Repeat Performance: Manasquan Defeats Madison For Second Straight Year, Repeats as Group 2 Champion

PISCATAWAY — Different faces, same results for the Manasquan girls basketball team.

Sunday at Jersey Mike’s Arena, the Warriors defeated Madison for the second straight year, 47-34, to become NJSIAA Group 2 champions for their second consecutive title and ninth in the last 14 years.

Unlike last year, when the Warriors held Madison to just 7 points in the first half in a 21-point victory, Mansquan did not get its lead into double-digits until the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory. 

With the win, the senior class graduates having won three out of four Group 2 titles and coach Lisa Kukoda has now won eight overall group titles since becoming the Manasquan head coach heading into the 2012-2013 season. 

“They are all about the team first,” Kukoda said. “That group of seniors, there is no better group to really epitomize that over the course of their career with us. I said that to them,  I am so happy that we are able to send them out with a trophy and a championship.”

It was a slow start in the first quarter for both teams until Manasquan went on a 7-0 run to go up 12-5, but Madison responded to close out the quarter on a 4-0 run to cut into its deficit and make it 12-9 going into the second. 

Manasquan built a seven-point lead again in the second quarter, going up 16-9 and then 20-13, but Madison was able to stay in the game behind Charlotte Tuhy, who scored 14 of Madison’s 15 first-half points. Senior Shea Donnelly, Tuhy’s AAU teammate, scored eight of her team-high 12 points in the first half for Manasquan.

“Coach (Kukoda) kinda gave me a heads up,” said Donnelly about being assigned to cover Tuhy. “She (Tuhy) is an awesome player and she had an awesome season. To be matched up against her, I took that as a compliment.”

The Warriors buily on their five-point halftime lead with the play of Olivia Shaughnessy and Grace Love. Shaughnessy scored eight out of her 10 points in the third quarter and knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 32-23 to put Manasquan up by nine for the second time in the quarter. 

“Since November we have been looking forward to this moment,” Shaughnessy said. “In the locker room, Coach Kukoda always talks about playing together. Everyone has their moments and different times. As a group and as a unit, we need to let each other have those moments and coming down the line we need to be playing for each other. That is what happened today, everyone got their moment to shine.”

Love scored seven of her 10 points in the second half, including her second 3-pointer of the game to put Manasquan back up 9 after Madison’s Devon Johnson made a 3-pointer to cut it to 38-32. Manasquan had a response everytime Madison would inch closer during the second half.

“It has to be the group that pulls it out in the end,” Kukoda said. “Lot of times we are able to come out of halftime and kinda put our foot on the pedal. We did not really get into a flow on the offensive side today. We made shots and we made plays when we needed to and I thought we answered a couple in a really big spot. I thought Grace had an amazing game for us, offensively and defensively.”

Unlike past years, this Manasquan team is one of the deepest they have had since the start of the dynasty. Last year, the Warriors had two players who were the focal point of their offense. Hope Masonius averaged 13 points per game and Katie Collins averaged 11.8 to lead Manasquan to last year’s Group 2 title. This season, Manasquan had five different players who could lead the team in scoring on any given night. 

“That has been the identity of this team,” Kukoda said. “It has been anybody, it can be anybody who steps up. We have had different leading scorers, different big playmakers, and that has been what this group has been all about. It is that full group effort that anybody stepping on the floor really made big contributions.” 

After graduating three of their leading scorers from last year, Manasquan proved they are still one of the best teams in the state like they have been over the last 10 years. Once again, the Warriors will graduate a strong senior class that will make for some questions if this is the end, but like in years past, Kukoda will have the new faces ready for another Group 2 run. 

“We have had our sights set on this game honestly since the start of the season,” Kukoda said. “This game is circled, the sectional is circled for us. A lot of decisions we make throughout the season is to help us to get to this point.”