Jackson Memorial and Middletown North dueled in a basketball game on Jan. 14 that matched the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked high school teams in the Shore Conference. The Lions prevailed, 36-32. Left, the Jaguars’ Elliot Bell comes up with a loose ball. Above, Jackson Memorial’s Brian Kenny looks for an open teammate. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Jackson Memorial High School’s Brandon Holup held explosive-scoring Jason Huelbig to eight points, but the Jaguars could not stop the rest of a well-balanced Middletown North High School lineup that held on for a 36-32 victory at Long Branch High School on Jan. 14 in the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase.
In a highly anticipated showdown of the teams ranked atop the Shore Conference, No. 1 Middletown North improved to 12-1 with the win over No. 2 Jackson Memorial (10-1).
“Holup is on the other team’s best player every time. He can guard a 6-7 guy; he can guard 6-1 guys. Our defense is built around that,” Jackson Memorial coach Joe Fagan said. “Although Huelbig has gotten a lot of the attention, it’s not just about him. Middletown North is a well-balanced team.”
Against the Jaguars, Cody Thompson led the Lions with 12 points and Will Bowman and Tim Frawley added seven each, although Huelbig still received the showcase’s Outstanding Player award for his team. Brian Kenny led Jackson Memorial with 10 points and received his team’s Outstanding Player award.
Huelbig was not disappointed about hitting only two field goals after slamming four dunks and scoring 18 points last week in his team’s rousing 19-point victory over Christian Brothers Academy in a Shore Conference A North Division game.
Jackson Memorial likewise had come off a big victory over Southern Regional High School in a battle of unbeaten teams in a Shore Conference A South Division contest.
“Cody is our X factor,” Huelbig said of Thompson. “When I’m not putting up a lot of numbers, four different scorers can do the same thing.”
“We have balance and feel pretty good about it,” Middletown North coach Mike Iasparro said.
As for his team’s big week, Huelbig regarded it as a defining point of the Lions’ 2011-12 season.
“This is redemption,” he said. “We lost to Jackson Memorial in the state tournament [last season] and we lost badly to CBA the other time we played them last season.”
Against Jackson Memorial, Middletown North closed the first half with six straight points to take a 22-17 lead. Thompson scored two baskets in that run.
The Lions held the lead until Holup sank a three-point field goal and Kenny hit a driving layup with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 32-32.
Huelbig put Middletown North ahead with two free throws for a 34-32 lead.
Jackson Memorial missed two free throws; Frawley was fouled and made the first of two free throws with :08 left for a 35-32 lead.
Thompson then grabbed a loose ball and Frawley was fouled, hitting one of two free throws with :02 left for the final score.
“I wasn’t worried about our missed shots,” Fagan said. “I just thought we turned the ball over too much.”
While Huelbig was held down on one end of the floor, he also limited Jackson Memorial’s Brandon McDonnell to five points.
“It’s not often that we put [Huelbig] on the opposing team’s best player, but with the way we matched up to them, we had to do it,” Iasparro said. “We gave him [Huelbig] the challenge and he stepped up to it and played tremendous defense, and Will Bowman’s pressure on the ball takes teams out of their set offense and comfort zone.”
The Lions’ pressure and tight defense down low inhibited Jackson Memorial, which has been struggling with scoring.
The Lions also had trouble scoring as they were forced to alter many of their shots against the taller Jaguars, and they played without Huelbig for six minutes in the second half after he picked up his fourth foul and took a seat on the bench.
“I thought we had a lot of opportunities in the course of the game to gain control of the tempo and we didn’t do it,” Fagan said.
Thompson said he believes the Lions’ victory over the Jaguars will give his team an added push.
“This boosted our confidence and brought us a lot closer together,” he said.