Team avenges loss with win over Bound Brook
By: Shawn Tyrrell
BOUND BROOK It took nine games and almost half the season before the Manville High boys’ basketball team finally managed to get a win. The team did so in dramatic fashion, beating arch-rival Bound Brook 65-59 last Thursday night on the road to avenge an early season loss when the Crusaders won their first and only game of the year during the Mike Shello Holiday Tournament.
This time around, it was a night for the Mustangs and point guard Brian Hahn. The senior point guard was incredible, pumping in a season-high 27 points, with 19 coming from the free throw line. Hahn was suffering from a stomach virus but if the sickness was bothering him, Hahn didn’t show it. MHS needed every point in his outstanding performance, because Bound Brook refused to let this game go without a fight.
Hahn was obviously pleased that the Mustangs were able to get into the win column.
"It was a motivation for us to play against Bound Brook," Hahn said. "The win proved that we can play with anyone in this league. One of the keys for us in the first half was how well our defense played and we were able to hold them to where we wanted."
Early on, it looked as if Manville was going to run away with contest as the Mustangs jumped out to an early 19-8 first quarter advantage. Neither team was particularly sharp the first two minutes, but Kyle Sopko got MHS on the board with a 3-pointer at the 6:14 mark.
The Crusaders answered with a three of their own and over the next two minutes the lead see-sawed back-and-forth. With MHS up by one at 7-6, sophomore forward Mike Knitowski connected on another three to push the Manville lead to 10-6. After a Crusader miss, Hahn hit a short jumper in the lane, before Bound Brook center Matt Melesurgo, put back one of his teammates’ errant shots with just under two minutes to go it was 12-8. Manville closed out the quarter with baskets by Hahn, Anthony Palovick, and a 3-pointer by Patrick Horner.
Bound Brook would not go down easy and nearly managed to come all the way back and with a second quarter that saw them outscore MHS 22-13. They were able to pull within two points at halftime, when Julio Rodriguez, who had 15 points for the Crusaders, hit a 3-point shot as time ran out in the half.
The Mustangs came out strong in the third period and kept up the pressure during a 13-7 run that stretched the lead back to eight points.
"It was a whole team effort," Manville head coach Larry Blasi said. "The team knew we had practiced well all week and we felt that this wouldn’t be like the last game. We played harder and smarter and just played as a team."
This game got to be a bit closer than the Mustangs would have liked late in the fourth. With 1:51 to go in the contest Hahn had just hit his six consecutive free throws and 7-of-8 to push the Manville lead to 60-49. The two teams then exchanged points and with under a minute to go it was 62-51 for MHS before Rodriguez hit another three to make the score 62-54.
Kyle Sopko was fouled but was unable to connect from the free throw line, missing both. Crusader forward Dan Shields banked one off the glass, and a three pointer by Melesurgo brought the Bound Brook fans to their feet and pulled the Crusaders to within three at 62-59. Manville didn’t panic as Hahn was fouled again and calmly hit both foul shots to give his team the victory.
"We had some problems stopping Melesurgo, but who doesn’t," Blasi said. "Even though we missed some shots, we played smart down the stretch and that was the difference."
Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo talked about his team’s loss following the game.
"The difference between this game and last was that we weren’t able to make our shots against their zone defense," Melesurgo said. "We didn’t have very good offensive sets in the game. You have to give credit to them for the job they did. Hahn had a great game for them."
These two teams will lock heads again when the Crusaders come to Manville on Feb 15. Expect much of the same, a hard-fought game down to the wire.
"I look forward to the next meeting with Bound Brook," Hahn said. "I know they will come prepared to play us. It should be a good game."

