By Wayne Witkowski
It’s business as usual for Middletown High School South’s girls basketball team, even with a change in the head coaching position.
The Eagles (16-1) are unbeaten in the Shore Conference A North Division and have won 11 straight games since a WOBM Christmas Tournament loss to Manasquan High School, shortly after assistant Jesse Chalmers took over as head coach when Tom Brennan underwent heart surgery.
And crosstown rival Middletown High School North, which the Eagles played in a rematch Feb. 10 at Middletown North, likewise has been rolling along with five straight victories coming into this week since a 71-46 loss in the first meeting between the two teams.
The Lions, at 12-4 coming into this week, have qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time in three years and again made the state tournament, this time with a winning record rather than as one of the teams filling out the bottom of the 16-team bracket, which was the case the past two seasons.
“They haven’t missed a beat with Tom’s assistant adding a few little flairs to it,” Middletown North coach Ed Jones said regarding Chalmers taking over as head coach at Middletown South.
Chalmers will return to her old homecourt where she played under Jones and scored more than 1,000 career points, making her the first player coached by Jones to serve as a high school varsity head coach.
“I’m really proud of her,” Jones said.
On Feb. 8, Middletown North played Marlboro High School in a showdown of two second-place teams, each with two division losses.
Marlboro rolled to a 50-29 victory, handing the Lions their third loss in the league and fifth overall.
Middletown South comes off its closest victory since a five-point victory over Marlboro early in its win streak when it knocked off Freehold Township High School, 44-38, Feb. 6. Stephanie Karcz matched her 20-point average and surpassed 1,500 career points. She also grabbed nine rebounds.
Alexandra Balsamo, who is the second leading scorer for the Eagles averaging just under 15 points a game, scored 24 in a 67-40 blowout of Freehold High School Feb. 2. Karcz put up another triple-double that game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 steals to go with six assists.
Haley Dalonzo averages just under 10 points a game, and freshman Isla Brennan, the daughter of head coach Tom Brennan, follows with six points a game.
Middletown North’s Hailee Hallard comes into the week off a career-high 31 points, including five 3-pointers, in Middletown North’s 67-65 victory over Manalapan High School that kept it in the division race. But it was her court savvy of holding onto the ball on an inbound pass with about three seconds left after Manalapan trimmed the lead late that also drew the praise of Jones.
“A lot of kids wouldn’t think of doing that and would panic and just try to throw it in,” Jones said.
Jones said playing tighter defense than the first time his team played Middletown South was the key to the second meeting, as well as getting a rounded team effort.
“We’re starting to get contributions from everyone,” Jones said.
Middletown North goes beyond the scoring of Hallard, who averages 19 points a game, and Kamani Williams, the tallest starter at 5 feet 8 inches tall, whose average is just under 10 points.
There’s also point guard Kristen Lenich, forward Dani Tollvesen and guard Julia Ferrari, as well as reserve players Jordan DeRise, who has put in some double-figure games, Payleigh Behan, Kiera Willliams, Kaitlin McManus and Melissa Golembieski.
Jones said that Tollveson, Ferrari and Behan have been playing especially sharp on defense — a pivotal part of the game for Middletown North to advance far into the postseason.