SSN Girls Basketball Top 10 – Feb. 24

Shore Sports Network Girls Basketball Top 10

1-St. John Vianney (23-1, 14-0) Last week: 1

The Lady Lancers have done nothing in the first two rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament to dissuade their status as the top seed in the steep field. Sophomore Madison St. Rose and junior Katie Hill averaged 18.5 and 14.0 points respectively in driving SJV past 17th-seeded Toms River East (72-33) and eighth-seeded Marlboro (67-25) by a winning margin of 40.5. Up next, a date with fourth-seeded St. Rose in the semis on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River.

2-Manchester (22-3, 14-0) Last week: 2

Junior forward Destiny Adams rose to the challenge on Saturday, delivering 30 points and 17 rebounds while senior guard Kemari Reynolds contributed 13 points, six boards and four steals as the defending champion and second-seeded Hawks won their ninth straight by edging No. 5 Red Bank, 64-61, in the quarterfinals. Manchester will tangle with third-seeded Red Bank Catholic in the SCT semis on Tuesday at 6:45.

3-Red Bank Catholic (20-4, 12-2) Last week: 3

Riding their signature defense (38.2 ppg.), the Caseys rebounded from a 10-point halftime deficit to limit sixth-seeded Manasquan to 18 points over the final 16 minutes en route to a 44-41 comeback victory on Saturday in the SCT quarterfinals. Senior forward Fab Eggenschwiler, often unsung for her defensive grit, stepped up on the offensive end with 11 points to complement 11 more from sophomore center Ally Carman. The Caseys will face second-seeded and defending champion Manchester in the semis on Tuesday.

4-St. Rose (19-6, 12-2) Last week: 4

The Purple Roses have reserved some of their most cohesive work for the ideal time of the season. Senior guard Brynn Farrell collected 19 points, 12 boards and five assists,  senior forward Makayla Andrews poured in 24 points and junior playmaker Abby Antognoli compiled 16 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and five assists on Saturday as the fourth seed stormed past fifth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven, 72-41, in the quarterfinals. St. Rose will put a five-game win streak on the line Tuesday night against top-seeded St. John Vianney in the semifinals.

5-Red Bank (19-5, 12-2) Last week: 5

The feisty seventh-seeded Bucs took second-seeded and defending champion Manchester to the limit on Saturday before bowing, 64-61, in the quarterfinals of the SCT despite five 3-pointers and 24 points from junior guard Amelia Medolla and 21 points, five rebounds and four assists from senior guard Taylor Crystian. Red Bank will embark on the chase for a Central Jersey, Group 3 title as the top seed.

6-Marlboro (20-4, 12-0) Last week: 6

Sophomore guard Dani Schlesigner flipped in 18 points, junior forward Jessica Riepe netted 15 on five threes and senior forward Katherine Sanchez and junior point guard Sammy Jay each scored 11 as the eighth-seeded Mustangs outlasted ninth-seeded Jackson Memorial, 73-61, in the SCT Round of 16. Marlboro fell to top-seeded St. John Vianney, 67-25, in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

7-Rumson-Fair Haven (18-6, 10-4) Last week: 7

Senior guard Sophia Passalaqua exploded for a career-high 23 points and junior swing Grace Munt, in just her second game back from an injury that cost her the first 20 games of the season, made her presence noted with 16 points and six rebounds in the fifth-seeded Bulldogs 78-50 victory over 12th-seeded Neptune in the SCT Round of 16. Fourth-seeded St. Rose eliminated RFH in the quarterfinals, 72-41.

8-Manasquan (16-10, 9-5) Last week: 9

The sixth-seeded Warriors downed 27th-seeded Henry Hudson and 11th-seeded Holmdel to reach the SCT quarterfinals, where they built a 23-13 halftime lead against third-seeded Red Bank Catholic before ultimately falling, 44-41. Sophomore guard Mary Donnelly tossed in a season-high 24 points in the loss but the youthful Manasquan nucleus is primed to make a run at a seventh straight Central Jersey, Group 2 crown as the second seed in the field.

9-Jackson Memorial (20-3, 14-0) Last week: 8

Senior guard Kristina Donza matched a career high with 37 and surpassed Hannah Missry to become the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,706 to stamp ninth-seeded Jackson Memorial's 89-42 triumph over 24th-seeded Point Beach in the opening round of the SCT. The Jags' 15-game win streak was snapped in the Round of 16 with a 73-61 loss to eighth-seeded Marlboro.

10-Long Branch (16-5, 8-4) Last week: 10

The Green Wave substantiated its case as the 10th seed by topping 23rd-seed Southern, 42-34, in the first round of the SCT and demanding seventh-seeded Red Bank's best in a 62-55 loss during the Round of 16. Senior guard Anyssa Fields ran off five straight double doubles before finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds in the setback to the Bucs.

On the bubble: Holmdel (13-11, 7-7); Neptune (15-8, 10-4); Trinity Hal (17-7, 14-0).

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