From the very first night of the season, the Colts Neck boys basketball team was playing from behind in the Shore Conference Class B North division race. The Cougars dropped an opening-night decision on the road to Long Branch, which ignited a fast start to the division schedule for the Green Wave and left the rest of the division chasing.

Colts Neck, however, knew it would have a shot at Long Branch at home and when the Green Wave came into town this past Saturday nursing a one-game lead in the division race, the Cougars did not miss their shot to even up the race once again.

Colts Neck won a hard-fought game against Long Branch, 46-42, to pull even in the Class B North standings. The win capped a 3-0 week that also included wins over Ocean and Neptune and for those efforts, the Cougars are the fifth Shore Sports Network Army Strong Team of the Week during the 2015-16 season.

Senior Lloyd Daniels helped lead the way for Colts Neck, leading the Cougars in scoring in all three wins. He scored 18 point in a 47-32 win over Ocean, pumped in 26 in a 58-40 victory over Neptune and netted 17 in the Long Branch game.

Senior Jordan deGroot was also instrumental in the Long Branch win, scoring 10 points and holding Long Branch leading scorer Anthony Velazquez to six points on 2-for-10 shooting. Senior Kyle Gordon added six points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks on Saturday as well.

The Cougars continued their strong play into the new week with a road win over Matawan and a home win over Red Bank Catholic - both by double-digit margins. Colts Neck will need Long Branch to lose at least one game in order to clinch the outright Class B North championship, but the Cougars can guarantee at least a share of the division title by beating Red Bank Regional and Wall in their final two division games.

Red Bank won at Colts Neck in the first meeting between the two teams, who will meet for the rematch Monday in Red Bank.

Past SSN Army Strong Teams of the Week in 2016

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