Manasquan, NJ Basketball Team Will Legally Contest Camden Loss

The NJSIAA has publicly admitted that the Manasquan, New Jersey High School Boys Basketball team should have won their Group II State Semi-Final game versus Camden High School.

The game officials incorrectly waved off a winning basket that would have given Manasquan a 47-46 victory.

Instead, it will be Camden that will advance to the state championship game.

However, Manasquan is not going away without a fight.

They have decided to take formal legal action against the NJSIAA and this unjust decision, writing the following:

Clark Law Firm, PC, Belmar, New Jersey has been retained by the Manasquan Board of Education to file an Order to Show Cause on behalf of the Manasquan Boys Basketball Team in connection with the New Jersey State Group 2 semifinal championship game which took place on March 5, 2024 at Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey. The legal action seeks to temporarily enjoin the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ("NJSIAA") from conducting the Boy's Varsity Group 2 State Championship Game currently scheduled to take place this Saturday, March 9, 2024 between Camden High School and Arts High School (Newark), until the New Jersey Superior Court, Chancery Division has a chance to pass on the issue. The action asserts that on March 5, Manasquan High School played Camden High School in the semifinal game. Manasquan won the game on a buzzer beater, 47 to 46. The official with the clearest view properly called the shot good, the game concluded, and at least two of the three game officials left the court. Thereafter, the referees came back onto the court, with one referee apparently overturning the referee who got the call right. The basket was declared no good for time expiring and Camden High School was incorrectly declared the winner, 46-45. The next day, on March 6, game officials and the NJSIAA released written statements that the original call was correct, expressing regret, but refusing to officially declare Manasquan High the rightful winner.

If past is prologue, it’s very hard to defeat the NJSIAA in court.

In this case, the NJSIAA rules clearly state that video or other external Evidence cannot be used to reverse an officials call on the court.

The initial call was correct. There was no need for the 3 game officials to conference … and, there was certainly no reason to reverse the correct call that was made on the court.