A year ago, the Bulldogs transformed a dormant program and made an 11-win improvement as Ben Dalton averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Dalton now plays at Lycoming, so his absence left a gaping void.

Turns out every Bulldog is eager to help fill it and Jersey Shore looks not like a one-year wonder, but a well-rounded team which could take another step forward this year. It certainly appeared that way against Lycoming County rival South Williamsport.

Jacob Lorson scored a game-high 19 points and joined Landon Lathan (12 points) and Tucker Hanna (11) in double figures as Jersey Shore dominated the final three quarters and defeated South, 72-44, for its second win in as many nights. A deep bench made a huge impact; Jersey Shore (2-0) brilliantly ran its offense and every player contributed as the it turned a three-point second quarter deficit into a 16-point halftime lead before blowing things open in the second half.

“Ben was a great player and lot of times we just passed to Ben and saw what he could do. Now we’re moving off the ball a lot better. There are a lot more shots coming from everybody,” Hanna said after playing a super all-around game which included eight rebounds and five assists. “We have eight guys that could be starting on any team.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Khan McCray (2) shoots over South Williamsport's Kyree Moy (11) in the third quarter.

That’s not a cliché either. Coach Jon Boob went nine deep through the first three quarters and all excelled. The bench delivered 17 points and 16 rebounds with there being no drop off when any entered the game. In fact, three starters had three fouls by early in the third quarter but Jersey Shore still kept increasing its lead and was up, 55-33 entering the fourth.

Khani McCray scored nine points, Breylan Guerrero grabbed six rebounds and Orrin Pennycoff and Kaihl Harlan were key factors during a game-changing 21-2 second quarter run. Add that to starters like Ty McDermit scoring eight points and Carson Watkins playing ferocious defense and Jersey Shore had all the right pieces to complete a winning puzzle against South.

“Tonight is probably the best we’ve played offensively since I took over coaching. I’m still a defensive guy, so I think we can still work on that end, but offensively, we were pretty good tonight. We were moving well without the basketball; sharing it and trusting one another,” Boob said. “The nice thing about having a full offseason together is we worked on so many things and guys have gained some skills that they didn’t have last year with scoring and passing and dribbling. It’s 8-9 guys who can put the ball in the hoop which is a luxury we just didn’t have last year.”

South (1-1) is in a bit of a different situation as Levi Butler and Chance Quimby are the lone starters back from last year’s 15-win squad. Andrew Walter is the team’s lone senior and is working back from an injury. Still, the Mounties have a lot of promise and showed it while taking a 17-14 lead into the second quarter.

Jersey Shore turned up the defense in the second quarter and held South without a field goal, not allowing a point until Quimby’s free throws stopped a 17-0 run 90 seconds before halftime. Still, it was a valuable experience, coming against a tenacious, deep 4A team which pushed South hard all night.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Breylan Guerrero (31) shoots over a stiff South Williamsport defense in the third quarter.

“The second quarter was the turning point. They got us on the boards. The fundamental stuff when you’re playing an intensity team like that is what really needs to come out and shine with boxing out and cutting down on the turnovers and we struggled with that tonight,” South coach Joe Simon said. “I told the guys to let it go, but remember what we need to build on and now we have to look forward to Tuesday and Muncy.”

Jersey Shore looked forward to accepting a challenge which it will encounter all season. Specifically, the Bulldogs have no starter taller than 6-foot-2. Still, they box out well, play relentless and outrebounded South, 34-17. Rebounds often come with an effort requirement, not a height requirement and Jersey Shore often is all effort.

Because of its precision passing which included 16 assists, Jersey Shore shot 54.4 % from the field. What made it even harder to slow was Jersey Shore cleaning up the glass, producing second and third-chance opportunities while often limiting South to one shot per possession.

“We don’t have Ben to grab 20 rebounds a game anymore. We take pride in being under-sized and boxing out,” Hanna said. “We love it when we watch film and there’s no one else in the paint other than us.”

