Shore Basketball Teams Eye State Titles

Who plays the best basketball in the State of New Jersey in 2012? Look no further than the Shore Conference.

While traditional State powers like St. Patrick's, Linden, CBA and Cherokee have put the basketballs away for the winter, six area schools will play for overall State Championships this weekend, in what may be the best year ever for Shore basketball. What makes this story even better, is the fact that most will play locally in Toms River, at the Pine Belt arena, on Saturday and Sunday.

The boys teams still alive are Asbury Park (Group 1) and Neptune (Group 3). Neptune will make an appearance at the Pine Belt Arena on Saturday night in the last of four games to be played there that day.

Neptune will play high powered Plainfield in game sure to excite local fans. Asbury Park will play at Rutgers University at 7 p.m. on Sunday in the last of the public schools games.

On the girls side, St Rose High School, currently ranked second in State, will play at the Pine Belt Arena  at 2 p.m. on Saturday. They will play number 14, Immaculate Heart Academy.

Sunday will be a day to remember at the Shore. Here is the schedule of games set for the Pine Belt Arena:

Jackson Memorial (#16) will begin the long day of basketball at noon vs. #16 North Hunterdon, in the Group 4 match-up.

Next up will be Group 2 and a chance to see the #1 team in the State, Shabazz High School of Newark. Point Pleasant Boro has the chance to knock out #1.

In what may be the most entertaining game of the day #3 Manasquan will take on #4 Teaneck, in the Group 3 final. These two teams love to run and gun and points will be plenty.

While it will be a great weekend of games, it will not end the season locally. All winners will meet in the Tournament of Champions, which will begin on Tuesday, March 13 with the boys quarterfinals, followed by the girls quarters the next day.

The Tournament of Champions continues on Thursday with the girls Semi-finals, before they move up north to Rutgers for the boys semi-finals and finally the Izod Center for the both the girls and boys finals.