For a team with state championship aspirations, a holiday tournament championship is less an aspiration and more an expectation, but last year’s WOBM Christmas Classic was more than just a Christmas Tournament championship for the Manasquan girls basketball team

For the eventual runner up in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, the WOBM Christmas Classic was a launching pad.

Before setting out to win one more game than last year and capture the Tournament of Champions title, Manasquan will attempt to defend its WOBM Classic championship from a year ago, this time as the No. 1 seed and with senior and Notre Dame recruit Marina Mabrey on the court to start the season.

“Like any team, we have our goals that we want to achieve and in order to get there, we have to go through the entire process step-by-step and just focus on today,” Manasquan coach Lisa Kukoda said. “Winning this tournament last year definitely showed us that we were capable of reaching some of our bigger goals, but just because the expectations are different from the outside, doesn’t really make this tournament any different. We still want to play well, we still want to get better and try to win as many games as we can.”

Manasquan senior Courtney Hagaman with Warriors coach Lisa Kukoda during last year's WOBM Christmas Classic. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle)
Manasquan senior Courtney Hagaman with Warriors coach Lisa Kukoda during last year's WOBM Christmas Classic. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle)
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Mabrey began last season at Point Pleasant Beach before transferring to Manasquan on Jan. 6. Prior to her official transfer, Mabrey watched current senior Courtney Hagaman and 2014 graduate and Tournament Most Valuable Player Sam Sullivan lead the Warriors past Rumson-Fair Haven and Red Bank Catholic on the way to a WOBM Classic championship.

Hagaman returns this season, along with sophomore Stella Clark, who gained some experience as a starter when she was not providing a spark off the bench with more than six points per game.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised by the way the team played at WOBM last year,” said Mabrey, who acknowledged that she had made her decision to transfer to Manasquan long before the start of the WOBM Tournament. “You could see that there was a lot of chemistry here and that the girls all got along and played for each other. When they won the tournament, I think it gave the rest of the team the confidence to know that they could beat good teams even when I didn’t play and I think that helped us in big games because everyone was confident when it was their turn to step up.”

Just as Mabrey joined the Manasquan program when her older sister, Michaela, was a senior, freshman Dara Mabrey now enters the program with her older sister as a senior leader.

“When I first came to Manasquan, Michaela was obviously a big influence and helped me get comfortable with the team and that’s pretty much going to be my role with (Dara) this year,” Marina Mabrey said. “I don’t see myself as someone who leads with words. I try to lead more by example and let my game send whatever message it needs to.”

“Marina is at a point where she is still getting better as a player and as a leader, and I think she is embracing that role as someone players look to, not just her sister but everybody,” Kukoda said.

Manasquan will take on Shore Conference Class A Central rival and No. 16 seed Shore Regional in the first round on Saturday night at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River and could be looking at a rematch with No. 3 Red Bank Catholic.

Red Bank Catholic will not get a crack at Manasquan this season if it is up to Middletown South, the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Junior guard Stephanie Karcz leads a group of six returning varsity contributors for the Eagles, who are lined up on the same side of the bracket as the Caseys and play No. 15 Wall in Saturday’s opening round. Red Bank Catholic also returns three starters from last season, led by senior Alex Barazotti, and will take on No. 14 Toms River South in the opening round.

A first-round match-up between No. 4 Freehold Township and No. 13 Toms River East is one of two first-round girls pairings that also show up in the boys bracket as well. The other is No. 8 Brick Memorial vs. No. 9 Point Pleasant Boro. Tori Wagner and Sam Famulare lead the Patriots while Lindsey Havens returns for Point Boro.

Colts Neck is the No. 5 seed and drew No. 12 Manchester on the first day and No. 6 Donovan Catholic will take on No. 11 Toms River North. No. 7 Central takes on No. 10 Jackson Memorial to round out the first round games in the girls bracket.

 

Girls WOBM Christmas Classic First Round Schedule

At Toms River North
(6) Donovan Catholic vs. (11) Toms River North, 1 p.m.
(3) Red Bank Catholic vs. (14) Toms River South, 2:45 p.m.
(7) Central vs. (10) Jackson Memorial, 4:30 p.m.
(2) Middletown South vs. (15) Wall, 6:15 p.m.
At Pine Belt Arena
(5) Colts Neck vs. (12) Manchester, 1:30 p.m.
(4) Freehold Township vs. (13) Toms River East, 3:15 p.m.
(8) Brick Memorial vs. (9) Point Boro, 5 p.m.
(1) Manasquan vs. (16) Shore, 6:45 p.m.

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