On Cloud Nine-teen: Manasquan Girls Shut Down Rumson for 19th Sectional Title

MANASQUAN – They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes, but after a decade and a half of postseason dominance you can add Manasquan girls basketball playing for a Central Jersey Group 2 Championship to those certainties. The Warriors overcame a sloppy first quarter to beat Rumson-Fair Haven for the third time this season in a 51-23 rout to win their third straight sectional title and 19th overall in the program’s history.

Both teams had a rocky first quarter with a combined 13 turnovers and a total of six points with top-seeded Manasquan leading 5-1.In the second quarter, the Warriors defense helped create separation, holding Rumson-Fair Haven to four points and producing 18 turnovers in the half. The Bulldogs first field goal came with 27 seconds left in the half.  

“It was a little shaky in the first half out offense, but our defense carried us through that first half,” senior guard Jordyn Hollawell said. “We take a lot of pride in our defense and they [Rumson] are a well coached team and their offense is really good. I am really glad we produced on the defensive end since it helped us on the offensive end.”

The second half was a different story for the Warrior offense that went on a 14-0 run in the latter half of the third quarter to build a commanding 36-9 lead. Hollawell, who had seven points in the first half, put on a show in the second half to finish with a game-high 21 points, knocking down a trio of three-pointers in the half. Three different players knocked down a three-pointer during the run. 

“She [Hollawell] has just been awesome for us all season,” Manasquan head coach Lisa Kukoda said. “She has really helped develop this group and make them become what they are and reach their potential. I am so glad today she and they all got to have that experience on their home floor in front of a huge crowd. I am so happy her last time on our home floor she really got to showcase to everybody what she is all about.”

Manasquan’s defense put relentless pressure on Rumson-Fair Haven and came away with 16 steals in the game. The Bulldogs finished with 26 turnovers. Four Manasquan players had three steals or more with Hollawell leading the team with four. 

Senior guard Shannon Looney has made a huge impact all season and showed her importance on both ends of the floor against the Bulldogs. Looney led the team in the first half with eight points and finished with 17 for the game and three steals. 

“Coach told us the offense will come,” Looney said. “As long as we stay disciplined on defense the offense will come. We kind of calmed down a little bit, especially in the second half.”

Looney has improved in each of her three seasons at Manasquan since transferring from St. Rose her sophomore year. Last season she came off the bench as a defensive option averaging five points per game. This year she has developed into the team’s second leading scorer with 9.5 PPG while still drawing the most difficult assignments on the defensive side of the floor.

“I think getting stronger,” said Looney about her offseason focus. “I spent a lot of time working out and getting in shape. Ultimately everybody has talent, but I think our edge is that everybody is in shape. I knew I was going to have a tough job on defense and Coach [Kukoda] made that very clear from the beginning. I wanted to make sure I was ready for any challenge.”

The Warrior defense and a poor shooting night held Rumson-Fair Haven’s three leading scorers to just a combined 17 points in the game. The Bulldogs shot 1-for-12 from beyond the arc. Brown commit Erin Reid finished with a team-high 13 points, with seven of them coming from the foul line. 

“It’s big crowd and a big environment and a lot of these girls are playing here in that environment for the first time,” Kukoda said. “We always focus on defense and our girls know that. We need to lock in on defense and they did a great job of doing that. I thought our girls did a really nice job of just locking in mentally on the defensive end.”

Manasquan will be putting up their 19th sectional championship banner after this win. The Warriors will also be vying for their third straight Group 2 State Championship and 12th overall which would put them tied for third overall in the New Jersey alongside Malcolm X Shabazz High School. The Warriors won four straight state titles from 2014 to 2017. 

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“It feels great,” Hollawell said. “Watching the older generations before us, I mean it is a goal for us every year in this program and we take pride in it and I am really happy with where we are at.” 

The Warriors advanced to the Group 2 State Semifinals. They will play Cinnaminson on Tuesday, March 10th at 7 p.m. at Monroe High School.