Shore Conference Boys Basketball NJSIAA Semifinal Scoreboard, Feb. 29 — Powered by HiLYTE

NJSIAA Tournament

Sectional Semifinals

Central Jersey Group III

(1) Red Bank 56, (4) Hopewell Valley 42

Senior Braydon Kirkpatrick scored 17 points and senior Jameson Ackerman and junior Ryan Fisher each added 14 as the Bucs (21-4) came out on the winning end of a back-and-forth game with the Bulldogs (21-6) to reach the sectional final for the first time in 10 years.

Red Bank jumped out to a 13-6 lead, only to let Hopewell Valley storm back to take a 20-18 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs were up 20-15 behind a 14-2 run before Ackerman hit a shot from three-quarter court at the halftime buzzer.

Ackerman's answered prayer kicked off an 18-0 run by Red Bank in a span of just 2:09 on the clock that put the Bucs up 33-20 with 5:51 left in the third.

Red Bank nudged its lead to 37-23 before Hopewell counted with an 11-0 run to pull within 37-34 with 2:02 left in the third and cut the Bucs lead to 39-38 on the first possession of the fourth. It was then Red Bank's turn for a run and the Bucs struck for a 10-0 burst that made it 49-38 and held Hopewell scoreless for exactly six minutes of the fourth quarter.

For the first time in program history, Red Bank will host a sectional championship game Saturday when the Bucs welcome No. 7 Freehold Boro to Little Silver and go for their first sectional title since 1993.

(7) Freehold Boro 59, (6) Ewing 56

Junior Aidan Hamlin-Woolfolk scored 17 points, including the go-ahead basket off a backdoor cut and layup with 1:07 left in the fourth as the Colonials (22-7) withstood a furious comeback by the Blue Devils (17-11) to advance to the sectional final Saturday afternoon at Red Bank.

Freehold Boro took a 40-24 lead into the second half, but Ewing stormed back and took its first lead with 2:14 left at 56-55. The Colonials came up empty on their next possession, but forced a turnover on the ensuing Ewing possession.

On the other end, Hamlin-Woolfolk nearly turned it over passing the ball out toward the top of the key, but junior Brian Tassey tracked it down and dribbled toward Hamlin-Woolfolk's defender. Hamlin-Woolfolk alertly cut along the baseline, took a bounce pass from Tassey and laid it in.

Senior Christian DiGiso hit 1-of-2 free throws with 28 seconds left to make it 58-56 and Kristian Thomas missed an open three-point look from the top of the key that would have given Ewing the lead. Hamlin-Woolfolk then hit 1-of-2 from the line to make it 59-56 and Terrance Traylor's long three attempt at the buzzer hit the front of the rim to end it.

Tassey added 15 points and junior Qua'Mir Everett pitched in 13 for Freehold Boro. Cameron James led Ewing with a game-high 22 points.

Freehold Boro will look to win its third straight road game Saturday in Little Silver and capture the program's first sectional title since winning Central Jersey Group I in 1973.

Central Jersey Group I

(5) Manville 50, (1) Henry Hudson 43

Junior Jack Fitzpatrick scored 20 points and Henry Hudson battled to within a point of Manville in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs (16-12) denied the Admirals (21-5) their first trip to a sectional final in 42 years.

Freshman JoJo Newell added 12 points for Henry Hudson, which finished the season with 21 wins and reached the sectional semifinal round of the NJSIAA Tournament for the first time since 1997.

Edryn Morales scored 23 points and Tyler Kesolitz poured in 19 to lead Manville, which will travel to Neptune Saturday to play No. 3 College Achieve.

(3) College Achieve 71, (2) Shore 45

Senior Deuce Jones scored seven of his 15 points during a decisive 18-0 run in the third quarter and the Knights (19-7) broke open a close game to beat the Blue Devils (19-9) and reach the sectional final in their first year as a varsity program.

Shore senior Alex George hit a corner three-pointer to cap a 14-0 Shore run that spanned 6:55 of the second and third quarters, cutting College Achieve's lead to 32-26 with 5:05 left in the third.

The Knights then hit right back with an 18-0 run to make it 50-26 before the two-minute mark of the quarter.

Jones also grabbed five rebounds, dished out six assists and picked off six steals in the victory.

Six-foot-10 forward Eunique Rink scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, 6-8 junior David Munro added 11 and eight and sophomore Jebron Harris poured in 10 points for College Achieve.

Senior Gianni Fiumefreddo led Shore with a game-high 19 points and George finished with eight to cap his accomplished, four-year varsity career as a Blue Devil.

South Jersey Non-Public A

(5) Paul VI 61, (1) CBA 52

Junior Isaiah Thomas put up a game-high 21 points and 15 rebounds and classmate Judah Hidalgo scored all 10 of his points during a 16-0 third-quarter run by the Eagles (21-9) that turned the game on its head and catapulted Paul VI past the Colts (18-7).

CBA took a seven-point lead into the third quarter and went up 42-29 on a three-pointer by sophomore Gavin Marlin with 4:30 left in the third. Hidalgo hit his first three of the game with just under four minutes to play to pull Paul VI within 10 and kickoff a 16-0 run that would send the Eagles to the fourth with a 45-42 lead.

Junior Justin Fuerbacher led CBA with 15 points and seven rebounds and scored on a reverse to tie the game, 45-45, early in the fourth, but Paul VI responded with a 14-2 run to take a commanding 59-47 lead. Senior Torren Greene scored six of his 13 points during the game-clinching run in the fourth and also handed out five assists.

Junior Kevin Pikiell also scored 12 points and senior Peter Noble finished with 10 in his final game at CBA.

Paul VI will play No. 2 seed and defending Non-Public A champion Union Catholic Monday at Lenape High School in the Non-Public A final.

South Jersey Non-Public B

(1) St. Rose 65, (5) Holy Cross Prep 39

Senior Matt Hodge scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half and the Purple Roses (27-2) held the Crusaders (15-14) to 14 points through three quarters to roll into the sectional final for the second straight season.

Hodge also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists, while classmate Gio Panzini put up 13 points, 14 rebounds and three steals for St. Rose, which started the game with a 19-2 run that covered the first quarter and the opening minute of the second.

Sophomore Jayden Hodge chipped in nine points and junior Bryan Ebeling dished out six assists to go with his five points for St. Rose. Sophomore Tyler Cameron also contributed eight points and three assists off the bench and his second of two three-pointers in the third quarter beat the buzzer and gave the Purple Roses a 53-14 lead going to the fourth.

St. Rose will play in Monday's sectional final at Lenape High School against No. 3 Bishop Eustace, which St. Rose beat in last year's final at Lenape.