Red Bank Catholic girls basketball emerging as top challenger to SJV at Shore

BELMAR – At the most critical juncture in the game, Red Bank Catholic head coach Joe Montano went with a seemingly unconventional approach. With Thursday’s game against St. Rose tied going into the fourth quarter, Montano deployed five freshmen to reclaim the lead from the Purple Roses. That seems like an unenviable position to be in, using five inexperienced players in a tight game against one of the top teams in the state. It’s a move that worked, speaking to the great depth and talent of the Caseys. With a mix of those talented youngsters playing beyond their years and a collection of skilled veterans, Red Bank Catholic erased a double-digit deficit and defeated St. Rose 52-48. The win improved Red Bank Catholic’s record to 20-1. The Caseys have yet to lose a game to a New Jersey opponent this season and have separated themselves as the likely top challenger to undefeated St. John Vianney in the upcoming Shore Conference Tournament. “You can’t really look ahead,” Montano said. “Challenging the No. 1 team in the state for the last two years would be a lot of fun, but at the same time when you’re playing Manasquan, St. Rose, Rumson to get there, you really can’t think about it.” Shift changes Watching Montano use his bench this season is like watching a hockey game. His five-player substitutions resembled the line shifts of hockey. Montano started the fourth quarter with the all-freshman lineup for Addy Nyemchek, Daniela Maletsky, Lola Giordano and twin sisters Katie and Tessa Liggio. They played like hardened seniors as Giordano hit a free throw and a bucket and Nyemchek scored her 18th point to give the Caseys the lead. Outside observers might call it a bold move, but Montano has great confidence in his freshmen. “I don’t think I look at them by class anymore,” Montano said. “In the fourth quarter, we had two freshmen on the floor, and it wasn’t because I didn’t have confidence in the other kids. What they do well was playing tonight, and it was helping us.” That’s not to say Red Bank Catholic’s seniors are afterthoughts. They’re extremely talented, and that’s what makes the Caseys so dangerous. “Once we get tired, the upperclassmen can come in,” Nyemchek said. “The other team doesn’t know who to guard. It can create some chaos for them.” The Caseys lost their lead after a 17-0 St. Rose run saw the Caseys down 30-23 at halftime. While it was the freshmen who saved the day in the fourth, it was the more experienced players who erased the deficit. While Nyemchek netted three baskets from beyond the arc in the third, seniors Molly Kelly and Casey Prior each notched key buckets. Tessa Carman also scored six of her 11 points in the fourth. Danny LoGiudice has covered local sports across New Jersey since 2014. Contact him at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com or @danny_logiudice on Twitter.

RED BANK CATHOLIC GIRLS BASKETBALL EMERGING AS TOP CHALLENGER TO SJV AT SHORE

DANIEL LOGIUDICE

APP | 2/3/2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Ackerman