Holmdel’s Mia Ehling Leads East All-Stars to Win Over West in Senior All-Star Game

WALL - When you play in one of the toughest divisions not only in New Jersey but the entire country, it's easy to be overshadowed.

In the spotlight of Wednesday night's Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game, Holmdel's Mia Ehling showed that she belongs up there with the Shore's best by pouring in a game-high 22 points to help the East all-stars defeat the West 100-86 at Wall Township High School.

Ehling was given the Arthur Harmon Most Valuable Player award for a great performance. It was a nice way to go out after a four-year career in which she became a 1,000-point scorer for the Hornets, who compete in Class A Central with the likes of nationally-ranked NJSIAA Tournament of Champions winner Manasquan, Non-Public A champion St. John Vianney, which was ranked in the nation at one point during the season, and perennial contender Rumson-Fair Haven.

"It puts all four years together just playing with your friends,'' Ehling said. "It's a really fun thing to do."

Ehling was one of numerous Division I talents in the game, as she is headed to St. Francis (N.Y.). Two other players in the game, St. Rose guard Kat Phipps and Freehold Township center Tori Wagner, will be her teammates at St. Francis.

"I'll be with them for the next four years, so this was a fun night to play a game with them,'' Ehling said.

Playing against such tough competition night in and night out in Class A Central also helped Ehling get a taste of what it will be like at the next level.

"It's difficult, but it's good because it really prepares you for college,'' she said. "When you play the best teams possible in high school, it can only prepare you for the college level."

Neptune guard Marajiah Bacon added 15 points, Red Bank Catholic's Alex Barazotti had 12, Central's Katelyn Kuster chipped in 11 and Rumson's Grace Stant had 10 for the victorious East.

St. Rose's Jess Louro capped a brilliant senior season with 20 points for the West, Freehold Township's Sam Famulare added 13, her Patriots teammate Tori Wagner had 10, and Marlboro's Nicole Shatsky also had 10 points.

It was a nice capper to a great career for Shatsky, who scored her 1,000th point during a 25-point performance in her next-to-last game, which was a 60-52 win on the road over top-seeded Monroe that gave Marlboro the Central Jersey Group IV championship.

"That was awesome, and it was great to get to share that victory with those girls that I played with for four years,'' Shatsky said.

Shatsky and Brick Memorial's Gina Bernardo also teamed up at halftime to win the 3-point shootout for the West on Wednesday night.

"I hadn't really played against a lot of the girls on my (West) team, so it was great to get to know them,'' Shatsky said.

Middletown South's Tom Brennan and Manasquan's Marina Mabrey were honored at halftime as the coaches' association's choices for Coach and Player of the Year.