Game Patriot rally falls short in A North battle
Werner’s 31 leads Colts to 71-42 division victory
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Freehold Township’s T.J. Higgins takes it to the hoop during the Patriots’ home loss to top-ranked CBA on Friday.

Down by 17 points, Brian Golub delivered a tough message to his basketball team during a time out.

Show some heart, he told his Freehold Township players, or he was going to put in the jayvee and Friday night’s showdown with Christian Brothers Academy before an standing-room-only crowd at Freehold Township was over.

The Patriots got the message and somehow managed to rattle the Colts and turn their A North game into a nail-biter.

Golub’s Patriots had withstood one of the great first-half displays of shooting you’ll ever see on the high school level by the Colts’ 6-foot-7 Dan Werner. It was bombs away as the Colt hit for six three-pointers and scored 28 points.

“He’s unbelievable,” said Golub. “He had guys in his face. Those shots were contested. That’s why he’s going to North Carolina State.”

The Patriots did their best to match Werner shot-for-shot with T.J. Lafalce nailing a trio of threes of his own, and Marcus Roberson and Brett Brach one each. Still, the Pats were down by 13, 40-27, at the half.

Golub made a halftime adjustment, putting Lafalce on Werner and gong to a triangle-and-two that called for Werner to be double-teamed every time he got the ball.

“I just tried to keep the ball out of his hands and make him work for his shot,” said Lafalce, who accepted the challenge of guarding the Shore’s best player.

Besides doubling Werner, the Patriots went to a full-court press. The good news, it was keeping the ball away from Werner, but the Colts were beating the press and getting layups. Tim Andre did the most damage scoring 12 points in the third quarter before picking up his fourth foul late. CBA extended its halftime lead to 17 points twice (48-31 and 57-40) before Golub challenged his player.

Rutgers University-bound (for football) Matt Hardison put the Patriots on his broad shoulders, dominating the glass on both ends of the floor. The Colts had no answer, especially when Andre went to the bench with his fourth foul.

Behind Hardison’s inspired play, the Patriots began to claw their way back. A put-back by Hardison sliced the lead to 12, 59-47 at the start of the final quarter.

But CBA came right back and a three by Will Greet helped the Colts regain a 17-point margin, 64-47.

CBA appeared to have weathered the storm when Freehold Township reeled off 12 straight points to close a 65-48 lead to 65-50 with 1:36 left.

Lafalce played his heart out of the defensive end and scored eight points during the run.

While the Patriots were getting the hot hand, CBA was losing its cool. The Colts were now turning the ball over against the Patriot press and missing free throws that had the Patriot student body rocking the gym. To Lafalce, there was never any doubt that Freehold Township would muster a comeback.

“We have great character,” he said. “We never quit.”

The Patriots, he said, appreciate the fans, who came in such droves that people were turned away.

“I love it,” he said. “The adrenaline carries you through a game. We have a lot of school spirit.”

That spirit ran out of time Friday as CBA iced the game from the line with Spencer Van Wagner going four-for-six in the final minute, increasing the final margin to 71-62.

With Werner held without a field goal in the second half, CBA showed that it isn’t a one-man team as the Colts improved to 13-1 for the season. Werner was just three-for-six from the foul line in the second half and ended up with 31 points. Andre had 14 before fouling out, and Derek Becker, 13.

Lafalce led the Patriots with 27 points, including four treys. Roberson had 11 and Hardison 10, all in the second half.

The loss to CBA ended a tough week for the Patriots. On Jan. 17, they lost at the buzzer on the road to Manalapan, 61-60. That loss created a logjam atop the public school division standings with the Pats tied with Manalapan and Middletown North at 5-2.

Friday, Manalapan and Middletown North each won and are now one-game, 6-2 to 5-3, up in the chase for the title that Freehold Township has won the last two years (Manalapan was co-champion with the Pats last year).

That loss to Manalapan, Golub said, didn’t sit well with him or the team.

“We have not played at a consistent level of excellence all year,” he said. “That’s my fault, and that will stop.”

Practices will be loud and tough for the Patriots as they look to catch Middletown North and Manalapan and win a third straight division title.

This week, the Pats played at Middletown South last night and will host Marlboro on Friday night (5:30 p.m.). Improved Howell is next on Tuesday on the road (5:30 p.m.). The Patriots close the A North schedule on the road at Middletown North on Feb., 7 (6:30 p.m.) and host Manalapan on Feb. 10.