Central Jersey Group 2 Final: Manasquan vs. Holmdel Preview
The Shore Conference has been a juggernaut this season. Teams have made big time runs in the state tournament all over the state and this bracket is no different. Top-seeded Manasquan will meet No. 2 Holmdel in the state championship…
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Continue ReadingThe Shore Conference has been a juggernaut this season. Teams have made big time runs in the state tournament all over the state and this bracket is no different. Top-seeded Manasquan will meet No. 2 Holmdel in the state championship game on Tuesday night.
Manasquan is 30-1 on the season and has been one of the top ranked teams in New Jersey all season. They were able to gain control of the semi-final matchup against Bordentown using their dynamic offense. This has been said after every game, but sophomore Ben Roy Ben Roy 6'2" | PG Manasquan | 2022 State #218 Nation NJ was the catalyst. He finished with a game-high 31 points and made big shot after big shot to avoid the upset.
Holmdel entered the fourth quarter down by three to Lincoln. They used a 15-9 final period to advance to the final. Alex Baker stayed hot with 22 points and senior Jack Giamanco Jack Giamanco 5'9" | PG Holmdel | 2020 State NJ scored 10 points. The Hornets will now get a fourth chance at taking down their Shore Conference foe.
In early January, Manasquan dominated Holmdel 67-40 but the Hornets improved over time. Manasquan is 3-0 on the season against Holmdel but the final two decisions were by a combined 10 points. In the semi-final of the Shore Conference Tournament, Holmdel held a 36-28 lead over Manasquan heading into the fourth quarter. Roy and Alex Galvan Alex Galvan 6'7" | PF Manasquan | 2020 State NJ led Manasquan back and outscored Holmdel 16-4 in the fourth quarter to take home the win. They would go on to dominate Toms River North in the final.
Manasquan has one loss this season and it came against Roselle Catholic at the buzzer. They have been a near perfect team and no one else has been able to figure them out. Holmdel came close. They are a well coached team that is going to have a strong game plan heading into this one. It is hard to beat a team four times in one season but sometimes talent takes over. Manasquan is full of elite talent and that could carry them to a state title.