Also, a quick reminder: The SCT semifinals and final will be broadcast live on the radio and over the Internet by the Shore Sports Network, WOBM AM 1160 an Fox Sports Radio 1310 AM, so if you can’t make it, Kevin Williams and the award-winning broadcast team of Ed Sarluca and Matt Harmon will be bring it right to your living room
We’re about 15 minutes away from the tip-off of the first Shore Conference Tournament semifinal pitting seventh-seeded St. Rose against undefeated and third-seeded Neptune, so be sure to check back for scoring updates and more all night between the two games.
Updated 9:08 p.m.
It’s a final as St. John Vianney has defeated RFH, 59-49, to advance to meet undefeated Neptune in the SCT final on Thursday at 7 p.m. Freshman Michaela Mabrey led the Lancers with 19 points and Katelyn Linney had 13 points, and SJV held Rumson’s Kate Miller scoreless in the victory. Sophomore Ashley Cooper led RFH with 16 and Amanda Yaccarino had 12 points.
Updated 9:03 p.m.
St. John Vianney just dissected Rumson’s pressure on the perimeter with some great passing to get a lay-up for Katelyn Linney with 1:35 left in the game for a 58-49 lead.
Updated 9:01 p.m.
St. John Vianney is sitting on a 56-49 lead with 2:08 left in the game and is just passing the ball around the perimeter, stalling the clock and waiting for Rumson to foul. The Lancers only have three points in the quarter but built up enough of a cushion to still be in control.
Updated 8:59 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads 56-49 with 2:43 left in the game as RFH chips away behind Amanda Yaccarino, who has 5 points in the quarter.
Updated 8:53 p.m.
Michaela Mabrey just drained another 3-pointer and now has 19 points as SJV leads RFH 56-46 with 4:31 left in the game. Mabrey missed her first shot of the game and has not missed since.
Updated 8:50 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads Rumson, 53-45, with 5:22 left in the game as Rumson is currently on a 4-0 run to chip away at the lead.
Updated 8:43 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads Rumson 53-40 at the end of the third quarter, as the Bulldogs had the deficit down to five points before an 8-0 run to end the period by the Lancers that featured 3-pointers by Missy Repoli and Michaela Mabrey and a putback by Jen Mulvey. Mabrey is just a tremendous shooter. It has gotten to the point where you’re almost surprised when it doesn’t go in because every shot looks right on target. If she gets an open look, just start running back down to the other end of the floor. She has 16 points in the game thus far.
Updated 8:37 p.m.
Just like that, SJV has jumped out to a 45-36 lead over RFH with 3:45 left in the third quarter thanks to a pair of threes by Katelyn Linney and one by Michaela Mabrey.
Updated 8:32 p.m.
RFH’s Kate Miller just picked up her third foul with 6:52 left in the third quarter after attempting her first shot of the game with 6:52 remaining.
Updated 8:19 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads RFH 34-31 at the half thanks to a strong half by Katie O’Reilly and Michaela Mabrey, and RFH is still in it despite the fact that Kate Miller is scoreless because of the play of Amanda Yaccarino, Ashley Cooper and Brielle O’Brien. The Bulldogs are hitting open shots, reducing St. John Vianney to a perimeter shooting team and limiting second shots, and RFH is getting offensive rebounds.
Updated 8:14 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads RFH 32-27 with 2:01 left in the half, and Rumson is doing the things it needs to do to stay in this game – limiting the Lancers to one shot, draining open threes, and scoring on offensive rebounds, mainly by Amanda Yaccarino. Katie O’Reilly is playing a strong game on the other side for Vianney, which has not allowed Rumson star Kate Miller to even attempt a shot yet.
Updated 8:03 p.m.
Rumson has surged back to cut it to 26-25 with 4:55 left in the first half thanks to a 9-0 run featuring three straight 3-pointers, two by senior guard Julie Kelly and one by sophomore Ashley Cooper.
St. John Vianney leads Rumson, 26-16, after the first quarter as two reserves, Katie O’Reilly (7 points) and Michaela Mabrey (8) points combined for 15 points. Rumson doesn’t usually give up 26 points in almost three quarters, so that is a bad sign, as is the fact that star Kate Miller already has two fouls. SJV just has so many scorers it is extremely difficult to stop them all, and Mabrey is unreal for a freshman.
Updated 7:54 p.m.
St. John Vianney leads Rumson 15-9 with 4:23 left in the first quarter after a 3-pointer by sophomore forward Katie O’Reilly. Sophomore point guard Jackie Kates appears to be fine after a minor knee injury in the quarterfinals. She is wearing a brace on her left knee but has shown no effects and has already buried a 3-pointer.
Updated 7:44 p.m.
The lineups are being announced for the St. John Vianney-Rumson game as we are about to get underway.
