Braves, Pats share A North title
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

SCOTT PILLING staff Manalapan’s Omar Ibraham gets off a three-point shot in front of Freehold Township’s Shane Donohue during Friday night’s game in Manalapan.

The fourth quarter belonged to Manalapan, and with it, a share of the Shore Conference (SC) A North public school’s division championships.

Behind the expected, Omar Ibraham, and the unexpected, Jason Goldheimer, the Braves turned a three-point deficit after three quarters (39-36) into a resounding 63-54 triumph over Freehold Township, and with it came the school’s first Shore Conference division title since Ed Zucker was dropping in baskets for the Braves in the early 1980s.

The Braves and Patriots end up sharing the division title with 9-5 records.

Ibraham came up big in the fourth quarter when the Braves needed it the most, scoring 12 of his game-high 22 points, including a pair of critical 3-pointers.

“We came together in the fourth quarter,” Ibraham said. “Coach [Rick Garretson] told us after the third quarter that we were eight minutes away from putting a banner on the wall. We understood what was a stake and we weren’t willing to give up. We kept our composure in the fourth quarter and things started to click.”

It started to click when sophomore Goldheimer (10 points) began penetrating the Patriot defense and going hard to the basket. With Patriot defense collapsing to him, he dished off to Matt Kronisch on a pair of layups and he found Ibraham in the corner for a dagger three. Goldheimer then got into the act himself connecting on a three from the top of the key.

Before it was all over, the Braves had gone on a 15-0 run and were in charge, leading 51-39.

“He’s been our seventh man,” said Garretson of Goldheimer. “He’s always been explosive with the dribble. Tonight he stepped up big time. We couldn’t take him off the floor. He took control of the offense.”

Ibraham was impressed with the sophomore’s play.

“He did something very big tonight,” he said. “He has the chance to be an unbelievable point guard.”

Manalapan’s 15-0 run was as much a product of its defense as its offense. They held the Patriots scoreless for the first 4:11 of the quarter, challenging every shot and pass, and creating a number of turnovers.

Garretson said that when his club has played good defense, results have followed.

“We know we can score,” he said. “If we dig in and play defense, good things happen.”

Defense was on Freehold Township’s mind as well. Earlier in the season, Manalapan had outscored Freehold Township 73-70, and that disturbed Patriot head coach Brian Golub. In the rematch, the Patriots were very conscious of Ibraham’s every move, and of shutting down Anthony Pisciotti’s three-point shooting. The Pats held Pisciotti to seven points and just one 3-pointer, and made Ibraham work hard for every point. But they didn’t count on Goldheimer coming off the bench and shaking things up like he did.

Until Manalapan’s surge in the fourth quarter, the game seesawed back and forth with neither team enjoying more than a four-point lead. T.J. LaFalce (20 points) and Marcus Roberson (11) did the most damage, and the Patriots hit the backboards hard, hurting the Braves on second chances.

Eric Barsnica’s physical play help the Braves off-set the Patriots rebounding.

A 7-3 run at the end of the third quarter that included a 3-pointer from Brett Brach and free throws from Shane Donahue and Tom Porricelli, took the Patriots into the fourth quarter with a 39-36 lead and the momentum.

However, the Braves seized that momentum in the fourth and would never give it back.

After the game, the Brave players presented the game ball to Garretson. Each player had signed it with A North champions written in big letters standing out prominently.

“We knew we had a chance to win it if things went our way and we played well,” Garretson said. “To see it all come together is great.”

It was a bitter-sweet night for the visiting Pats, who had already clinched a share of the title on Feb. 8, when they beat Middletown North, 57-56, and Manalapan lost to Christian Brothers Academy, 47-38.

Roberson’s late tie-breaking basket led the Patriots to their one-point win at home against Middletown North. Mark Hardison’s block on the defensive end triggered the fastbreak basket by the sophomore.

Porricelli had 16 for the Patriots, including four threes, and Derric Harris chipped in with 14. Donahue, who assisted on Roberson’s game-winner, had a solid all-around game with eight points, eight assists and six rebounds, as the Patriots used their greatest asset this year, depth.

From the way the Patriots threw their bodies on the floor and hustled for every loose ball and rebound, they weren’t content to be co-champions. They came to Manalapan wanting to win the title outright.

“It’s a bad nice feeling,” Golub said after the game. “The kids are in the locker room sulking right now. I told them we’re co-A North champions.

“We accomplished more than we anticipated this year,” he added.

The Patriots could be on to something big. This is back-to-back titles for them, and with just one senior on the team, they will be the team to beat at this time next year. As Golub sees it, anything the young Patriots do this year is a bonus.

Winning a championship was unexpected, but they earned it on the floor coming up with a number of clutch wins over the final two weeks of the season.

The Shore Conference seedings were selected Sunday night with Manalapan (12-8), getting the No. 10 seed over No. 11 Freehold Township (12-8) on the strength of its two wins over the Pats during the regular season. SC Tournament action begins tonight for both. Manalapan hosts Red Bank Catholic (23), while Freehold Township is home to Shore Regional (22).

Marlboro (15) and Colts Neck (18) also made the field and they will play tonight in Marlboro. The Mustangs are 12-7 and the Cougars, 11-7.

Tonight’s winners advance to Friday night’s second round. The championship game will be Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Ritacco Center at Toms River North High School.