By ADAM ZAGORIA & JEREMY FUCHS
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Kentucky-bound point guard Isaiah Briscoe has piled up awards and achievements throughout his prep career in New Jersey, but he has never won the state’s ultimate prize, the Tournament of Champions.
Now the McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American has yet another chance before he heads off to Big Blue Nation.
The 6-foot-3 Briscoe went for 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists as Roselle Catholic held off Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley and St. Anthony, 56-52, in the New Jersey Non-Public B state final before a capacity crowd of more than 3,200 at Pine Belt Arena. It was RC’s second win over Hurley and the Friars this season.
It marked the first time ever a team has beaten St. Anthony twice in one season and also the third straight year that Roselle Catholic has ousted the Friars from the state tournament.
“I never doubted that we couldn’t win the game,” Briscoe said after the Lions outscored the Friars, 28-21 in the second half after trailing at the break. “I always knew that we would come out and win the game.”
Briscoe and the Lions (26-4) will likely open as the No. 1 seed in the TOC, which begins Wednesday and features the state’s four public school champions and its two non-public champs in a winner-take-all event.
“We’re going to win it,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe iced the game by making 1-of-2 foul shots with .1 seconds on the clock after St. Anthony had two good looks at a game-tying 3-pointer when RC led 55-52. The second attempt, by RJ Cole, hit the rim and bounced out.
The Lions have now won three straight Non-Public B state titles, but Briscoe and company lost in the TOC semifinals a year ago to Newark East Side. In 2013, RC won the TOC when Briscoe was at St. Benedict’s Prep and current Syracuse forward Tyler Roberson was the Lions’ star.
Briscoe improved to 4-2 for his career against Hurley, who has won 25 state titles and 12 TOC crowns.
“It feels great, Coach Hurley is a Hall of Fame coach, he always has a great team but you gotta credit Coach [Dave] Boff and his coaching staff,” Briscoe said. “I mean, he beat him three years in a row.”
St. Anthony only lost twice all season, both to Briscoe and RC.
“We’re a 28-2 team with a three-point loss and a four-point loss,” Hurley said.
Monmouth-bound forward Pierre Sarr added 13 points for the Lions, South Carolina-bound forward Chris Silva had 12 and guard Matt Bullock scored 11.
“Isaiah’s the best player in the state,” Boff said. “That was the best game Sarr played. Today was his best game of the season.”
Junior guard Jagan Mosely led the Friars (28-2) with 17 points and Kaleb Bishop added 10. Wichita State-bound forward Markis McDuffie fouled out with 9 points.
“Jagan Mosely was the only player who played for us as well as we needed players to play,” Hurley said. “It’s not so hard to look back at it because they’re too good for us to only have one player play well. Markis didn’t play as well. We didn’t have anyone else play well. We did a good job on Briscoe, with the exception of the stuff he can get away with in high school, because the referees look like they want his autograph instead of making the call. Their maturity in the second half bothered us. We’re younger and weaker.”
Mosely had 15 points in the first half and helped hold Briscoe to five as St. Anthony took a 31-28 halftime lead.
But RC outscored St. Anthony 17-12 in the third quarter to take a 45-43 lead. Briscoe heated up in the second half, forcing Hurley to run a double-team at him.
Silva put RC ahead for good at 54-52 with two foul shots, but St. Anthony turned it over by stepping out of bounds.
After Sarr made 1-of-2 for a 55-52 lead, St. Anthony missed two good looks at a 3 before Briscoe iced it from the line.
“I’m just happy we won a couple state championships,” Boff said. “To have to play them every year, it’s so hard to beat them. Coach Hurley and St. Anthony’s are unbelievable, they played a tremendous game tonight.”
TOC SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Tournament of Champions quarterfinals at Pine Belt Arena — 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Tournament of Champions semifinals at Pine Belt Arena — 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY, MARCH 23
Tournament of Champions final at Sun National Bank Center — 8 p.m.
Photo: NJ.com