Updated 7:22 p.m.
Neptune wins it, 62-54, over St. Rose as Shakena Richardson poured in a game-high 29 points and Marley Mauvais added 12. Alexx Hall led St. Rose with 17 points and Samantha Clark had 16. Undefeated Neptune (25-0) now awaits the winner of St. John Vianney and Rumson in the final on Thursday night. The Neptune fans ended the game chanting, “You want Da High? You got Da High!” in reference to the fact that St. Rose wanted a crack at Neptune after Neptune dropped them from a game in the regular season, and they got the Fliers (and Shakena Richardson).
Updated 7:17 p.m.
Neptune leads 60-54 with 34.1 seconds left in the game after a free throw by Morgan Thompson. The story of the game is Neptune sophomore point guard Shakena Richardson, who just tossed in a runner with 1:09 left in the game for a 59-54 lead and her 29th point of the game. The shot came after two offensive rebounds by Neptune.
Updated 7:15 p.m.
A jumper by St. Rose freshman Kasey Chambers has cut Neptune’s lead to 57-54 with 1:50 left in the game. Shakena Richardson has 27 points for Neptune right now.
Updated 7:13 p.m.
St. Rose guard Gia Russo just fouled out on a questionable blocking call in which she was plowed over by Shakena Richardson, and this came after a basket by Alison Sweeney for St. Rose has cut Neptune’s lead to 55-52 with 2:21 left in the game.
Updated 7:09 p.m.
This place is getting loud as St. Rose has mounted a furious comeback to get it Neptune’s lead down to 53-50 with 4:17 left in the game. Alexx Hall and Samantha Clark are leading the way, and they just executed a high pick-and-roll to perfection with Hall getting it to Clark for a lay-up.
Updated 7:06 p.m.
Marley Mauvais now has 4 fouls for Neptune as St. Rose has cut it to 51-46 with 6:21 left.
Updated 7:03 p.m.
Alexx Hall continues to be on fire from the perimeter as she just drained a 3-pointer for St. Rose to cut Neptune’s lead to 49-43 with 7:09 left in the game. Hall has 17 points. Syessence Davis has 4 fouls and Marley Mauvais has three for Neptune, so we’ll see if that becomes a factor.
Updated 7 p.m.
Neptune leads St. Rose 49-40 after three quarters as the Purple Roses fought back after Shakena Richardson’s explosion to cut the lead to under 10 thanks to their 3-point shooting, as Samantha Clark, Alexx Hall and Alison Sweeney all nailed threes to help cut into a deficit that was as big as 16 points. Richardson has 23 points heading into the fourth quarter for Neptune and Hall has 14.
Updated 6:49 p.m.
Sophomore Shakena Richardson is starting to take over the game with her transition offense, as she has rattled off 10 straight points to give Neptune a 41-26 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter. She is pulling up off the dribble and scoring at will, and Neptune has outscored St. Rose 13-1 in this quarter.
Updated 6:33 p.m.
Neptune leads St. Rose 33-25 at the half, as junior Sehmonyeh Allen scored on a putback with 2 seconds left in the half for her 1,000th career point after two years at Freehold and this season at Neptune. They stopped the game and presented Allen with a plaque and balloons for her accomplishment, and congrats. She needed three points to get 1,000 and has four at the half.
Alexx Hall has 11 points at the half to lead St. Rose, while Marley Mauvais has 12 for Neptune and Shakena Richardson has 11. Mauvais has been hitting turnaround jumpers off the lob, which is trouble for St. Rose because if she is going to make that shot all game, Neptune is going to be hard to beat. Mauvais had six points in the quarter. St. Rose had 7 turnovers in the first half, but when the Roses took care of the ball, they got good shots and Hall has really helped carry them.
The first two or three minutes of the third quarter will be huge because Neptune is going to try and blow the game open, so St. Rose has to counter its rush and get a basket or two or risk letting the Fliers take command. Neptune has missed a lot of open jumpers, as Morgan Thompson has struggled a little bit from the perimeter, while St. Rose has missed a few shots in the lane.
Updated 6:24 p.m.
St. Rose has cut the Neptune lead to 23-20 on two free throws by Alexx Hall with 2:55 left in the half as this game is being officiated very tightly, with a lot of ticky-tack calls on the perimeter.
Updated 6:16 p.m.
Just like that, Neptune is up 23-15 after a 6-0 run that just included a 4-point play by Shakena Richardson with 6:48 left in the half.
Updated 6:10 p.m.
Neptune leads 17-15 after the first quarter, as St. Rose has shown it is not backing down from anyone. St. Rose’s guards have gotten a surprising amount of penetration against Neptune’s guards, and Alexx Hall continues her hot play in the tournament with 7 first-quarter points. Neptune’s Marley Mauvais has four points, but also already has two fouls for the Fliers.
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