EAGLES BOUNCE BACK WITH IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER COLONIALS

Middletown South took down No. 3 Freehold Boro 58-45 in a nondivisional game that will have big implications for seeding in the Shore Conference Tournament.

The teams played an even first half, with the Eagles leading 28-25 at the break. But South came out in the third quarter and began to pull away with a 22-point outburst.

Kyle Cancilleiri came back from his broken nose to lead the Eagles with a game-high 18 points.

“Kyle makes a huge difference on both ends of the floor,” head coach Kevin Cullen said. “He’s big for us down low and driving to the basket. He’s our best defensive rebounder and he alters people shots going to the basket.”

Matt Callori and Jake Brodsky each contributed 13 points, while Pat O’Connell continued making a difference with 8 of his own.

“Pat just sees the floor so well,” Cullen said. “He’s really learned our system well, and he’s doing well setting us up in the halfcourt.”

With the win, South ends a two-game skid, as they look to improve their chances for a high seed in the SCT.

“We need to battle some tough teams in the next two weeks,” Cullen said. “But, we’re focused on our goals of securing a good seed in the tournament and getting to Brookdale and the Ritacco Center.”

Freehold Boro, who played without standout Christian Garcia, were led by Lance McKenzie with 12 points. Andrew Gerbehy and Will Howarth each had 10 points in the losing effort.

“We knew we could exploit the blocks with Garcia being out,” Cullen said. “He’s a great player underneath for them, and we just came out and executed our gameplan.”

The No. 8 Eagles take on Marlboro tomorrow to take another step towards their first Public A-North title since 2001.

“We’ve been improving every day since a little bit of a rough start,” Cullen said. “But our intensity about our defense is starting to show in games, and it’s making a big difference.”