Just Warming Up: Dominant Second Half Carries CBA to SCT Semifinal

MIDDLETOWN — For the first eight minutes of a game, the Christian Brothers Academy basketball team has been on the level of other Shore Conference teams. For the next 24, the Colts have been overpowering.

On Saturday, for the second straight round of the Shore Conference Tournament, No. 1 seed CBA was locked in a tight battle into the second quarter before accelerating toward a victory, this time over eighth-seeded Holmdel, 78-46, to march on to the SCT semifinals Wednesday at Brookdale Community College.

Senior Charlie Marcoullier came off the bench to lead CBA with 17 points thanks to five three-pointers, which led a bench brigade that combined to score 42 of CBA’s 78 points. The last of Marcoullier’s five threes came at the third-quarter buzzer and sent CBA to the fourth quarter with a 61-33 lead.

Great look-ahead by Izayah Cooper to Charlie Marcoullier, who drains the 3 at the buzzer to give CBA a 61-33 lead on Holmdel through 3. pic.twitter.com/ThsdmjBbYD

— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) February 14, 2026

Junior Mike Barrett and Marcoullier then scored on CBA’s first two fourth-quarter possessions, which ran the Colts run up to 35-8 from the last 1:30 of the first half to the first minute of the fourth.

“We don’t have a guy that shows up on a nightly basis and is just going to drop twenty or twenty-five,” CBA coach Brian Lynch said. “What we have here is we have a lot of really good players. Each night, you don’t know which guy is going to step up and sometimes, that’s nerve-wracking. But it’s kind of just the way we’re built.”

The second half was a dramatic shift from the first, during which Holmdel led, 15-14, through one quarter and was down, 30-25, with under two minutes to go until halftime. Marcoullier hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to 33-25 and sophomore Izayah Cooper hit a free-throw, followed by a drive to the basket for a 36-25 lead, which Holmdel sliced to 36-26 by the break.

CBA is currently in a 16-1 run and leads Holmdel 46-26 after Charlie Messano finds Izayah Cooper off the steal. 4:30 left in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/B0YgssDR2w

— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) February 14, 2026

In round one vs. Point Pleasant Boro, CBA led, 13-8, through one quarter before starting the second quarter on a 10-0 run en route to a 78-39 victory. In its final Shore Conference Class A North division game vs. Manasquan, CBA conceded a 12-2 run to start the game before settling in and battling past the Warriors, 57-51.

While Manasquan, Rumson-Fair Haven and Red Bank Catholic have all taken CBA into the fourth quarter with a chance to win — including an overtime win for the Colts over Red Bank Catholic — Holmdel has not been able to keep up with the Shore’s No. 1 team for the full four quarters in any of the three meetings between the teams. CBA handled a short-handed Hornets team, 81-44, on Jan. 6 and on Jan. 22, Holmdel was within six points in the third quarter before CBA blew the game open for a 69-40 win.

“I thought they came out with a huge burst,” Lynch said. “They played really physical, but we play more guys, so they wore down and it kind of took its toll. Once it got to a certain point, it felt like the floodgates opened. I don’t know how that happened; I just know our guys were locked in, trying to pay possession by possession.”

Holmdel owns victories over both Manasquan, Rumson and fellow SCT quarterfinalist Ranney, but that has not translated to keeping pace with CBA.

Three CBA starters — senior Connor Andree, senior Charlie Messano and Cooper — scored 10 points apiece, with Andree handing out six assists and Cooper also dealing out four. Senior Matt Veisz delivered eight points off the bench, which all came in the second half.

“He might be the best ninth guy on a team that I have ever seen in my life,” Lynch said of Veisz.

Junior David Buley also made a contribution of five points, four rebounds and two assists off the CBA bench as he works his way back into form after missing time with pneumonia, according to Lynch.

“He came in and I though we went on a run,” Lynch said. “I have to give him a lot of credit and it was good, because we haven’t had him in a while. He is finally getting healthy and he showed it today. That was a big help having him come off the bench.”

Senior Jack Vallillo led Holmdel with 12 points and nine rebounds, with sophomore teammate Anthony Serini added 11 points.

CBA will play in the SCT semifinals for the third straight year and fifth in the last six, including an appearance in the semifinals of the modified Shore Conference Playoffs of 2021. The Colts will get their first and only look at No. 5 Marlboro this season when the two teams clash in the first game of the semifinal double-header at Brookdale, with tip-off slated for 6 p.m. CBA is seeking a trip to Monmouth University for the championship game for a second straight year while pursuing the program’s first SCT crown since 2010.

“They can really shoot the ball and they play fast-paced,” said Lynch of Marlboro, who finished up an overtime win over Howell with CBA and Holmdel waiting to take the floor. “I don’t mind the pace; we love that. But they have guys who can really score the ball and we’re going to have to do a good job on them.”