By JOHN PAVIA
Special to ZAGSBLOG
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. — After capturing a championship at the Shore Conference Tournament last Saturday and an opening-round win over Asbury Park in the Central Jersey, Group 1 tournament on Tuesday, Matt Farrell led his Point Beach team to a second-round 82-50 win over Middlesex to continue their stellar season for at least one more game.
“We share [the ball] together,” Farrel told SNY.tv. “When we move the ball we’re very good. We made shots and we shoot the ball very well. I missed a couple easy ones tonight and when they’re not falling for me, I try and get other people involved. When we share the ball though, we can be very good.”
Farrell, whose outside shot was only a hair off the mark, still finished with 20 points and eight assists. His ability to get into the lane almost at will opened up a high number of easy looks near the rim and open shots on the perimeter. Noah Yates and Chris Schifano did not miss very often when they received the ball from Farrell. Yates, a 2014 commit to play football at Yale, finished with 20 points and Schifano with 12 as the pair each made four 3-pointers.
Farrell’s quick first-step to the rim, pesky defense and high basketball IQ has not been lost on some of the high-major schools that have recently joined the mix in his recruitment.
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and Providence assistant Bob Simon took in this game to evaluate Farrell and Fordham coaches are expected to be at nearly every game for the rest of his season. Farrell described what it’s been like for him lately.
“Yeah, it’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s always a good thing. I try not to let that get in my head and stuff. I just want to go out and play and enjoy my senior year. The first priority is to make sure we keep winning, but yeah it’s special. You know, it’s motivating me to keep working harder. It’s motivation.
“I’ve got to shoot more obviously tomorrow and get some shots up at practice. It’s motivation,” Farrell joked about his rough shooting night from the outside. “Ever since growing up, I’ve wanted to play Division 1 basketball. I didn’t know, you know? I had a couple mid-majors all throughout AAU and stuff like that. A couple higher schools are coming in now. I mean, it’s just a dream of mine to go play somewhere. Be comfortable and be happy where I am so hopefully that’s going to come true one day.”
When asked about his friendship with Fordham commit Eric Paschall, Farrell laughed a bit before saying, “Yeah, we text a little bit. We talk, he’s funny. When I go up there, I think I’m going to go up there again and I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
Farrell and Pont Pleasant Beach take on Florence Friday at Point Pleasant Beach High School at 6 p.m. That game is the semifinals of the Central Jersey Group 1 state tournament.
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