Garnet Goals: No. 9 Point Beach defeats Toms River East, Clinches Share of Class B South
POINT PLEASANT – Point Beach clinched at least a share of the Class B South Division title Thursday night, leaning on balance, resilience and timely defense to pull away from Toms River East for a 54–44 victory.
The Garnet Gulls were tested late in the first half when junior forward Danny Cavanaugh went down with an ankle injury with 30 seconds remaining before the break. One of Point Beach’s most important frontcourt pieces was lost for the remainder of the game, but the response that followed defined the night. The Garnet Gulls opened the second half with their strongest stretch, outscoring East 16–9 in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead and seize control.
Point Beach’s Danny Cavanaugh blocks a shot. Cavanaugh’s injury forced a “next man up” mentality for the Garnet Gulls (Photo by @luchintronavisuals)
“I think we’re really excited that on any given night, it could be a different person on our team,” Point Beach head coach Ed Goodman said. “Danny goes down, and like it’s always been this season, it’s the next guy up. That’s always been our motto.”
Point Beach led 12–11 after a balanced opening quarter, with five different players scoring as junior guard George Breckenridge set the tone offensively with five points to lead the Garnet Gulls. Toms River East stayed within striking distance behind sophomore forward Tommy Intintola, who scored seven of the Raiders’ 11 first-quarter points.
Point Beach’s George Breckenridge (Photo by @luchintronavisuals)
The Garnet Gulls carried a 23–20 lead into halftime as senior guard Elijah Ives provided a spark off the bench, scoring all five of his points in the second quarter. Intintola kept East close with a strong stretch of his own, scoring nine points in the quarter to reach 16 by the break.
Coming out of the locker room, Point Beach played with renewed energy and purpose. Breckenridge led another balanced offensive effort in the third quarter, while the Garnet Gulls defended with discipline, pushed the pace and shared the ball to stretch the lead. Sophomore guard Brady Gillen began to find his rhythm for East during the quarter, scoring six points, all at a high degree of difficulty, but the Gulls’ collective approach proved difficult to match.
Toms River East’s Brady Gillen finishes at the rim (Photo by @luchintronavisuals)
“You know, this is a very connected team,” Goodman said. “They love playing for each other. They take pride in making those extra passes and sharing the ball.”
Toms River East attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter behind Gillen and Intintola, who combined for 40 of the Raiders’ 44 points. Gillen scored nine in the final period, while Intintola added five more, but Point Beach remained composed against late pressure. The Garnet Gulls broke the press, found the open man, and managed the clock effectively to close out the win.
Junior guard Ryan Mahoney delivered a complete performance to lead Point Beach, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Senior guard Jacob Edgecomb and Breckenridge added 12 points apiece, giving the Gulls three players in double figures.
Point Beach- Ryan Mahoney
“My teammates trust me to make plays, whether it’s for myself or as a playmaker,” Mahoney said. “We have really good chemistry. We’re always able to communicate and make the right play.”
Mahoney also credited the team’s ability to turn defense into offense for creating separation. “That’s how we like to turn the tide of the game,” he said. “Once we get those steals and out in transition, that’s how we like to play. It really boosts our team.”
Intintola led all scorers with 23 points while grabbing six rebounds for Toms River East, while Gillen finished with 17 points of his own. Senior center Shamus O’Grady chipped in six rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Toms River East’s Tommy Intintola (Photo by luchintronavisuals)
With the win, Point Beach secured at least a share of the B South Division title and continued to make a statement as a Group 1 program thriving in a very talented Shore Conference, with some much bigger schools.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or who you have,” Goodman said. “We have confidence. We’ll come to you. Go Beach.”
Point Beach (16-3, 7-1) will look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s rematch against No. 4 Red Bank Catholic, which throttled Freehold Boro 87-31 to bounce back from a loss against Ranney. The Garnet Gulls will then have the opportunity to achieve their first goal of a division title next Tuesday at Toms River South.
Toms River East (7-8, 3-4) will look to regroup next weekend when the Raiders travel to Barnegat to face Oakcrest High School in the Barnegat Showcase on Jan. 31, before returning to Shore Conference play on Feb. 3 with a home matchup against Point Boro.
