Manville boys’ just a win away from second straight sectional finals appearance, after 56-37 state tourney win over Dunellen

“The kids wanted a prime time game, and they got it”

The atmosphere was electric in Manville’s gym Saturday night, as head coach Bill Rooney’s Mustangs – the four seed in Central Jersey Group 1 – topped fifth-seed Dunellen in an old-school, small-school battle, 56-37 in the sectional quarterfinals.

The victory puts Manville a win away from its second straight trip to a sectional title game, and just its third overall. Tuesday, they’ll travel to Trenton take on Thrive Charter (22-4) in the semifinals.

Senior Edryn Morales scored 25 points in the win, while junior Josh D’Ambrosio added another 10 points, as Manville led most of the game, including 9-6 after one quarter, and 21-5 at halftime.

Notably, while many talked about the great run Manville had through last year’s state tournament, this year’s team is an even better version. That squad finished 16-13, but this year’s edition has topped that, to the tune of an 19-8 record, and Rooney can see it on the court, too.

Thrive has garnered a lot of attention because they’re the former Trenton Catholic, a non-public school, now playing in the public ranks as a charter school, which is considered a public school because it receives public funding.

And while they’re very good, they’re beatable. Rutgers Prep counts Thrive as one of its victories, and on Saturday, Bound Brook played them close in the other quarterfinal on Manville’s side of the bracket. The Crusaders kept it within a possession for most of the first half until a late Thrive run gave them a 14-point halftime lead. And the Crusaders kept pace the rest of the way.

Now, Manville just has to watch that tape.

Click below to hear Manville head coach Bill Rooney talk about the Mustangs’ win over Dunellen, and Tuesday’s semifinal matchup with Thrive Charter: