Jeep Store Boys Basketball Saturday NJSIAA Scoreboard, 3/7/20
NJSIAA Tournament
Sectional Semifinals
Central Jersey Group IV
(3) Marlboro 77, (2) New Brunswick 72
Senior Alex Ratner scored 20 points to lead four Marlboro players with at least 16 points and the Mustangs (23-6) held off the Zebras (20-8) on the road to advance to the sectional final for what is believed to be the first time in program history, according to Marlboro athletic director Dave Ryden.
Sophomores Jay Ratner and Jon Spatola each added 17 points, with Ratner also pulling in 12 rebounds. Sophomore Jack Seidler contributed 16 points for Marlboro as well.
Senior Tahjay Moore scored 28 points and classmate Ahyan Brown-Miller added 26 to lead New Brunswick.
(4) South Brunswick 66, (1) Middletown South 55
Devin Strickland scored a game-high 20 points and the Vikings (24-5) pulled away from the top-seeded Eagles (26-3) in the fourth quarter to advance to the sectional final Tuesday at No. 3 Marlboro.
Senior Bobby Pirie led Middletown South with 19 points and 13 rebounds, but South Brunswick outscored the Eagles 24-10 over the final 10:30 of the game.
Senior James Anderson added 11 points, senior Mike Dabas scored 10 and senior Jack Sheridan pitched in nine for Middletown South.
Justin Carbone poured in 14 and Yathin Vermula added 13 for South Brunswick.
Central Jersey Group II
(2) Holmdel 60, (6) Lincoln 57
Junior Alex Baker scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Hornets (23-4) outlasted the Lions (20-8) to advance to the sectional semifinals for the first time since 2012.
Senior Jack Giamanco added 10 points and seniors Eric Hinds and Pete Cannizzo each added eight points while helping to lead a Holmdel defensive effort that forced 23 Lincoln turnovers.
Cannizzo also had six rebounds, six assists, three steals and a big chase-down block early in the fourth quarter. Hinds, meanwhile, had two steals, including one in the back court with 20 seconds left that led to a pair of game-clinching free throws by Baker.
Holmdel stormed out to a 21-7 lead and forced Lincoln into 14 first-half turnovers. Lincoln cut the deficit to 32-24 by the half and surged in front by the end of the third quarter. Prime Payton scored 13 of his 19 points in the third and hit a three-pointer that gave Lincoln a 46-43 lead - its first since 4-2 in the first quarter.
Holmdel trailed, 52-47, early in the fourth and unleashed a 10-1 run to go up 57-53 with 2:32 to go.
For the fourth time this season, Holmdel will play top-seeded and defending champion Manasquan, this time with a sectional championship on the line. Manasquan has defeated Holmdel in all three meetings between the Class A Central rivals, with the last two decided by a combined 10 points. In the one meeting at Manasquan, however, the Warriors routed the Hornets, 67-40, in early January.
(1) Manasquan 80, (5) Bordentown 67
Sophomore Ben Roy matched a career-high with 31 points and the defending-champion Warriors (30-1) raced past the Scotties (17-12) and into the sectional final for the second straight year.
Senior Tim McEneny added 12 points and six rebounds, with McEneny (10) and Roy (11) combining for 21 of Manasquan's points during a 24-10 first quarter.
Senior Alex Galvan pitched in 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, junior Casey Mulligan scored nine points, and senior Kieran Flanagan chipped in eight points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for Manasquan.
Saturday's win sets up a fourth meeting between Manasquan and Holmdel, this time for the Central Group II championship. Manasquan swept the regular-season series and rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat the Hornets in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, 44-40.
South Jersey Non-Public B
(2) Wildwood Catholic 79, (11) Mater Dei Prep 52
Senior Tahaj Parland scored 19 points but the Seraphs (17-11) could not keep pace with the Crusaders (23-7), ending their NJSIAA Tournament run in the sectional semifinals.
Junior Andreas Von Fricke added 11 points and senior Pete Gorman pitched in 10 points for Mater Dei Prep.