Girls, Boys All-Stars Get to Shine One Last Time

LINCROFT -- Friday’s schedule of four all-star games put on by the Shore Basketball Coaches Association at Brookdale Community College was a chance to send an outstanding group of seniors out on a high note while also getting a glimpse at the future of Shore Conference girls and boys basketball.

The inaugural Futures All-Star Games of girls and boys kicked off the festivities by showcasing some of the top eighth-grade talent in Monmouth and Ocean counties. They were followed by the girls Senior All-Star Game featuring the most impressive collection of talent in Shore Conference history, and then the boys Senior All-Star Game, headlined by a trio of Division I recruits along with Most Valuable Player Mike Balkovic of St. John Vianney, a Caldwell College recruit.

The girls Senior All-Star Game capped a season in which the Shore Conference produced a record 16 Division I recruits, 15 of whom participated in Friday night’s game. One of them, Quinnipiac University-bound Red Bank Catholic center Samantha Guastella, earned the Arthur Harmon Most Valuable Player Award after dropping in a game-high 20 points for the South All-Stars in a 74-57 win over the North. 

Guastella was a four-year varsity player for the Caseys, and the Middletown resident was on a team that included four Big East recruits – Neptune’s Syessence Davis (Rutgers), Shakena Richardson (Rutgers) and Chyna Golden (Pittsburgh) as well as Jackson Memorial’s Christa Evans (Rutgers). Guastella also played alongside Meghan McGuinness and Kelly Haspel of Middletown South, whom she grew up with before deciding to play for RBC. 

“It was filled with girls going big places who all worked hard, so it was a great time,’’ Guastella. “It was a great four years at RBC, and I’m lucky enough to go play some college basketball, so I’m looking forward to the future.’’

"Just to know that much talent is on the court makes it fun," Richardson said. "It just shows that we really are a good conference as a whole, and it's really fun to come out and play with them all. It's even more fun to win."

Golden added 10 points and Richardson and Davis chipped in with eight apiece in their final game after record-setting careers with the Scarlet Fliers. Other Division I players concluding their high school careers on the South squad included Howell’s Sarah Olson, who had five points and is headed to the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and McGuinness, a Niagara University recruit who did not score in the game. Manchester's 1,000-point scorer Gabrielle Valmon, a four-year starter, capped her career with six points.

On the North side, it was a group of Rumson-Fair Haven and St. John Vianney players that did the bulk of the scoring, led by Rumson guard Nicole Isaacs, who scored a team-high 14 points and hit four 3-pointers in the loss. She played alongside her entire starting lineup, as her twin sister Stephanie (eight points), guard Ashley Cooper (nine points) and center Victoria Lesko (five points) each got on the scoreboard, while point guard Ellie Wilbur also saw time. As for the St. John Vianney quartet of Division I talents that helped the Lancers win four straight NJSIAA Non-Public A championships and a Tournament of Champions title during their careers, the group of Jackie Kates (University of Pennsylvania); Arron Zimmerman (American University); Missy Repoli (Colgate) and Katie O’Reilly (Lehigh) combined for 15 points.

Repoli also won the halftime 3-point shooting contest. Like the Rumson girls, they also got to play one final game with their head coach, Dawn Karpell, who was part of the North staff along with Rumson coach George Sourlis and Mater Dei Prep coach Darren Ault.

The game also was fun for players often overshadowed by the big-name players at the Jersey Shore. Holmdel’s Ally Mnich, an All-Class A Central pick by the coaches, was a perfect example. She concluded her strong high school career with four points in the loss by the North. 

“It was exciting because there are so many Division I players here,’’ Mnich said. “It was just so great to be a part of something like this, especially after playing against a lot of these girls during my career.’’

On the boys side, several tremendous careers came to an end, led by Balkovic, a Neptune resident who scored a team-high 20 points for the North in a 113-107 win over the South, throwing down multiple dunks, including a tip dunk at the final buzzer.

"It was a lot fun to have a chance to play with some great players like this,'' Balkovic said. "I would say it's a nice way to end, and getting a tip slam to end my high school career was nice, too.’’

Middletown North’s John Martens added 19 points for the North, including five 3-pointers as part of a barrage of 15 3-pointers as a team. Also finishing his outstanding career was Christian Brothers Academy’s Matt McMullen, who had 16 points in the win. A rare three-year starter for one of the Shore’s top programs, the Brick resident was a 1,000-point scorer for the Colts and is headed to Colgate, although that could possibly change as Colgate recently fired head coach Emmett Davis.