By Rich Chrampanis
SJV senior Janie Bachmann had 12 points and four blocked shots against Gill St. Bernard’s. Bachman has signed to play Division I basketball at Holy Cross. Patrick Olivero 
Saint John Vianney senior Zoe Brooks had 21 points and 16 rebounds to earn MVP honors at the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase. Patrick Olivero 
Red Bank Catholic’s Tyler Burnham had a huge game against RBR with 30 points and 15 rebounds. Rich Chrampanis 
Ranney’s Isaac Hester had 24 points to lead Ranney to a win over Holmdel. Rich Chrampanis 
Trinity Hall junior guard Nina Emnace had 17 points in the Monarchs’ win against Red Bank Regional. Rich Chrampanis
LINCROFT – Brookdale Community College was busy last weekend with back-to-back showcases featuring a number of teams from the Two River area. Here’s a breakdown from a full two days of basketball.
Boys Basketball (Saturday)
Ranney 59, Holmdel 50
Isaac Hester continued his sensational senior season with a 24-point, eight-rebound game to give coach Tahj Holden’s team a five-game winning streak after starting the season 0-4. Junior Drew Buck had 16 and sophomore MeSean Williams poured in 14 as the Panthers nearly led the game wire to wire. Junior Ben Kipnis had 17 with Nick Seeloch adding 14 points for the Hornets.
Gill Saint Bernard’s 55, Christian Brothers Academy 39
Freshman Dorsett Mulcahy, the younger brother of Rutgers guard Paul Mulcahy, had 17 at Brookdale and the Colts could not overcome a scoreless second quarter. They trailed 31-8 at the half, with GSB easily in control, but senior Will Bradley had 12 of his 16 in the fourth quarter with Joe White scoring 12 in a losing cause.
Saint Rose 63, Saint John Vianney 43
The Hodge brothers from Belgium continue to make major noise in the Shore Conference. Freshman Jayden Hodge had a game-high 22 and junior Matt Hodge just missed a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Football standout Kyle Verriest paced the Lancers with 14 but it was the Purple Roses posting a ninth straight win.
Red Bank Catholic 74, Red Bank Regional 65
Caseys junior Tyler Burnham had one of the best performances across the state with 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead RBC to a rivalry win. The 6-foot-6 offensive lineman prospect with numerous Division I offers in football showed his athleticism Saturday night. Ryan Prior had 14 points, eight boards and six dimes with Colin Cavanaugh going for 12 points and seven assists. RBR’s Braydon Kirkpatrick turned heads with 25 points and senior Nick Valentino had a solid stat line of 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Girls Basketball (Sunday)
Trinity Hall 44, Red Bank Regional 28
Monarchs junior guard Nina Emnace has emerged as one of the top guards in the Shore. The Harvard commit had 17 points to lead Trinity Hall to a convincing win over the Bucs. The Stapleton sisters stepped up with Siobhan scoring 8 points and grabbing eight rebounds and Niamh adding 7 points and three boards. Josie Munson had 11 points in a losing effort for RBR. It’s the Monarchs’ fifth straight win to improve to an impressive 11-1 on the season.
Red Bank Catholic 57, New Providence 34
Joe Montano’s 701st career win was an impressive one against a top New Jersey public school. Katie Liggio paced a balanced attack with 14 points with Tessa Liggio adding a dozen, along with senior Casey Prior. Tessa Carman cleaned up on the glass with 14 rebounds. The Caseys improved to 10-0 and have a tough test this Sunday when they face national power Long Island Lutheran.
Saint John Vianney 59, Gill Saint Bernard’s 42
Zoe Brooks gave yet another sensational performance with 21 points and 16 rebounds to lead SJV to a 10th consecutive win to start the season. Janie Bachmann added a dozen and four blocks for the Lancers while Brooke Baisley had 16 to lead GSB. The Lancers continue to be the No. 1 ranked team in New Jersey.
The article originally appeared in the January 12 – 18, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
