Brick basketball graduates looking forward to college play

Three Brick Memorial High School basketball standouts are headed off to colleges in the fall.

Matt O'Brien, veteran guard who commandeered the boys basketball team to the Shore Conference A South title, its third in five years, will be playing at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.

Steve Troika, who played a prominent role on the team in his first season after transferring from St. Peter's Prep, will play at East Stroudsburg University. Both are NCAA Division II colleges.

Another guard, Kathryn Lamastra, who sparked the girls team to the postseason, will take her talents to Montclair State University.

"I really liked the coaches," O'Brien said. "One of them had lived in this area."

O'Brien also considered Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, Lycoming and Salve Regina. He plans to major in either criminal justice or education.

"The gym is really nice," he said. "It's like the Ritacco Center (Toms River North's home court). And they play the style that we did at Brick Memorial, getting up and down the floor, which I like. They liked how I got up and down the floor and got to the rim."

Lebanon Valley finished 12-13 in the Freedom Conference made up mostly of Pennsylvania colleges and Fairleigh Dickinson Florham. The school ended its season with a 76-70 victory over Wilkes, the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs. The team returns its point guard, named conference Rookie of the Year.

O'Brien averaged 15 points per game to earn Shore Conference A South honors and selection to the Ocean team in the All-Star game against Monmouth. His play helped the Mustangs to a 19-8 season and a berth in the Shore Conference Tournament as well as the NJSIAA Tournament. The team was eliminated in the Group IV, Central Jersey semifinals by Freehold Township, 79-74, after leading most of the way, to end the season.

"It was not the way we wanted to end it," O'Brien said. "We had high expectations going in."

But it was a memorable season. A large part of the success was the chemistry of players who had grown up together and known each other's moves, which enhanced the high-speed approach on both ends of the floor. And Zrowka fit right into the mix, hitting a dozen points per game, despite spending the past three years at St. Peter's Prep.

"I liked the way we've been playing together

for so long," O'Brien said. "It was just fun playing together with friends for the last time."

"Looking back, it was a very successful season," Brick Memorial coach Ed Saluki said. "Our goal was not just to make the tournaments but to go as far as we can.

There were mostly seniors on the team so it sets the bar high for our future."

O'Brien said he is preparing for the next level.

"I definitely have to get stronger and hit the outside shot more consistently," he said.

Troika heads to an East Stroudsburg University program that finished 16-11 with a 7-7 record in the keenly competitive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Along with Troika, who will enhance the team's play in the backcourt, the Warriors also landed a leading recruit to hit the boards in Terrance King, a 6 feet 6 inch post player who was the Player of the Year in that local conference.

Lamastra, meanwhile, relied on her deft touch and leadership to keep the Mustangs in the hunt for the postseason. She was deadly from long range, sinking 53 threepointers while averaging 12 points a game.

Lamastra heads to a Montclair State program that was 18-8 and saw a ninegame win streak ended in a 76-55 loss to Kean in the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs. Only one of the nine guards on the roster graduates — starter Marianne McGovern.

"This is an excellent fit for her," Brick Memorial coach Reyna Post said.

"I like the coach, their style of play," Lamastra said. "The girls were very welcoming."

Lamastra felt the college style was compatible to what she was accustomed to playing at Brick Memorial.

"My style is playing mostly a running game and Montclair's style is exactly the same," she said. "They push the ball and pass it."

Lamastra also considered NJAC rivals Rowan University and The College of New Jersey. She said beating Jackson Memorial in the NJSIAA Tournament was the highlight of her season.

"I thought we had a great season," she said. "We all worked hard and achieved goals we never thought we'd get."