By Jeff Appelblatt
Often times, seeing a team more than once in a season helps. It gives each team more of an idea of what to expect in the next matchup.
Though Colts Neck High School recently lost a close one to Middletown High School North, Colts Neck boys’ basketball coach Lou Piccola isn’t totally sure his team will have much more luck next time.
It was clear that Middletown North entered the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament familiar with the Cougars’ game plan: get the ball to Danny Gaines as frequently as possible and take it from there. Gaines has scored more than 17 points per game this year, leading the way for Colts Neck.
However, the Lions prevented Gaines from getting good looks in the Feb. 16 contest.
“When your leading scorer doesn’t score, that’s not a good sign,” Piccola said. “Having played them helped us get an idea of what they are, but I don’t know that it helps us to play at their place again.”
Other than Gaines’ inability to score, Colts Neck’s coach knows that his team’s defense had trouble with the Lions.
“They got too many easy baskets. They got to the middle of the lane. They broke us down,” Piccola said about the Lions. “They made open shots, and we didn’t shoot well at all.”
But the score was much closer than Colts Neck’s coach made it seem. His club lost by seven points, 66-59. And while his top scorer was shut down, numerous players stepped up in the effort. Ben Bosland scored 20 points, Brendan Clarke had 13 and Rob Hill posted 10.
Colts Neck (13-8) will try to get Gaines back into the flow of the offense when the teams meet again Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. on Middletown North’s court in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV tournament.
Colts Neck’s coach hasn’t been rushing to think of his team’s next matchup with the Lions. The Cougars had another regular-season game Feb. 21 against Donovan Catholic High School (12-10).
Piccola hopes his players have matured enough through the season to make the most of their talents on the court the rest of the way.
“The juniors have had all year to be juniors,” he said before the Feb. 21 game. “Now it’s time to play like it’s senior night.”