Spartan Victory: Ocean defeats rival Monmouth to move into Class B Central lead
TINTON FALLS – With a chance to seize first place in Class B Central, Ocean Township walked into their rival’s gymnasium with full intention to make the most of the opportunity in front of them. The Spartans leaned on disciplined defense and late-game poise to escape with a gritty 46–44 win over Monmouth Regional in a packed, back-and-forth Shore Conference rivalry.
The Spartans were locked in defensively from the opening tip, face-guarding senior guard Michael Griffin — Monmouth Regional’s all-time leader in three-pointers — holding him scoreless with limited minutes in the second half.
“We know how great of a player he is,” Ocean Township head coach Ryan Pringle said. “Our kids were really locked in on the scouting report. We watch a lot of film, especially when we play against Monmouth. This rivalry is always a war.”
Monmouth led early as Ocean worked through a sluggish start. Junior forward Logan Conrade set the tone defensively with a monster block off the glass, sending the Falcons’ student section into a frenzy. Conrade led all scorers after the first quarter with three points, while also chipping in two rebounds. The Falcons led 6-3, with both teams playing good defense and struggling to shoot from beyond the arc.
Monmouth Regional’s Ahmir Wiggins slams home a dunk (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
Ocean answered late in the first half behind senior forward Aidan Saint Louis, who closed the final two minutes on a personal 6–0 run. After Monmouth senior forward Ahmir Wiggins ignited the crowd with a powerful putback dunk, Saint Louis responded by channeling his inner Dirk Nowitzki, drilling a 15-foot post fade at the buzzer to swing momentum and quiet the crowd heading into the break, giving Ocean a one-point lead.
Ocean Township’s Aidan Saint Louis knocks down a fadeaway (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
“That stretch absolutely shifted the energy,” Pringle said. “For Aidan to have a moment like that in this rivalry, in that environment, in that moment, says a lot about him as a player.”
The Falcons responded after halftime with a balanced offensive push, as Conrade, Wiggins, junior guard Javon Bowles and senior guard Jaylin Reeves all made timely contributions to help Monmouth Regional carry a five-point edge into the fourth quarter.
The teams traded baskets possession by possession, with neither side able to pull away. Saint Louis continued to steady Ocean with strong finishes inside, while Monmouth answered with tough shot-making of its own in the fourth by Conrade and Bowles.
With the game tied in the final seconds, Spartan junior guard Justice Hodges forced a turnover near mid-court on a Monmouth inbound and drew a foul with four seconds remaining. Hodges calmly stepped up to the stripe and knocked down both free throws, and Ocean’s defensive effort held up one final time as Griffin’s last-second heave hit the top of the backboard as time expired.
Ocean Township’s Justice Hodges (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
Saint Louis was proud of his team’s fight.
“It’s just dog energy,” Saint Louis said. “We stuck together. We knew what the end goal was, and we just kept pushing until the final buzzer.”
Saint Louis finished with 15 points and three rebounds for the Spartans, while freshman guard Omar Ayyash added 13 points. Omar’s twin brother Ahmad was stout in the frontcourt as well, tallying seven points and 10 rebounds. Both played key roles, making plays consistently throughout the game for the Spartans on both sides of the floor.
Ocean Township’s Omar Ayyash drives to the basket (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
“They’re phenomenal players, but even better people,” Pringle said. “They work, they listen, and they bring everyone else along, and are extremely coachable.”
Wiggins led Monmouth with 15 points, while Conrade finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Bowles chipped in 10 points with Reeves tallying eight points, six rebounds and four assists.
Ocean, which also defeated their rival 61–46 on Jan. 5, left no doubt about its mindset moving forward after earning the sweep on their biggest rival.
“We’re just trying to be the best team we can be every day,” Pringle said. “Our guys work so hard and have improved a lot already, but there’s even more room to grow.”
Ocean (9-7, 5-1) controls their own destiny in the Class B Central race with four division games remaining including a rematch with second place Matawan on Feb. 5. The Huskies handed the Spartans their lone divisional loss earlier in the season.
Monmouth (9-4, 4-2) is still not out of the Class B Central race, but will need at least one other team to defeat Ocean in addition to taking care of business in their five remaining division tilts.
