State Hoops Tournament Kicks Off Today

The Howell basketball teams have both had strong seasons this year. While the girls won the A North title, the boys were always in contention in the division. And both teams made the Shore Conference Tournament.

Now is their last chance to make a statement for the 2010-11 season. Tonight begins the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament where a win means playing another day, and a loss means waiting until next year. 

For the boys, they earned the 12th seed in the bracket which means they are on the road. But their road trip will not be far, or against an unfamiliar opponent. The fifth seed in the section is the Jackson Memorial Jaguars. 

Back on Feb. 4 the teams squared off in the regular season in one of the lowest scoring contests the Rebels played all year. In the end, it was a 36-33 win for the Howell team, but Coach Brian Quick said that might actually make Jackson more dangerous this time around.

"I expect Jackson to be very tough," he said. "I think they will be seeking to avenge their loss to us earlier in the season, which means, we will be playing a hungry team."

The Jaguars may be a "hungry team," in the game, but the coach said that just means his team will have to step up its game. "Our guys need to be ready and play with a purpose," he said. "The key will be rebounding. Will Howell keep the Jaguars off of the offensive boards?"

As for a low scoring 69 point contest, Coach Quick said he did not see that happening this time around. "I expect the game to be the opposite of last game," he said. "High school sports are one of the more unpredictable things in life. When you expect a low scoring game, you get a high scoring game.

Just a half hour before the boys tip off at 6, the girls will be tipping off at 5:30 at home against the Pirates from West Windsor Plainsboro South. The Lady Rebels earned the third seed with their incredibly strong season, bringing the 14th seeded Mercer County team to town for a 5:30 game. 

The two teams have no mutual opponents so it is hard to judge how they will match up, but considering how well the Lady Rebels have played this year it is not hard to imagine a home win for the girls. A win for the Lady Rebels would mean a game against either the sixth seeded squad from North Brunswick or the Steinert Spartans. 

As it happens, an upset by the boys team could mean a game against the fourth seeded squad from West Windsor Plainsboro South, or an equally upset minded squad from nearby Brick Memorial. Wins by both Shore Conference teams would bring the state tournament home to Howell.