Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 49

DIO Asbury Park Press Friday, March 21. 1997 1 fVT For Local Sports Scores Call Pressto (908) 918-1000 Touch 8802 To Report Scholastic Scores Call 1-800-822-9770 Ext. 4422, 4423 i it -t. -3 7 St Anthony downs Long Branch Itith pressure 'D' By TONY GRAHAM STAFF WRITER PISCATAWAY TOWNSHIP Whenever Long Branch's 6-9, 2lpound center, Darnell Tyler, tinned toward the basket last night, jneven more imposing figure blocked his path. Part of the time it was 7-foot, 26fpound sophomore Josh Moore of fetlAnthony.

-Part of the time it was 6-8, 220-pound sophomore Maurice Jackson, with double-team help from 5-8 guard Rashon Burno. With St. Anthony shutting off Long Branch's power game and with its pressure defense producing transition baskets, the deep and talented Friars ended the Green Wave's season, 59-44, in a Tournament of Champions semifinal at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. St. Anthony (28-1), which has won five (iii tit 7 If of the last eight TOCs, will play ST.

ANTHONY LONG BRANCH 59 44 i i I v. MICHAEL GOLDFINGERStaff Photographer St. Anthony's Jamal Ragland charges through Long Branch's Raheem Carter (33) and E.G. Walden for two points. Green Wave prove they belong with the big boys PISCATAWAY TOWNSHIP The next stop for the Long Branch basketball team is Las Vegas, for the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic in December.

For now the returning players will get a chance MICHAEL GOLDFINGERStaff Photographer Forward Phillip Wheeler's head is covered as his high school basketball career comes to an end. Hall Prep (29-1) in the final at 8 p.m. Monday at Rutgers. Long Branch (29-3) will have to be satisfied with becoming the first Shore boys team to win a game in the nine-year history of the TOC, defeating Shabazz of Newark Tuesday. "Their whole team is a really good defensive team," Long Branch junior guard Raheem Carter said of St Anthony.

"I really take my hat off to them." Neither Moore who had been benched for disciplinary reasons nor Jackson, who transferred last month from St Patrick's of Elizabeth, played in St Anthony's 58-52 victory Jan. 8 in Long Branch, when Tyler, a junior, cruised inside for 26 points. Last night Tyler was held to six points, and was scoreless until he sanka layup with 4:51 left in the garne. He added a hook and a but it was too late. 16-point night by senior forward Phillip Wheeler, who drained 4 treys, and 13 points from 6-7 junior E.G.

Walden were not enough for Long Branch. Long Branch's three other starters combined for its other 15 points while eight players scored for balanced St. Anthony. "We were able to get Burno down into the post any time the ball was thrown in there" to Tyler, said Friar coach Bob Hurley. "We felt if we took away his first move," Tyler could be stopped.

I "Darnell was trying to go up straight with (Moore), but the man is 7 feet tall," Walden said. "I kept trying to tell him, 'You're only 6-9. You've gotta give him some different That's why at the end of the game he shot that hook shot." Seton Prep marches to final to rest and relax and concentrate on the classroom until easing themselves back into shape with the start of the summer bas-k a 1 1 I in tion after the opening two minutes' against the Friars, who are seeking, their third straight TOC title and have; an 82-1 record since January 1995. But St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley put the Long Branch setback in pep spective.

"It's not hard to praise a team that we just beat by 15 points, because that team got to the Tournament of Champions semifinals," Hurley said. "They've lost two games since Christmastime, both games to us. And we're not chopped liver." Long Branch finished its season at 29-3, with a 23-game winning streak between its losses to St. Anthony, i 1Z "I think we were getting physically tired, because 32 games is a lot, but3 don't care. I hate losing," said giiard Raheem Carter, who is joined by DaE: nell Tyler, Tashawne Corbett E.G.

Walden as starters who will bg seniors next season. Carter added, "I won't say St Ant thony wanted it more than we did, be cause we came in with a strong feet ing that we could win. But they did al the little things right. Their screens Please see Jordan, page D9 ZZ ett, Drejaj and Steve Ricciardi hit 3-pointers to increase the lead to 14. Ricciardi, who had 14 points and hit 4 of 6 from 3-point range, ended the hart with a 3-pointer to make it 39-21.

Union (27-3), making its first TOC appearance, got 19 points from Darius Skeete and 13 from LaForest Knox. Union never got closer than 15 in the second half. BOB JORDAN "Not too long ago they didn't have the one kid, Jackson," said Long Branch coach Don Covin. "I wish I could go get a 6-8 player, too, but that doesn't happen. You've gotta take what you've got and St.

Anthony is St Anthony." Last night St. Anthony was also senior forward Anthony Perry (18 points), who has orally committed to Georgetown, and senior guard Delvon Arlington (10 points), who has signed with Florida State, pressuring Carter relentlessly. Long Branch led 3-2 but Moore slammed a Perry miss, then jack-hammered home another rebound. St. Anthony used a 10-0 run to mount a 23-9 lead on a layup by 6-4 junior John McDougald with 5:02 left Please see Wave, pageD9 FRANK DREJAJ scored 23 points and Jeff Miller had 20 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded Seton Hall Prep defeated third-seeded Union 68-47 in a boys basketball Tournament of Champions semifinal at Rutgers.

