Boys Basketball 2025 Shore Conference Tournament Semifinal Preview, Picks

Shore Conference Tournament Semifinals

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025

At RWJ Barnabas Health Arena, Toms River

No. 2 Christian Brothers Academy (18-3) vs. No. 6 Rumson-Fair Haven (17-5), 5 p.m.

The two teams playing in the first SCT semifinal have some common characteristics, but both are coming off very different experiences in the quarterfinal round. CBA was in a close game for a little longer than a quarter, with the Colts turning a two-point lead into a 17-point lead with a 15-0 run that served as a knockout punch for the Colts in a 73-48 win over Holmdel.

Rumson, meanwhile, battled a Red Bank team that beat the Bulldogs twice during the regular season and led Rumson, 22-21, at halftime. After returning from the halftime locker room trailing, Rumson jumped in front in the first minute of the third quarter and never gave up the lead. The Bulldogs never quite pulled away either, but they executed on both ends in the final three minutes to secure a satisfying, 51-44, over their Ridge Road neighbors.

CBA poses a mismatch problem for most teams because the Colts boast a combination of size, length and skill that is unique within this tournament. They can throw out a lineup with a 6-foot-5 three in Justin Fuerbacher alongside a 6-6 four in Connor Andree and a 6-8 five in David Buley. To switch things up, CBA can also turn to a guard-heavy look with any combination of Gavin Marlin, Charlie Messano and Nick Lane on the floor with starters Kevin Pikiell and Charlie Marcoullier, along with one of the forwards.

Rumson is also unique in that it has a roster to deal with a variety of looks. Six-foot-9 junior Luke Cruz causes matchup problems on the offensive end and is a good fit to defend one of CBA’s bigs on the other end. The rest of Rumson’s roster will be giving up some length, but has the strength and athleticism to deal with CBA’s diverse lineup. Riley Gill, Carson Memmott, David Carr, Luke Lydon, Drew Cavise and Nic Economu are all capable defenders who can guard a variety of players.

The defenses should both shine at times on Wednesday night but the variable will be how each team shoots the ball from the perimeter. CBA has shown all year it can score in the paint and Rumson proved it can do the same against Red Bank. With CBA boasting more length, the three-point shot will likely be more important for Rumson on Wednesday and the Bulldogs have been both brilliant and shaky from beyond the arc in isolated games this season.

With a more predictable formula and a wider array of offensive weapons, CBA likely enters Wednesday with the slight edge. That pregame advantage only means so much, though, and Rumson has in its history outfoxed CBA in a big SCT game, which came in Rumson’s only SCT championship victory back in 2015. Call this one a virtual toss-up, with the slight edge to the Colts.

The Pick: CBA, 54-50

No. 1 Manasquan (19-3) vs. No. 4 St. Rose (17-7), 6:30 p.m.

You can read more about the backstory of this edition of this rivalry here, but there is still more to break down between Manasquan and St. Rose before their third showdown of the season. Manasquan is the only team to come close to beating St. Rose this season and the Warriors had the Purple Roses on the ropes. They led, 43-31, with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter before Jayden Hodge led a 19-2 run to close the game and give St. Rose a 50-45 win at Manasquan.

The more recent loss was not as close – 61-48 at St. Rose – but there was still reason for optimism for Manasquan. The Warriors shot 1-for-13 from three-point range while St. Rose shot 6-for-14 from beyond the arc, which essentially covers the difference on the scoreboard. The only issue with that from the Manasquan side is the Warriors are not an especially adept three-point shooting team, although they can mix in lineups that have more than one three-point threat. More than likely, Manasquan will be looking to avoid dragging its overall shooting percentage down at the three-point line, which could mean fewer attempts as much as it means more makes. To beat St. Rose, though, it will likely require a fair amount of three-balls to provide some bulk scoring, which will fall on sophomore Rey Weinseimer, senior Brandon Kunz (3-for-4 vs. Colts Neck) and, perhaps a wild card like Griffin Linstra, Matteo Chiarella or Dan McManus.

Manasquan earns its stripes on defense and if the Warriors have a winning formula against St. Rose, it will start on defense. St. Rose has not been unstoppable when it comes to scoring the ball, but they are hard to guard when Hodge is getting to the rim when he feels like it. With Hodge the center of the attack, St. Rose has a group that can take turns getting hot, with Evan Romano, Avery Lynch, Bryan Ebeling, Tyler Cameron and Izayah Cooper all players that can carry the offense for stretches at a time. Romano and Ebeling are the two experienced seniors of the bunch, while the 6-5 Lynch was a problem for Manasquan in the second meeting because of his ability to step out and shoot, as well as crash the glass for putbacks.

On paper, St. Rose appears to have too much firepower, but Manasquan routinely plays up to the competition. The Warriors have won some close games against quality opponents, but they are still looking to land that monumental upset. They will have a chance to do that against St. Rose on Wednesday, but stopping Hodge and limiting the supporting cast to the degree that it will be necessary is asking a lot.

The Pick: St. Rose, 53-46

SCT Quarterfinal Picks Record: 3-1

2025 SCT Picks Record: 11-5