Breaking Down the Shore Conference Tournament

The SCT bracket was unveiled this afternoon, with (1) Manasquan, (2) St. John Vianney, (3) St. Rose and (4) Red Bank Catholic earning the top 4 seeds. This tournament is an absolute gauntlet featuring many of the state's best teams. Let's dive in for a further look at top contenders, x-factor players and possible darkhorse teams looking to cause upsets.   Spicy Preliminary Round Matchup   I'm circling #14 Shore vs #19 Middletown North as the premier battle of the preliminary rounds. Each team has a trio of shooters who can go off for 20 on any given night: [player_tooltip player_id='601517' first='Ava' last='Coyle'], [player_tooltip player_id='414240' first='Reese' last='Fiore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='525475' first='Kimi' last='Sayson'] for Shore and [player_tooltip player_id='976680' first='Karleigh' last='Aber'], Kaelyn Gibson and [player_tooltip player_id='871533' first='Danielle' last='Gonzalez'] for North. With six seniors on the team, the Blue Devils may have the advantage in this one, with Kimi & Reese leading the way in scoring at 15.0 ppg & 13.5 ppg. A win here would set up a date with Shore powerhouse St. Rose in the First Round.   Shore's Darkhorse   Don't let the (7) in front of Ranney fool you; this could be a potentially dangerous 7 seed looking to cause upsets! Senior [player_tooltip player_id='333355' first='Haley' last='Poser'] and 6'3” sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651496' first='Ashley' last='Kreiger'] have led this squad to a 10-0 showing in Shore A-North and are poised for a deep tourney run this week. Getting past (10) Point Pleasant Boro in the First Round would set up a date with power St. John Vianney in the quarters, the 2 seed. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1201476' first='Lucy' last='Eibeler'] has been superb so far this season, chipping in just under 6.0 ppg and proving reliable from 3-point land. I wouldn't count out this team against anybody! So many weapons and so much experience with seven seniors on the roster!   The Top Seed's Road to the Chip   Manasquan will look to take it a step further than they did last year in the SCT when they dropped a close one to SJV. As the top overall seed thanks to a perfect 9-0 record in Shore A-Central, the Big Blue Warriors will rely on a balanced scoring attack that sees six players put up at least 7.0 ppg. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='333318' first='Shea' last='Donnelly'] leads the way with 10.3 ppg while newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='913917' first='Calista' last='Vowteras'] has been ultra reliable on both sides of the ball. However, this team's x-factor and Swiss-Army knife [player_tooltip player_id='976672' first='Shannon' last='Heine'] will need to be stellar night in and night out if this team wants to go all the way. If they can get her going consistently, this team will be good to go against anybody in the field! Squan's path to the Final will see the winner of (16) Colts Neck and (17) Freehold Borough in the First Round, potentially (8)Trinity Hall in the Quarters, (4) Red Bank Catholic in the Semis & (2) St. John Vianney in the Chip. Whew!   X-Factors   We've already laid out just how impactful [player_tooltip player_id='976672' first='Shannon' last='Heine'] has been and will need to be for Manasquan… but who else can be a game-changer for their respective teams?   (16) Colts Neck vs (17) Freebold Borough   If Borough wants to upset Colts Neck, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651494' first='Avery' last='Wyatt'] will have to be stellar! At 6'1”, she brings great size and a formidable rebounding presence to the front court. Pulling down nearly 7.0 boards per contest, her production on the glass could be crucial if this game gets tight! For Colts Neck, junior Gabriella Bryce does a little bit of everything, averaging 4.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.2 apg & 1.8 spg. She's upped the ante in Year 3 and is having her best season to date.   (15) Neptune vs (18) Lacey   Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='913916' first='Tyeera' last='Howard'] brings so much fire and intensity to this Neptune squad! She got her season going two weeks ago and has quickly become a secret weapon for the Scarlet Fliers, averaging 12.5 ppg & 9.0 rpg. If Lacey wants to upset Neptune, junior Ava Schmidt will have to bring her A-game! She leads them in 3-point baskets and is capable of really lighting it up! If she gets going early, Lacey has a legit chance of pulling it off!   (8) Trinity Hall vs (9) Rumson-Fair Haven   In her first season of HS hoop, Allison McAndrews is making a notable impact off the bench for Trinity Hall. Steady production in points and rebounds gives her team yet another weapon, in addition to big-time players like [player_tooltip player_id='559073' first='Grace' last='Feeney'], [player_tooltip player_id='559819' first='Whitney' last='Hobson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='414239' first='Lilly' last='Riggi']. If RFH wants to send #8 packing early, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='651481' first='Brooke' last='Jaenicke'] will have to continue the stellar streak she's been on all season long! She's turned up the heat from a year ago and is proving to be a steady scorer and a reliable threat from deep.   (2) St. John Vianney, (3) St. Rose, (4) Red Bank Catholic, (5) Red Bank Regional   The last time SJV lost an SCT game? 2019 in the Final vs Manchester Township! If they want to keep this historic run going, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='982714' first='Antonia' last='Jackson'] will be a big reason why! She's been absolutely fearless all season long going up against some of the biggest and baddest teams around! St. Rose, the 3 seed, will ride as far as [player_tooltip player_id='333333' first='Cassidy' last='Kruesi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='559070' first='Jada' last='Lynch'] will take them! The supporting cast is also super solid, with [player_tooltip player_id='559825' first='Belle' last='Alvarado'] bringing intense defense and toughness! If she can continue pressuring opponents and force turnovers, it'll put St. Rose in a great position! Loaded powerhouse Red Bank Catholic comes in at the 4 seed, with superstars [player_tooltip player_id='559085' first='Addison' last='Nyemchek'], [player_tooltip player_id='333320' first='Christina' last='Liggio'] and [player_tooltip player_id='333319' first='Tessa' last='Carman'] leading the way. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='559031' first='Daniela' last='Maletsky'] is one who is capable of going off on any given night! If she's saving her best for the SCT & postseason, then watch out! She does an excellent job stepping up when things get tight! Red Bank Regional will have a tough road to the Final, but with [player_tooltip player_id='559044' first='Synai' last='Blychanton'], [player_tooltip player_id='333332' first='Caroline' last='Polloway'], [player_tooltip player_id='559823' first='Zoe' last='Gulley'] and x-factor [player_tooltip player_id='559822' first='Riley' last='Joyce'], anything's possible! Riley has proven herself to be this team's anchor on defense, tallying nearly four steals per games! The Bucs will need that lockdown defense to be at it's finest starting Thursday!

The SCT bracket was unveiled this afternoon, with (1) Manasquan, (2) St. John Vianney, (3) St. Rose and (4) Red Bank Catholic earning the top 4 seeds. This tournament is an absolute gauntlet featuring many of the state's best teams. Let's dive in for a further look at top contenders, x-factor players and possible darkhorse teams looking to cause upsets.