Re: high school hoops/here is the Press game story

Since I am covering the Shore Confefrence hoops final tonight between CBA and FTwp...I would be interested in hearing any comments on the game. You may do that here.

Sherlon is Christie is our boys high school hoops writer and is doing a great job. I am NOT trying to steal from his blog..... Soooo..anything you send here.....please also send to his blog as I know he e would like to hear from you as well.


Thanks...



By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER

TOMS RIVER - It was the old sixth-grade drive way play.

It was the one where little brother Kevin Fischer, now a junior guard forFreehold Township High School, said he'd hit the big shot after older brother Eddie, a senior, drove and dished.

""I always made it, I'm more of the shooter, he's more of the dribbler, the ball handler,'' said Kevin. Saturday night in the biggest game of their lives on a significantly larger stage, the duo did it again.

Eddie, flashed into the lane and passed to Kevin who nailed a 3 from the left corner. Kevin's only basket of the game with 1:15 remaining snapped a tie and sent the Patriots to a 54-49 victory over CBA and their first boy's Shore Conference Tournament championship. The frenzied, sell-out crowd of 3,089 at the Ritacco Center saw Freehold Township (23-1) accomplish a rare feat, defeating the Colts (19-7) three times in the same season.

Neptune last pulled it off in 2001-2002 on its way to the finals of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions. ""That's something I'm going to tell my grand kids and their grand kids,'' said Township
senior forward T.J. LaFalce. ""I
ll never forget this moment in my life, it's the greatest thing that's happened to me so far.'' CBA was bidding for its 15th SCT title in its 20th attempt.

""It's a great moment that me and my brother will cherish our whole lives,'' said Kevin who said center Marcus Roberson picked off his defender leaving him open.

Fischer had several clean looks earlier in the game but had been unable to connect until his swish broke a 43-43 deadlock. "'I wasn't in a groove at all,'' said Kevin. ""Luckily coming down the stretch I hit a big shot.''

""Little Fischer stepped up big,'' said LaFalce who scored 15 points. Eddie Fischer led the Patriots with 22.

""Eddie had trust in his little brother and he hit the biggest shot I've ever seen,'' said LaFalce.

""That was a big play, wasn't it?'' said Ed Wicelinski, CBA coach. ""He had missed a whole bunch of others. We wanted to make sure LaFalce didn't get the ball inside.''

An Eddie Fischer driving layup made it 48-44 with 49.6 seconds showing. Then with CBA down by three points with 20 seconds left, his interceptionof a pass into the lane cemented the outcome.

Wicelinski said Kevin Fischer's 3 marked "the tale of the game. ""We had a nunber of threes that were wide open,'' he said.""We just couldn't make them. ""When they got that great opportunity they buried it and that was the difference in the game.''

Sophomore Brian Neller led CBA with 17 points, 11 in the second half when CBA rallied from an eight-point deficit. His fourth three of the game with 2:13 left evened the score, 43-43.

""They (CBA) showed no quit,'' said LaFalce. "'They're a very good team. "'You've got to give them all the credit. ""The better team won it. We're the champs.''

""What can you do?,'' said Wicelinski. ""For how poorly we shot the ball today to have that close a game with that good a team, that means it was a hell of an effort.''

Derek Becker had 12 points for CBA and Mike Kuhn added 11.

After Freehold Township gained an early lead Neller got CBA back in the game with back-to-back 3's, the second from deep in the left corner, trimming a seven-point deficit to 14-13 with 4:32 left in the half.

The Colts pulled even on a Neller free throw with 2:05 left before Roberson sank two foul shots to give the Patriots an 18-16 edge at the half. Two foul shots by Rodger Wilmot extended Township's advantage to 35-27 late in the third quarter.