Tall players taking and making unlikely three-point shots has become common practice for the Jackson Memorial High School boys basketball team.
Jimmy McDonnell, a 6-8 forward, took his share of shots from beyond the arc before concluding his career with the Jaguars three years ago and heading to Temple University to play for the Owls.
McDonnell’s younger brother, Brandon McDonnell, is a 6-5 player with the Jaguars now and has been putting up a few shots from long range.
Brandon Holup, a 6-5 senior forward, got into the act and sank five three-point field goals and finished with 15 points as the Jaguars (6-0) beat Toms River North, 31-28, on Dec. 30 to win their second WOBM Holiday Classic title in three years. McDonnell added 12 points and rebounded strongly.
The two teams met again on Jan. 3 in a regular-season Shore Conference A South Division contest in the first game after the winter break.
In the WOBM championship game, Holup hit back-to-back three-point field goals to give Jackson Memorial a 31-25 lead entering the final minute of the game.
Toms River North answered with a twopoint field goal and then went to the foul line, hitting the first free throw and intentionally missing the second as the rebound bounced off a Jackson Memorial player out of bounds. Toms River North was unable to get a good three-point shot off at the buzzer and the Jaguars held on for the victory.
The boys game was part of an exciting doubleheader in which Jackson Memorial’s girls reached the WOBM tournament final for the first time, losing to No. 1 seed Manasquan, 60-50.
“It was a great night, great for the teams and the town. We were there rooting for them and they were cheering for us,” boys coach Joe Fagan said.
But in the boys game down the stretch, it was mostly about Holup.
“I can play inside or out,” said Holup. “Some days I don’t feel it [shooting threepointers], but most days I’m normally on.”
Holup said he believed he sank five three-pointers in a scrimmage this season, but could not recall doing it before in a regular season game.
But was it in the game plan for Holup to take over the Toms River North contest that way? “No, absolutely not,” he said. “I just try to pass to open kids and it’s just who is open for the shot.”
“He hasn’t [taken] a lot of threes this season, but when he takes them, he makes them,” Fagan said of Holup. “He has the license to shoot. When he’s open, he gets it. We try to get open looks for him.”
Guard Elliot Bell took care of the ball and excelled defensively with Brian Kenny. Anthony Skwiat sank a crucial field goal late in the WOBM championship game for the Jaguars.
Fagan could not find fault with the low score in the title game, crediting the tenacious defenses as his team stuck to a stingy man-to-man defense, and Toms River North used its trademark tight 2-3 matchup zone that kept the game close.
“It was just a great defensive game,” the coach said. “We count on defense every game and in practice. If the game is close, we expect to win. We have won a lot of close games the past two years. Regardless of the points you give up, it’s always defense. Defensively, you have to rebound the ball and know how to win close games.” Although Jackson Memorial has some A South games coming up the next two weeks with Toms River North, Toms River South, Toms River East and Southern Regional, the Jaguars are eagerly looking ahead to their Jan. 14 Boardwalk Classic game at Long Branch against Middletown North.
Jackson Memorial beat top-seeded Middletown North, 46-44, in the state sectional tournament semifinals last season, coming back from an early 15-4 deficit. McDonnell and Holup fired in 13 and 12 points, respectively, that night. The Jaguars went on to win their first state sectional championship in 40 years
The Jackson Memorial girls basketball team, meanwhile, saw guards Tiffany Montagne, a senior, and Hannah Missry, a junior, make the WOBM Holiday Classic all-tournament team after the Jaguars lost for the first time in seven games to No. 1 seed Manasquan in the finals.
En route to the finals, Jackson Memorial beat No. 2 seed Point Pleasant Borough as Shannon Evans scored 14 points, while Montagne and Missry each added 10.
“I love our attitude right now. We are playing with so much energy and passion for this game,” coach Rachel Goodale said. “It’s Shannon Evans, Jazmin Curet, Sarah Dessner and Erin Scheno and the three guards in Tiff, Hannah and Steph [Mason]. The team’s chemistry is unreal right now. We are looking forward to a great month in January.”