MANASQUAN POWERS PAST RBC

MANASQUAN – It was the alliterative three M’s that did virtually all the damage for the Manasquan High School girls basketball on Tuesday, and if this any indication for things to come, opposing teams are going to have a tough time trying to stop the three-headed beast of Dara Mabrey, Faith Masonius and Lola Mullaney. Mabrey, Masonius and Mullaney accounted for 56 of Manasquan’s points on Tuesday night as the Warriors rolled past Red Bank Catholic 60-37 in a statement victory. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, the Warriors have topped the Caseys in seven straight contests, including a 74-45 blowout in last year’s Tournament of Champions semifinals. Seemingly more than anything, Mabrey, Masonius and Mullaney simply are having fun out there. The chemistry is undeniable as all three seemed to morph into one sentient basketball being. “It’s insane and really fun, honestly,” junior Faith Masonius said. “We’re just working together, like, ‘hey, I just hit you on that back door cut, and you finished, thanks!’ We’ve been playing together for a while now, and playing really well. It’s just enjoyable.” The Warriors (2-0) certainly enjoy the output from their three stars. What makes the trio so dangerous is the versatility of the three players. All three can hurt a team from every inch of the court. Masonius scored 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter, and the vast majority of her points were scored within the paint. Mabrey, now the point guard, can drive to the basket, hit the open three or pass it to an open teammate, someone like Mullaney, who finished with 16 points. “I’ve been saying this from the beginning, the three of us together are going to be very hard to defend because of how dynamic we are,” Mabrey, who scored 20 points, said. “We can put Faith on the inside or outside, Lola can even sometimes go on the inside. Me distributing and scoring at the same time is very tough to defend. You have to worry about where the three of us are at all times.” The Warriors also played fantastic team defense. They were able to put a ton of defensive pressure on the Caseys, and that led to 10 first half turnovers. All the transition points led to a 30-9 halftime lead. For a team fresh off a TOC final berth, it seems impossible for a team like Manasquan to feel miffed, but they do a bit. With the graduation of some key seniors, outside voices questioned how the remaining players would fit into their new molds. The Warriors quickly quieted those voices on Tuesday night. “I think a lot of people didn’t know what we were going to be, so we came out with a chip on our shoulder,” Mabrey said. “We know that tonight was a statement win against RBC. Coming off last season and beating them in the TOC, we knew they were going to come out and give it their all, but I feel like we topped them every single time down the court.” The optics of the new-look Warriors might be different, but the results are the same. The players seem to be settling into their new roles nicely, especially Mabrey at the point guard position after playing shooting guard last year next to the departed Stella Clark. There’s still some work to be done, however, and that’s the scary part. “It’s going to be something that’s going to continue to grow,” Manasquan coach Lisa Kukoda said. “They’ll continue to develop as they get used to each other and how each other play.”

MANASQUAN POWERS PAST RBC

DANIEL LOGIUDICE

App Sports | 12/21/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Ackerman