Seton Hall Prep (29-1) is making its second trip to the finals and first since losing to St. Anthony in 1991 The Pirates' five TOC appearances are second only to St. Anthony's seven. Leading 15-14 early in the second quarter, Seton Hall Prep blew the game open with a 24-7 run over the final 6:52 of the period. Ryan Peterson, who had 15 assists, started the run with a 3-pointer.

It was the first of five threes the Pirates would make to end the half. After Drejaj scored five straight points to make it 25-18, Michael Ever leagues. One thing the players won't have to do is wonder. They do belong with the best. That's a non-topic right now.

Long Branch's season ended last night with a 59-44 loss to St Anthony in a Tournament of Champions semifinal at Rutgers University, and, really, losing by 15 is no big deal because St. Anthony has schooled other fine teams. Long Branch was never in conten- Union (47): Skeete 7 5-7 19, Bailey 3 0-0 6, Demsey 1 (M) 2, Trail 2 0-0 4, Knox 5 0-0 13, Bishop 1 0-0 2, Piano 0 1-2 1, Nil-Moy 0 0-0 0, Peterson 0 0-00. Totals: 19 6-9 47. Seton Hall Prep (68): Ricciardi 0-0 14.

Miller 9 2-3 20. Peterson 10-0 3, Dreja 9 4-5 23, Iomega 1 0-0 3, Toney-EI 0 0-2 0, Everett 1 2-2 5, Totals: 25 9-13 6a Union (27-3) 12 9 9 17-47 Seton Hall Prep (29-1) 15 24 12 17 68 3-point goals: (U) Knox (S) Ricciardi 4, Peterson, Dreaj, Everett Third St. John Vianney vs. Red Bank Catholic 8 p.m. at Dunn Sports Center, Elizabeth St.

John Vianney (28-1) starters By NEIL SCHUMAN STAFF WRITER THIS ONE is for the seniors. And one would be hard pressed to find two better groups of seniors anywhere. But when St. John Vianney and Red Bank Catholic play in tonight's NJSIAA Tournament of Champions semifinal -it will be the last high school game for one of these groups. While the defending TOC champion Caseys are led by junior center Michcle Cappadona, Ppg-.

7.1 Ht. 5- 7 6- 1 5-11 5-8 5-9 Yr. Sr. Sr. Sr.

Soph. Sr. no. name 4 Amanda Rosato 22 Erica Rath 33 Toni Panza 35 Regan Apo 40 Jill DeYoung Road to TOC semifinal: Beat Monsignor Donoyan 70-29; Gloucester Catholic 58-49; Notre Dame -64-48; Paramus Catholic 49-18. Key matchup: Various players on Michele Cappadona.

Stop the playmaker and force the Casey guards to create their own opportunities. Red Bank Catholic (24-4) starters XL 4 their other four starters Abby Crotty, Amy Nolan, Val Uras and Aidan Viggiano are in their final seasons, as are SEMIFINAL PREVIEW box score, Aidan and Val stepped up as well. One of our biggest baskets came when Aidan grabbed the rebound of Val's missed 3-pointer and powered her way to the basket." That basket started the Caseys on the 11-1 run that turned the contest in their favor. Like the Caseys' graduating players, St. John Vianney's seniors Amanda Rosato, Erica Rath, Toni Panza, Jill DeYoung, Yescnia Burgos and Erika Fosgreen have all been part of a TOC championship team.

And there could be no better way for them to go out than being part of the Lancers' record-setting fourth TOC title. Both prior meetings this season between the teams went to the Lancers (28-1), who have 16 consecutive wins since losing to Christ the King of New York Feb. 1. "The first time we played them was a very physical game," Vianney coach Nick Russo said of RBC. "The refs let the kids play that time, but that wasn't the case the second time around.

The key will be to adjust to the way the officials call this one." Expect the intensity level to peak for this third meeting. Over the past four seasons, the Please see Seniors, page D9 No. Name Ht. Yr. 20 Abby Crotty 5-7 Sr.

23 Amy Nolan 5-7 Sr 24 Val Uras 5-9' Sr. 35 Michele Cappadona 5-11 Jr. 40 Aidan Viggiano 5-8 Ppg 10.1 5.9 6.4. 14.1- 4.2 reserves Jen Nixon and Tara Zambrano. The Caseys are aiming to be the tournament's first-ever repeat champion.

In Wednesday's quarterfinal win over Wood-row Wilson, Crotty and Nolan hit big shots in the Caseys' comeback, while the hustle of Viggiano and Uras created scoring opportunities and key defensive stops. "We're very fortunate that our seniors stepped up, especially Abby and Amy," said RBC coach Joe Montano. "And even though most of what they did doesn't show up in the Road to TOC semifinal: Beat McCorristin 80-33; St Mary 83-32; St Rose 72-34; St Anthony 56-30-Woodrow Wilson 63-49. Key matchup: Abby Crotty on Amanda Rosato. The final showdown between two outstanding seniors that have been facing each other for 4 years.

Previous meetings: Feb. 9 at Monmouth University, Vianney won 36-31; Feb. 28 in the Shore Conference Tournament final at Lakewood, Vianney won 59-45. Directions to Dunn Sports Center: Parkway North to NJ Turnpike North. Turnpike exit 13 to Routes" 19 North for about 2 miles.

At Redwood Inn bear right Go about 1,000 feet and make left at stop sign Dunn Center is just ahead on left Parking is across the street Neil Schuman PETER ACKERMANStaff Photographer St. John Vianney's Amanda Rosato may be playing the last game of her high school career against rival Red Bank Catholic. I-7.