Barry Shatters Rumson-Fair Haven Scoring Record As Bulldogs Hand Manasquan First Loss

Game photo’s above courtesy of Tom Smith

RUMSON – Senior guard Brendan Barry scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half to become Rumson-Fair Haven’s all-time scoring leader as the Bulldogs dealt previously undefeated Manasquan (13-1) their first defeat of the season Friday night at a jammed packed, sold-out Rumson gym.

Barry surpassed the record in dramatic fashion draining a three-pointer from the right wing as the first-half buzzer sounded to pull the Bulldogs to within two, 30-28.

Palvin Williams – who held the school record (1,417) since 1973 – flew in from the Dominican Republic to present Barry – who had already bee-lined it into the locker room just a few feet from his shot - with a plaque commemorating his achievement. Barry now sits in first place with 1,426 points and counting.

“Brendan came here as a ninth grader out of Holy Cross and it was almost like one of those ESPN moments,” head coach Chris Champeau said. “He had the CBA hat and the Rumson hat and when he put the Rumson hat on I was like ‘I’m going to be a genius for the next four years.’”

He had seven three’s his freshman year against Freehold when I played him varsity as a freshman and people thought I was a little crazy. But he’s so dedicated and so tough and just has a natural instinct for the game; I just had a feeling. When you can watch a kid like Brendan, when you combine basketball IQ, the God-given talent and all he wants to do is play basketball, I thought he could be the best to ever play here and there’s no doubt that he is.”

“It was cool to get the record at home in front of all the fans,” Barry said. “But the record, I’ll just celebrate that after the season. That’s something I can celebrate then. I’m just focused on winning right now.”

The game was tied 47-47 with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter when senior guard Mickey Schluter rebounded a Manasquan miss and was fouled in the process setting up a one-and-one at the foul line with 36 seconds remaining. Schluter then calmly sank both ends giving the Bulldogs a 49-47 lead.

On the Warriors ensuing possession, guard Jack Sheehan was fouled as he drove the lane before making the front end of a one-and-one and grabbing his own miss off his second foul shot to regain possession.

He then found Jensen who was immediately fouled sending him to the line for a one-and-one. Jensen’s first shot clanged off the rim and again Schluter was there to grab the rebound while being fouled during the scrum for the ball. Schluter hit the front end of the one-and-one to give Rumson a 50-48 lead with 20 seconds left before Barry pulled down Schluter’s miss on the back-end giving Rumson possession.

Senior guard Colin McDevitt then sealed the win with a hoop-and-one with seven seconds remaining in the game for the 53-48 final.

“That’s why Schluter’s a captain,” Champeau said. “He’s a 5-foot-11 surfer dude who’s 150 pounds soaking wet. After McAllister fouled out I said ‘Mick, you’re our second big right now’ and if you look at some of his rebounds he’s boxing out with guys coming over the top and he never gave up; he’s got a heart of a lion.”

Rumson (10-3) was up 13-10 after a Barry layup with 10 seconds remaining in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a three-point cushion.

In the that initial quarter,Rumson held Manasquan star forward Ryan Jensen in check holding him to just two points and two rebounds with 6-foot-6 center Eliajah McAllister’s presence in the paint causing problems for the Warriors inside game. However, the aggressive McAllister was whistled for three quick fouls and sat out most of the second quarter and 11 minutes total in the first half.

That opened things up in the paint for Jensen who responded with 10 second-half points while Barry matched him with ten of his own as the Warriors took a two-point lead, 30-28, into halftime.

McAllister was on the floor at the start of the second half after Champeau pumped him up in the halftime locker room. “I basically said to him at halftime ‘listen, I’m rolling with you the whole third quarter, play loose, play whatever it is because we’ll survive with or without you.’ And he was very effective before fouling out. He changed the tenor of the game in the third quarter I thought. When we have him in the middle we can be a little more aggressive on the perimeter and Jensen couldn’t post us up.”

McAllister finished with seven blocked shots – five in the third quarter alone – two points and five rebounds before fouling out with 2:12 left in the game.

Rumson took a one point lead into the fourth quarter, 41-40, before Schluter’s heroic’s in the fourth put the game away.

Schluter ended up with 12 points and a team-leading eight rebounds while Pierson finished with seven points and McDevitt five.

Jensen led Manasquan with 19 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while younger brother Devin Jensen scored all 13 of his points in the first half. Jack Sheehan finished with eight point while his back-court partner and brother Tommy Sheehan chipped in with six.

The win earned Rumson a split with Manasquan after the Warriors easily beat the Bulldogs, 55-33, on opening night when Barry missed that game while recovering from a broken bone in his left hand. It also left them only one game back in the Shore Conference Class A Central Division in the race for first.

Neither team led by more than five points at any point in the game and the lead changed hands 12 times throughout.

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