NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 Championship Preview: Manasquan, Rumson Meet for Round Three

NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 Championship

Friday, March 6, 2026

No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven at No. 1 Manasquan, 5 p.m.

Teams at a Glance

Rumson-Fair Haven (19-10)

Head Coach: Dave Callahan
Last Sectional Championship: 2013
Last Sectional Final Appearance: 2025
Total Sectional Finals: 14
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 15 Wall, 54-39; No. 7 Point Boro, 59-46; No. 3 A.L. Johnson, 45-38

Projected Starters

Chloe Kelly, Jr., 5-6 (9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.8 steals)

Campbell Skinner, So., 5-6 (3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals)

Celia Benedetto, So., 5-7 (1.5 points, 1.1 rebounds)

Grace Smith, Jr., 5-9 (9.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals)

Erin Reid, Sr., 5-11 (16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.7 steals)

Off the Bench

Lily Halpern, So., 5-6

Emerson Gripp, Fr., 5-10

Harlow James, Fr., 5-6

In the early 2000’s behind all-time program greats like Chrissy Fisher and Caitlin Hyduke, Rumson-Fair Haven established themselves as the greatest public school girls basketball program in the Shore Conference. The Bulldogs won three sectional titles in the 1990’s, but from 2000-2009 they won an incredible 10 consecutive sectional titles. They would add one more sectional title in 2013 for a total of 14 before Manasquan would launch a dynasty of their own which would eventually surpass the Bulldogs in total sectional titles and overtake the top spot as the Shore Conference’s premier public school program.

This year’s iteration of Rumson-Fair Haven has an opportunity to take a gigantic step and reclaim superiority over Central Jersey Group 2 if they can finally overcome the program that knocked them from their pedestal. It will be no easy task as they lost to Manasquan in both regular season matchups by double-digits, but nothing has come easy for a team that challenged themselves with one of the very best schedules in the state this season. The Bulldogs played a total of 14 games against teams that are ranked in the Shore Sports Insider Top 10 in addition to strong out-of-conference opponents. At the expense of adding some losses to their record, Rumson-Fair Haven gained vital experience against top teams so that they would be ready for the team in blue that ended their season each of the last two years.

The focal point of Rumson-Fair Haven’s offensive attack is Erin Reid, a double-double machine who can score at all three levels. Reid is tremendous around the basket and gets to the free throw line often where she shoots over 77% on 203 attempts. She leads the team in every major offensive category including scoring, rebounds, and assists.

Juniors Grace Smith and Chloe Kelly are very good second and third scoring options. Smith is the team’s biggest threat from beyond the arc with 40 three-pointers on the season. Kelly, an Ohio State lacrosse commit, is the team’s most athletic player and a pest on defense where she leads the team in steals.

Rumson-Fair Haven has the tallest listed player on the court in Reid and has a minor height advantage overall. In the first matchup which the Bulldogs lost 53-41, Rumson-Fair Haven won the rebound battle 26-21, knocked down one more three-pointer, and shot more than double the free throws. The Bulldogs lost that matchup in large part due to turnovers as the Warriors came away with 10 steals. They also struggled to defend Manasquan point guard Jordyn Hollawell who finished with 23 points and seven assists.

In the second matchup, Manasquan again won the turnover battle although it was a bit closer, but the Warriors also won the rebound battle 18-16 and the Bulldogs were dreadful from the free-throw line where they missed nine shots. Hollawell was again an issue as she scored 20 points and tallied 10 assists.

Manasquan (23-5)

Head Coach: Lisa Kukoda
Last Sectional Championship: 2025
Last Sectional Final Appearance: 2025
Total Sectional Finals: 18
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 16 Ocean, 56-23; No. 9 Spotswood, 54-34; No. 13 Metuchen, 53-18

Projected Starters

Jordyn Hollawell, Sr., 5-6 (14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds,4.5 assists, 2.7 steals)

Shannon Looney, Sr., 5-8 (9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals)

Calista Vowteras, So., 5-7 (9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals)

Paige Donnelly, Jr., 5-9 (2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals)

Rose LaTesta, Jr., 5-9 (5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds)

Off the Bench

Abigail Dwyer, So., 5-10

Lily Johnson, Sr., 5-7

Logan McCarthy, Sr., 5-5

Molly O’Boyle, So.

Caroline Watson, Jr., 5-4

Manasquan has been the gold standard for public school girls basketball programs in New Jersey for the last decade and a half. The Warriors won a combined seven sectional titles in the 1980’s and 1990’s. After a drought that coincided with Rumson-Fair Haven’s emergence, they broke through in 2012 with a team that included all-time great Michaela Mabrey. The Warriors would then go on to win an astounding 10 sectional titles since 2014 under head coach Lisa Kukoda. Those teams were loaded with some of the best players in program history including Marina and Dara Mabrey, Faith Masonius, and more, but no matter how many star players Manasquan graduates, new stars emerge from the pipeline.

Once again, Manasquan played one of the most difficult schedules in the state. All five of their losses came against nationally-ranked Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney. The Warriors have not lost to a public school since playing Chatham in January of 2025. Their most impressive game might have came in a loss when they took St. John Vianney down to the wire in a 46-41 loss in the Shore Conference Tournament.

Manasquan does not possess a lot of height and as a team they do not hit many three-pointers, but they make up for those deficiencies with very good team speed, physicality, and disciplined defense. Jordyn Hollawell is their top player, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. They are very balanced offensively with a variety of players including Shannon Looney and Calista Vowteras that can contribute in the scoring department on any given night. Their role players such as Paige Donnelly and Logan McCarthy bring it on defense every game.

Manasquan won both regular season matchups against Rumson-Fair Haven by winning the turnover battle, staying competitive on the glass despite being a little bit smaller, and moving the ball exceptionally well as a team. The Warriors assisted on a combined 35 shots in both matchups while the Bulldogs assisted on only 13 shots.

The Match-Up

Manasquan enters the game as the favorite due to winning both matchups by double-digits in the regular season, having a significant edge in recent playoff appearances, and having home court advantage. The Warriors know that Erin Reid is probably going to get her points and grab rebounds like she did in the first two matchups, but if they can swallow up the other scoring options and create turnovers they have a major edge. Kukoda’s teams always preach defense first which leads to offense. This Warriors team is no different. If they play their game, they will come away with a victory.

Rumson-Fair Haven is a strong challenger with enough talent to give Manasquan problems if they can improve in several areas that they faltered in the first two matchups. They have to get the ball inside especially to Reid and they have to knock down their free throws. The Bulldogs need to keep the turnovers to a minimum. Finally, they need to slow down Hollawell who was exceptional at both scoring and facilitating in both matchups. They may not be able to stop her in both areas, but if they can turn her into just a scorer or just a facilitator they can increase their chances of winning.

Doug’s Pick: Manasquan 59-47

Nick’s Pick: Manasquan 53-44