With its second NJSIAA state sectional title plaque firmly planted in its trophy case, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team isn’t done.

They’ve got two now, from titles this season and in 2010, and have only been to three sectional finals, but they’ve never been to a state championship.

A trip there, however, is on the line Tuesday afternoon down at the Jersey Shore when the Central 4 champion Cougars (25-3) battle South 4 champion Lenape (27-3) out of Medford Lakes at Central Regional High School in Bayville. That game tips off at 4:30 pm, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there will live coverage. Tune in at 4:10 for the pregame with Mike Pavlichko. Click here to listen.

Though these two teams have only hooked up four times going back to 2013, one of those matchups came earlier this year. Back on January 6th, the Indians beat Montgomery, 56-50, in their own Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout.

In that game, Steve Donahue scored 28 points – more than half his team’s total – and the Cougars had no one else in double figures. It’s one of just three losses in the Montgomery ledger this year to two teams; they lost twice to Rutgers Prep, once in the regular season, and a second time in an instant classic Somerset County Tournament final on their “neutral court” home floor.

Only once since then – in a February 3rd home win over Hillsborough – has Monty not had at least two players in double figures. Often there have been three of four.

And the most common combo of double-figure scoring has been Donahue and Bohdan Biekietov, the second of whom has been just about a lock for a double-double these last few weeks, since a season-ending ankle injury to guard Ethan Lin.

That’s been the key to the Cougars’ success of late, and it will need to continue if their playoff run is to do the same.

Lenape, meanwhile, has won 19 straight, its last loss coming to Camden Eastside on January 11th.

Click below to hear both head coaches talk about Tuesday’s matchup in the Group 4 semifinals: