured in 16 points for Middletown North, including a huge three-point play to pull the Lions within 64-63 with under three minutes to go.

Sheehan then hit the fourth of his four three-pointers to give Middletown North a 66-64 lead. Middletown South answered with a floater by senior Will Nugent to even the score, 66-66, and Sheehan again came through with the go-ahead points. The senior earned a trip to the free-throw line and sank both attempts for a 68-66 Lions lead with 1:01 left.

Middletown South senior Owen Richter hit one of two free throws to cut the Lions lead to one, then Lopez hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 70-67.

The Lions gave the Eagles a chance to pull even when they fouled junior Brady Hahn on a three-point attempt with 16 seconds left. Hahn made the first two but missed the third and Middletown South sent Lopez back to the line.

Lopez completed a 6-for-6 quarter from the foul line to push the lead to 72-69. Hahn missed an initial three-point attempt on the other end, followed by a missed three by sophomore Matt Trimble as time expired.

Hahn scored a game-high 23 points to lead Middletown South, while Nugent added 18 points and seven rebounds. Richter finished with seven points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the loss.

Middletown South jumped out to a 21-11 lead, only to let Middletown North surge ahead and lead 39-37 at halftime. The host Eagles started the third quarter the same way they started the first, opening with a 10-0 run to go up 47-39. Middletown North again responded, this time with an 11-2 run to take a 50-49 lead. Byrne carried the run, during which he hit all three of his three-pointers.

Once Middletown North regained the lead on Byrne's third three, neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.

The two Middletown programs will look to make surprise runs in the NJSIAA Tournament -- South as the No. 14 seed in Central Jersey Group IV and North as No. 11 in the Central Group III section. Middletown South will play at Manalapan on Wednesday and North will travel to Ewing on Thursday.