Christian Brothers Academy wins the 2026 Shore Conference championship 58-37 over rival Red Bank Catholic. Photo by Rich Chrampanis 
CBA guard Izayah Cooper had 15 points and seven assists against the Caseys. Photo by Rich Chrampanis 
CBA alum Brian Lynch has now won three straight Shore titles as a coach, two with Saint Rose and this year’s title with the Colts. Photo by Rich Chrampanis
By Rich Chrampanis
WEST LONG BRANCH – The top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy Colts left no doubt in front of a capacity crowd at Monmouth University, delivering a commanding 58-37 victory over second-seeded Red Bank Catholic to win their first Shore Conference Tournament boys basketball championship since 2010.
Fueled by a complete defensive effort and a red-hot start that featured a 13-0 run to open the game and a 17-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Colts (23-3) snapped a streak of four consecutive finals losses and brought the coveted plaque back to Lincroft for the first time in 16 years.
Junior guard Izayah Cooper was the catalyst in the early onslaught. The Colts found open teammates with Avery Lynch and Conor Andree getting in on the first quarter dominance. The defensive side was equally impressive. Senior David Buley delivered an emphatic rejection, causing the CBA Colt Crazies student section to erupt.
The Caseys got a little offense going thanks to Gavin Biasi, but at the half, CBA enjoyed a comfortable 34-18 lead.
RBC, playing in its first-ever Shore boys hoop final, never made a push to threaten CBA’s lead.
Cooper finished the game with 15 points and an equally important seven assists. He used a ball fake to find a cutting Buley for a powerful two-handed jam, sending the CBA faithful into a frenzy and starting the celebration early. Andree had 14 points and six rebounds, showing smooth moves in the paint.
Coach Brian Lynch returned to his alma mater looking to bring CBA to the top of the Shore and become a perennial state title contender. The former Villanova standout now has three straight Shore titles after winning the previous two years at Saint Rose.
“Guys were really locked in,” Lynch said. “And I’ve been in practices in the middle of January where you could see guys kind of aloof and falling off to the side, you know, on the sidelines. Even the guys on the sidelines were paying attention and locked in. So I had a feeling going into this game that regardless of what was going to happen, we were ready to do well.”
The Colt Crazies spilled onto the court at Monmouth creating a jubilant scene. CBA players were more than happy to share their post-game thoughts in the midst of the euphoria.
“I mean, it all starts from our defense,” Andree said. “We came to the game knowing if we stop their guards and play really sound defense, we were going to win this game.”
With a 23-3 record and the Shore Conference trophy secured, the Colts now turn their attention to the NJSIAA Non-Public A state tournament, where they will look to make a deep run as one of the state’s top-ranked teams.
The article originally appeared in the February 26 – March 4, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
