After a Weekend Win at Ocean, Brick Drops Home Game to 'Squan

After a dramatic weekend victory over Ocean Township, the Dragons boys basketball team fell to Manasquan Monday night.

When the Brick Dragons boys basketball team arrived at Ocean Friday night to take on the Spartans, luck, once again, did not appear to be on their side. For one thing, the Dragons' go-to-guy, point guard Nick Vitale, was unavailable after spraining his ankle.

Head coach Tim Puglisi admitted he challenged his team to step up.

"It's tough replacing a player like Nick," said Puglisi. "The things he has contributed to us and the minutes he plays alone are difficult to cover."

Dylan McDonnell rose in a very loud and clear way to the challenge, however.

The senior forward scored a season high 25 points, added 10 rebounds and hit the last-minute shot that sent the game into overtime.

Kevin Bogert, who is still "not 100 percent," according to Puglisi, went 9-10 from the line and hit two free throws to send the game into a second overtime. The Dragons took control in the second overtime and won 63-54, for their third win of the year, and their second in six days.

Monday night, the Warriors of Manasquan traveled to Brick.

Brick was trying to play the role of spoiler, attempting to put Manasquan three games under .500 with the season winding down. However, with Vitale still injured, Big Blue would emerge victorious despite the Dragons hanging tough until the end of the final quarter.

Although being down 11-8 after the first quarter and 25-20 at the half, the Dragons played their most intense game of the year thus far. Team defense was the key throughout the battle. Chris Parlow played well defensively with a few steals, but struggled to convert them to points.

The first half was highlighted by a Julio Rivera buzzer-beating three pointer to cut the Warrior lead to five. In the second quarter, the ball movement was solid and produced five different scorers.

"[Rivera] has really stepped up in the absence of Vitale. He's distributing the ball well and took some really great drives," said Puglisi.

Rivera finished with five points.

Each team scored six points in the third quarter as Brick tried to chip away at Squan's lead. Six of McDonnell's 11 points came in the third. A three pointer right out of the break followed by earning three the hard way got the Dragons within two. The Warriors' Ryan Casey would hit a three late, and the five point difference would stand until the fourth quarter.

Manasquan pulled away in the fourth, as a team effort led by J.R. Hobbie, who  scored four, was enough to hold off the Dragons.

Brick only managed to score seven points in the fourth quarter.

The Dragons will be back in action Tuesday when they travel down the Garden State Parkway to Pinelands Regional for a 5:30 p.m. game against the Wildcats.