BRICK TOWNSHIP — It’s early for Brick Memorial High School girls basketball coach Rayna Post to get a reliable reading, especially with the havoc of postponements from the snowy weather during the first two weeks of the basketball season.
But Post is encouraged with what she has seen so far, despite her team’s 2-2 start.
“Jackie Caravella and Stephanie Fish are doing a good job doubling in the post and getting rebounds,” Post said. “When they do a good job of that, we do well. If not, it affects our game. It’ll come.”
What the Mustangs miss in their veteran lineup from last year that went all the way to the NJSIAA Group IV Central Jersey semifinals is the outside touch of Kathyrn Lamastra. Lamastra is now at Montclair State University, where she has scored 10 points in four games played for the 7-5 Red Hawks coming into this week.
“I think we’re doing OK,” said Post. “In our conference [Shore Conference A South], there are no easy games. We’re just missing some of that outside shooting we got from Kathryn Lamastra stepping up.”
But Post praised the “nice job” Kristen Brown has done running the offense at the point.
The Mustangs showed balance in their season-opener one-point victory over Toms River High School South, with three players hitting double figures.
Brick Memorial lost two games in its own holiday tournament against Mater Dei and Hunterdon Central, along with a victory in the tournament over Monroe. The title game was postponed because of the weather, but Mater Dei was declared tournament champion because of its record.
“Jessica Ball also is doing it in some games with rebounds and some points,” Post said. “It’s a good core group. They’re on or they’re off; there’s no in-between.”
As for the boys’ team, Brick Memorial lost in the finals of the WOBM Classic for the second straight year, this time to Shore ConferenceASouth rival Jackson Memorial High School, 57-43, on Dec. 30. Ironically, both teams were slated to resume their schedule after the holidays in a head-to-head game on Jan. 4 at Jackson.
Joe Perri scored 12 points, and he and Alex Sliazis were selected from Brick Memorial (4-1) for the WOBM All-Tournament team.
Jackson Memorial (4-1) coach Joe Fagan said after the game that it was “by far our best game of the season.” The team took control in the second quarter, when it widened its 15-11 lead to 31-18.
Brick Memorial coach Ed Sarluca faulted his team’s defense in the first half.
“We didn’t come out the way we wanted, and [Jackson Memorial] did a good job of getting their shots,” Sarluca said.