Ocean City Boys Host Delsea in Playoff Opener Tonight

The Ocean City High School boys' basketball team is healthy, and that's good news heading into tonight's playoff opener.

The Red Raiders, the No. 4 seed, host No. 13 Delsea in the opening round of the NJSIAA Group III South playoffs at 7 p.m. in the Dixie Howell Gymnasium. 

The Red Raiders' strength this season has been their ability to play their own style of basketball.

Ocean City wants to keep the score low, and that philosophy won't change in the playoffs.

"We have to do things we have been doing all year long as far as controlling the tempo of the game and limit teams in the scoring column," Ocean City coach John Bruno said. "But I think defensive rebounding is probably the key.

"At this point, every possession is magnified," he added. "When teams miss shots, you have to do a good job on the defensive end and rebound."

The Red Raiders do that by crashing the boards as a team. Center Matt Bosch is really the only Red Raider player who has any height (at 6-feet, 3-inches), but players like Dylan Canova and Luke Hogan battle just as hard in the paint.

Even guards Chris Turner and Tom Ballezzi make a habit of helping out on the glass.

Bosch will be given the job of slowing down Delsea's Cedric Elleby, the Crusaders' leading scorer and rebounder.

Delsea started the season off slowly, winning four times in its first 12 games, but the team has won seven of its final 12 games, including two of its last three games.

"We are a comparative team with a similar style," Bruno said. "They pretty much work with Ellerby in the post. He and Bosch will match up. They're a good team. They have been playing well lately, but I think we are two evenly-matched teams."

The winner of the game will take on the winner of No. 5 Central and No. 12 Woodrow Wilson on Thursday night. If Ocean City wins Tuesday, it is scheduled to host the quarterfinals game.