Boys Basketball – Highlights and Photos From Manasquan Victory Over Wall, NJ

MANASQUAN - For the second time this season on Tuesday night, the Wall boys basketball team took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter against one of the top two teams in the Shore Conference.

Just like Ranney did last week, Manasquan - the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 and No. 4 in the state by NJ Advanced Media - found another gear in the fourth quarter and denied the No. 9 Crimson Knights an upset.

Junior guard Ben Roy pumped in 29 points and senior Jack Collins and Connor Walsh did their damage in the second half to help the Warriors overcome a scare from Wall, 72-64, in their second game in as many days since returning from a 16-day hiatus due to a two-week quarantine.

Roy scored 18 of his points in the first half to stake Manasquan to a 31-25 lead at the break, but Wall rallied behind 11 third-quarter points from senior Logan Peters, who finished with 19. Wall took the lead, 46-45, for the first time on the lone basket of the game by sophomore Collin MacDermant with just under a minute to go in the third quarter.

Walsh scored a game-tying basket in the paint early in the fourth and Collins followed with a three-pointer that boosted Manasquan back in front, 50-47. Walsh scored all 11 of his points in the second half and Collins went off for 14 of his 22 in the fourth quarter to bring home the win for the Warriors.

Walsh also converted a three-point play off a feed from senior Andrew Solomon to make it 63-59 with 2:06 left and the Warriors stretched the lead to seven when Walsh blocked Peters on one end, leading to a Collins three on the other with 1:49 to go.

Senior Pat Lacey led Wall with 20 points, keeping the Crimson Knights close in the first half with 14 points before the break - including four three-pointers.

The two rivals from neighboring towns are scheduled to meet again on Thursday, although the threat of snow could wipe the rematch from the schedule. Manasquan has a date with the Patrick School scheduled for Friday while Wall is scheduled to play Middletown South on Saturday. With Manasquan already locked in for four games next week (Neptune twice, Trenton Catholic and Bergen Catholic) Tuesday's battle could be the lone matchup between the teams, unless they get matched up in the Shore Conference postseason that is set to begin on March 1.