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Rumson’s Revenge: RFH Conquers Red Bank to Reach Shore Semis

Matt Manley|February 16, 2025|Last Updated February 16, 2025

MIDDLETOWN — Rumson-Fair Haven boys basketball coach Chris Champeau does not like to put restrictions on his players when it comes to shooting the ball from the outside, but through 10 quarters this season against rival Red Bank Regional, the game was not shy about telling the Bulldogs players what their coach was more reluctant to say: stop hunting threes.

After shooting a combined 9-for-55 from beyond the three-point line in two regular-season losses to Red Bank in Shore Conference Class A Coastal divisional play, Rumson found itself 0-for-12 from beyond the arc at halftime of Saturday’s Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinal against the Bucs. Just as they did in those regular-season games against their Ridge Road rival, the Bulldogs still had a chance to win.

Rumson put its focus into other areas of the game during the second half Saturday at Middletown High School South and, yes, hit a handful of key three-pointers in the process to author a 51-44 win over Red Bank that avenged two losses to the Bucs from earlier this season and sends the Bulldogs to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2018.

Rumson senior David Carr watched by Red Bank senior Zayier Dean. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira) - RFH vs Red Bank SCT

Rumson senior David Carr watched by Red Bank senior Zayier Dean. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira)

“We had two gruesome losses to them and the one at Rumson was really bad,” Champeau said. “I just told the guys, the only one that really matters is the playoffs. You very rarely get a third shot at a team, so it felt great just to see it out there. I called a timeout or two late just to remind them that we have been there before, but the outcome is going to be different this time.”

Senior Carson Memmott was Rumson’s poster-child for eschewing the three-point shot in favor of the paint, as the 6-foot-4 senior finished with a team-high 15 points to go with 11 rebounds and three assists while attempting just one shot from beyond the arc in the game. Ironically, Rumson made more three-point shots (five) in the second half on Saturday than in any other half this season vs. Red Bank despite attempting fewer three-point shots (eight) than in any of those previous halves against the Bucs.

“We came in at halftime and hadn’t made one three,” Memmott said. “The coaches knew that, we all knew that, so they told us, ‘Hey, get to the rim. It’s working. I was hunting those drives and those cuts to the basket and everyone had to join in, because it opens up everything.”

A more conservative offensive approach could work for Rumson because the Bulldogs defense once again did the job against Red Bank. In three games this season, Red Bank is averaging 48.33 points per game vs. Rumson and the Bulldogs even held the Bucs to under 40 points through regulation in the first meeting before losing in overtime.

On Saturday, it was Rumson that kept the Red Bank shooters in check. Senior Ryan Fisher kept the Bucs in the game by scoring 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, but the Bulldogs held senior Zayier Dean to 11 points, limited senior Anthony Moore to no points in the second half after he scored seven in the first and held the sophomore duo of Justin Valentino and Will Galligan to a combined two points. Galligan scored 18 points off the bench in Red Bank’s Feb. 4 win over Rumson in Little Silver.

“Dean was the big focus for us because they run everything through him,” Memmott said. “We had three different defenders on him all game to make sure we always had fresh legs guarding him. At the end, we know they want him to have the ball in his hands.”

Rumson junior Luke Cruz throws down a dunk. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira) - RFH vs Red Bank SCT

Rumson junior Luke Cruz throws down a dunk. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira)

Although Rumson scaled back on its three-point attempts in the second half, its first shot of the third quarter was a three-pointer that found the mark. Junior Drew Cavise nailed a three from the wing that gave Rumson a 24-22 lead after the Bulldogs trailed, 22-21, at the break and they would not give up the lead for the rest of the half.

Red Bank did not draw even the rest of the way, but the Bucs did not let their rivals run away with the game, even through Rumson threatened to. A three-pointer by 6-9 junior Luke Cruz stretched Rumson’s lead to 33-26 late in the third quarter, but Fisher answered with five unanswered points to close the quarter and pull the Bucs within 33-31 heading to the fourth.

“Our main focus after watching the tape of the last game (vs. Red Bank) was if Cruz gets the ball, we’re immediately cutting,” Champeau said. “We wanted to be cutting all the time. They saw watching the tape of the last game, we stood around, waiting for someone to play hero ball. If you watch us today, it wasn’t all the time, but we hit a lot more cuts to the basket. We saw the stats from the last two games — 9-for-55 three and it was really more like 7-for-53 — and we just told ourselves, we are going to hit and cut, then pop and we’re going to repeat that over and over and that way, if we’re still not making threes, we can get twos.”

Senior David Carr knocked down his first three-pointer to push Rumson’s lead to 36-31 on the first possession of the fourth and after Fisher hit his second three of the half to cut the deficit to 36-34, Carr answered right back with his second three in the first two possessions of the fourth quarter for a 39-34 Red Bank advantage.

“When (Carr) made that first three, it was a complete switch,” Memmott said. “No one is stopping us now.”

“Those are the shots that didn’t go in against them the last two times, against Manasquan last year (in the NJSIAA Central Group II final),” Champeau said. “For him to step up and make those as a senior and a captain, I like winning but I was just so happy for him because of how many times he have been saying, ‘Just hang in there, we’ll get the next one.’ Well the next one finally showed up.”

Dean converted a three-point play to chop Rumson’s lead in half, 40-37, and later scored on another drive to pull Red Bank within 42-40. Junior Luke Lydon answered with another three-pointer by Rumson, this one from the right corner on a kick-out pass from Carr to make it 45-40 Rumson with just under three minutes left.

Rumson scored just six points the rest of the way, but four of them came on a pair of dunks that served as exclamation points on the victory. While the defense held Red Bank without a field goal for the final three minutes, Memmott threw down a dunk on the break for a 47-40 lead and Cruz flushed a two-hand dunk to make it 51-42 — Rumson’s largest lead of the game.

“I have been wanting to get one all year,” Memmott said of his chase for an in-game dunk. “Ask any of (my teammates). Last game, I missed one off the back of the rim. These guys wanted me to get one so bad.”

Cruz finished with 14 points, nine rebounds three assists and three blocks, Carr poured in eight points while handing out four assists and Lydon scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter to help Rumson close out the victory.

Saturday’s win not only helped Rumson put the two losses to Red Bank behind it, but it validated the Bulldogs’ ability to close out an opponent. Rumson’s first three losses this season — to Manasquan, Red Bank Catholic and Red Bank —  were all games in which Rumson held a double-digit lead at one point.

“Our struggles all season have been in those fourth-quarter, end-game moments, so that’s what we have been working on in practice,” Memmott said. “It was also out of practice. We had to get closer as a team — just going out to get food and hanging out outside of basketball. Just like that, we start talking more on defense, sharing the ball more, less hero ball. We all love each other so we all want to win for each other.”

Junior Luke Lydon celebrates with teammate Drew Cavise (22) behind him. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira) - RFH vs Red Bank SCT

Junior Luke Lydon celebrates with teammate Drew Cavise (22) behind him. (Photo: Patrick Oliveira)

It has been seven years since Rumson advanced to the semifinals of the Shore Conference Tournament and 10 since the Bulldogs played in the championship game of the conference tournament. Rumson’s only two appearances in the final have come during Champeau’s tenure and the Bulldogs are 1-1 on the main stage at Monmouth University. Their lone championship win came against Wednesday’s opponent, Christian Brothers Academy, back in 2015.

“Those few losses we have only made us stronger,” Memmott said. “After every loss, we come back better. There is no better time to be peaking than right now and we’re not even peaking yet.”

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