Hanna was dangerous as a scorer and facilitator Thursday. That pretty much was the case for every Bulldog and that was why South had such trouble slowing Jersey Shore. It was different players heating up at different times and that prevented South from ever being able to target one, two or three players.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ty McDermit (33) shoots between South Williamsport's Chance Quimby (11) and Andrew Walter (1) in the third quarter.

Everyone looked like a threat Thursday, whether starting or coming off the bench. Lorson and Lathan scored in quick bursts in each half and Hanna scored seven points during the 21-2 second quarter run. McCray and Guerrero played vital roles during the middle quarters with their play on both ends and Watkins dealt three assists.

“Each game is going to be different because it’s just going to be how the defense guards us. That’s absolutely my hope,” Boob said. “I get asked the question all the time about how we’re going to replace Ben and we can’t replace Ben. It’s replacing him with three or four guys and we’re fortunate that we have the depth of a bunch of guys with talent.”

South is building toward something similar. Butler erupted for 43 points, the most by a Mountie in the 2000s, Wednesday night at Canton, but Watkins, McCray, McDermit and Hanna did marvelous work, limiting him to just two field goals attempts and seven points.

Still, even with Jersey Shore smothering Butler, Bobby Regan scored eight of his 12 points in the first quarter and South led 17-14 after the lead exchanged hands six times. Sophomore Neeko Bowen scored four straight points to pull South within 15 three minutes into the second half, Quimby dealt four assists, Carpenter, a sophomore, scored four first quarter points and freshman Samir Moy made some nice plays.

The bonus for South is that all those players have not just this season, but the next one to continue meshing. As they gain more experience, both the present and future could look bright.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Landon Lathan (15) shoots against South Williamsport's Samir Moy (2) and draws a fowl in the second quarter.

“We have some core guys who have a year under their belt of varsity experience where I think we’ll be able to compete in all of our games,” Simon said. “We have some sights out there we think we can attain and we’ll take them as we can and build to hopefully be there at the end of the year and then build into next year as well.”

Jersey Shore built momentum as it enters a tough week ahead with games against Lewisburg and Warrior Run. Those provide more challenges for a team which is eager to embrace all those which come its way.

“We wanted to come out here and say something (Thursday) because a lot of people were saying we lost Ben and would go back down,” Hanna said. “We’ve been playing together for a long time. We know everyone can contribute and we’re excited to try and build off what we did last year.”

SOUTH (44)

Bobby Regan 4 2-6 12, Andrew Walter 0 2-2 2, Samir Moy 1 1-4 3, Neeko Bowen 3 0-0 6, Jax Miller 1 0-0 3, Chance Quimby 2 2-2 6, Levi Butler 1 5-7 7, Dominic McGrath 0 1-2 1, Jaymes Carpenter 2 0-1 4. Totals 14 13-24 44.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Neeko Bowman (4) tries to drive past Jersey Shore's Tucker Hanna (34) in the second quarter.

JERSEY SHORE (72)

Carson Watkins 2 1-2 5, Mazden Lupton 1 0-0 2, Khani McCray 3 2-3 9, Aiden Brooks 1 0-0 2, Kaihl Harlan 0 0-0 0, Orrin Pennycoff 0 0-0 0, Hayden Kelley 0 0-0 0, Landon Lathan 5 2-2 12, Jacob Lorson 8 3-4 19, Breylan Guerrero 2 0-3 4, Ty McDermit 4 0-0 8, Tucker Hanna 5 1-2 11. Totals 31 9-16 72.

South 17 2 14 11–44

Shore 14 21 20 17–72

3-pointers: South 3 (Regan 2, Miller); Jersey Shore 1 (McCray).

Records: Jersey Shore 2-0. South 1-1.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Samir Moy (2) shoots under Jersey Shore's Tucker Hanna (34) in the second quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Andrew Walter (1) rebounds the ball in front of Jersey Shore's Kaihl Harlan (10) in the second quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Khan McCray (2) shoots around South Williamsport's Bobby Regan (0) in the first quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Carson Watkins (0) prepares to shoot under South Williamsport's Levi Butler (15) in the first quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Breylan Guerrero (31) shoots over South Williamspot's Andrew Walter(1) in the first quarter.