Boys Basketball – Week 9 Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week: Manasquan

On Thursday of last week, it was a furious finish after a suspect start that got the Manasquan boys basketball team to its second straight appearance in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game.

In Saturday's final, the Warriors started the game like they finished Thursday's semifinal against Holmdel and did not stop until they were finally Shore Conference champions.

Last week, Manasquan survived an upset bid by Holmdel before routing Toms River North to win the program's first Shore Conference Tournament title since 1957. For ending their 63-year conference title drought in impressive fashion, the Warriors are the ninth Jersey Mike's Team of the Week of 2020.

Manasquan was the tournament's No. 1 seed and the considerable favorite to win the whole thing, especially when senior Alex Galvan suited up and returned to the starting lineup for Thursday's semifinal showdown with Class A Central division rival Holmdel.

Galvan did his part by scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first half but Holmdel held a 24-19 that ballooned to 36-26 by the 1:45 mark of the third quarter. At that point, sophomore Ben Roy, senior Kieran Flanagan and junior Connor Walsh took over the game and led the Warriors on a 14-0 run that gave them the lead for good.

Roy scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half, Flanagan scored all four of his points in the fourth quarter and Walsh scored six of his eight in the fourth, including 4-for-4 from the foul line in the last 1:03 of the game.

Having survived a tough test from the Hornets, Manasquan did not mess around in the final at OceanFirst Bank Center. Roy and Galvan combined on an 8-0 run to open the game, junior Jack Collins scored eight points in the first quarter and Manasquan opened up an insurmountable, 32-7 lead on Toms River North by early in the second quarter.

When the smoke cleared, Manasquan had defeated the Mariners, 75-49, with Roy scoring a career-high 31 points, Galvan adding 17 points and nine rebounds and Flanagan pitching in 11 points and seven assists.

Manasquan opened up its Central Jersey Group II title defense Monday with a 77-37 win over Metuchen, which also doubled as the team's Senior Night. The Warriors host Rumson-Fair Haven Thursday in the sectional quarterfinals - the third meeting between the two heated rivals after Manasquan swept the regular-season series during Class A Central play.

2020 Team of the Week Winners

Week 1: Barnegat

Week 2: Middletown South

Week 3: Manalapan

Week 4: Point Boro

Week 5: Lakewood

Week 6: Monmouth

Week 7: Holmdel

Week 8: Red Bank Catholic