The Mater Dei High School boys’ basketball team is looking to make a strong run in the Shore Conference Tournament after sharing the conference’s B Central division title with St. Rose.
Mater Dei, which will meet Jackson this evening in a first round Shore game, has also qualified for the NJSIAA Parochial B South tourney and will host McCorristin March 1.
The Seraphs enter this year’s Shore Conference Tournament as a dark horse, and have certainly earned the label of a dangerous team. Mater Dei plays a disciplined game, and has the weapons needed to knock off some of the tourney’s top seeds.
Mater Dei earned the 11th seed, which is somewhat low for a team with only four losses on the year. However, it also kept them away from top-ranked Neptune and second-seeded CBA until the semifinal round at the earliest.
If the Seraphs can get past the Jaguars tonight, no easy task as Jackson is another team that can be dangerous when playing well, they will take on sixth-seeded Middletown North, another team capable of making some noise in this tournament.
Coach Bob Klatt’s Seraphs are coming off a pair of victories over Red Bank Catholic Saturday and Rumson-Fair Haven Friday night.
Against RBC, Mater Dei was down by eight at the half, but rallied to win.
A balanced attack has been the key to the Seraphs’ success. Forward Matt O’Connor leads the way with a 12-point average, followed by guards Rob Parrilla and Jeff Pilgrim, who average 11 and 10 points, respectively. Parrilla also leads the team with 32 three-pointers.
Junior point guard David Lambert is having a fine season controlling the tempo while averaging five points and three assists, with seven three-pointers.
Junior forward Ron Werner, who led the team with 13 points in the RBC game, is averaging nine points and is tied with O’Connor for the team lead in rebounding. Both players average 7.5 boards.
Seniors Mike Marshall and Tom Kehoe, the first big men off the bench, are averaging five and three points apiece.
Rounding out the Seraphs’ depth chart are senior forward Dan Connors and guards Justin Lotano and Jay Price; and junior forwards Jeff Salacinski and Ray Locicero.
"Every night someone else has stepped up and had a big game," Klatt said. "Our scoring has been very balanced and that gives defensive teams something to think about."
It certainly does, particularly when those teams are visiting Mater Dei’s gym in Middletown. There the Seraphs like to play an up-tempo game to take advantage of the large court, and wear opponents down. Mater Dei generally employs a pressing man-to-man defense.
"This is a very athletic team," Klatt said. "Almost all of our guys are active in other sports and that helps in basketball. On our floor that’s an advantage."
With a 15-4 record, it obviously works on the road as well.