By Rich Chrampanis
TOMS RIVER – The dominance of the Saint John Vianney girls basketball team puts the Lancers in the unenviable position of being such a massive favorite that, when a team plays them close for an extended period of time, it garners headlines.
When Manasquan had a 19-13 lead midway through the second quarter in the Shore Conference Tournament girls final, there was perhaps a moment when fans thought an upset was brewing. It turned out to be a very brief moment. The Lancers closed the first half on a 12-4 run to take a 25-23 lead at halftime and pulled away in the second half on the way to a 62-46 win.
Senior guard Madison St. Rose led the way with 21 points while junior backcourt mate Zoe Brooks had 20. And though St. Rose and Brooks handled the bulk of the scoring, coach Dawn Karpell continued to use her bench’s impressive depth, getting six other players to score in the game.
“We saw that Manasquan was giving their best shot and they weren’t letting down,” St. Rose said. “We said the third quarter was going to be ours. The first few minutes is what’s most important. I felt like we came out and we executed.”
This is the third consecutive Shore Conference title for Saint John Vianney but the record books will only show it as two crowns. The 2021 season that was deeply affected by COVID did not have a full field and, while SJV certainly earned a championship, it will not be recognized.
In all, Saint John Vianney has 15 Shore Conference titles with Karpell now at the helm as head coach for three.
The Lancers (26-1) lone blemish came against Sidwell Friends out of Washington, D.C. two weeks ago in Delaware. SJV was competitive against the No. 1 ranked team in the country in a 73-58 loss and did not have a negative effect on its Top 5 ranking in national polls.
With double-digit wins against Saddle River Day, Rutgers Prep and Manasquan, three teams ranked in the Top 5 of the state polls, SJV is an overwhelming favorite to not only win a state championship but to dominate the final Tournament of Champions in New Jersey high school basketball. The NJSIAA is eliminating the six-team event featuring state champions in all sports beginning in the 2022-23 school year.
“Our main goal is to win the T of C,” Brooks said. “You know this is fun to win and we’re expected to win but we want to get that T of C.”
The article originally appeared in the March 3 – 9, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
