As the rivals prepared to renew their rivalry on Wednesday, that fact stood front and center in the minds of Jersey Shore’s players. They didn’t quite know how long it had been since the program had last won the matchup (February of 2021), but they knew it had been a long time, a fact that added to the typical urgency and motivation that comes before a rivalry game.

Sometimes, too much urgency can be a detriment. But in this case, the Bulldogs used it well while balancing it out with their growing sense of confidence.

Senior Breylon Guerrero put up a career-high 17 points to headline a strong outing from the team’s top four scorers, playing a crucial role in a first quarter that saw the Bulldogs go up 19-6. And while the Wildcats responded, Jersey Shore never let them operate with momentum for long, leading from the moment it went up 2-0 to when the final score read 59-48.

“We wanted this one,” said Guerrero on the win. “If we have the energy, we can be the greatest team on the court. The only way we lose is if we get in our own heads.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Khani McCray (2) blocks Central Mountain's Noah Wells (5) as he heads for the paint during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

“We were literally just talking to each other about how bad we wanted it,” emphasized Khani McCray, who finished with ten points. “We knew it had been a long time since we beat them, so we went in there with strong minds, just went out there and did our thing.”

There were instances where the game could’ve gone south for Shore, none more imposing than a slump midway through the second quarter.

After bolstering its first-quarter lead up to 14 early in the stanza, the Bulldogs went almost five minutes without a basket. Central Mountain used that opportunity to get back within striking distance, with Noah Wells and Blake Walker fore-fronting a 9-0 run that cut the team’s deficit to 22-17.

But a timeout calmed the team’s nerves, and when action resumed, they were right back in the zone that got them ahead.

Tucker Hanna found Jake Lorson for a wide-open shot near the free-throw line, and on a fast break a minute later. McCray made a well-placed, extra pass that set up Guerrero for a seamless reverse layup. From there, Guerrero would add a free throw, as the Bulldogs went into the break leading 27-17.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Breylon Guerrero (31) is fouled by Central Mountain's Carson Couturiaux (4) while trying to make a shot during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

It’s been habitual for the Bulldogs to slow down through the third quarter, but on Wednesday, they did the opposite. After Darius Shade hit a deep three to cut Shore’s lead to 31-22, Jersey Shore rattled off its biggest run of the night, outscoring the Wildcats 13-0 through the next minute-and-a-half.

McCray scored six of his ten points within that run, hitting a deep two seconds after Shade’s three before adding a fast-break three and free throw soon after. Guerrero set up Jake Lorson well for an easy two, added a fast-break layup of his own and hit two free throws, as Jersey Shore took its largest lead of the night at 43-22.

“It seems to be a thing in the third quarter where we just lose it some games, most games actually. But we talked about that at halftime. We said, ‘We’re going to go out there, keep the energy up, keep scoring, keep playing defense,” said McCray.

“It’s just learning from our mistakes in the past. Talking about what we did in the past and how we’re not going to let it happen again really fuels us.”

Following that run, the Bulldogs would go on to maintain that lead for the most part. A Noah Wells layup, Shade three and Wells steal briefly gave Central Mountain life, as it cut the deficit to 54-40 midway through the fourth. But a putback layup from Lorson and Tucker Hanna layup reinvigorated their lead one last time.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Central Mountain's Noah Wells (5) looks for a shot as Jersey Shore's Tucker Hanna (34) and Carson watkins (0) reach to block during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

Alongside Guerrero and McCray, Jake Lorson also scored in the double figures for Shore, contributing 15 points on stellar shooting from the field. Landon Lathan continued to run the offense well, attributing four assists. And off the bench, Ty McDermit made an impact early, scoring six of his nine points through a momentum-establishing, 19-point first for the team.

Overall, it was a well-rounded performance where everyone was involved and bought in to the task at hand.

Defensively, the Bulldogs focused on limiting Central Mountain’s leading scorers – Darius Shade and Noah Wells – and did so well, holding them to a combined 18 points. And offensively, there were concerns when it came to dealing with their opponent’s 1-2-2 press, which they also managed effectively.

“That was one of my concerns, but I thought we did a good job with that tonight, taking care of the ball, getting the right shots for the right guys,” said Boob when discussing the press.

“That was one of the better offensive games that we’ve had all year, with the defense with it. We’ve been working all year to try to put it all together. We’re trying to get them to understand that you’ve got to play hard or both ends, and I thought tonight, we did that for the most part.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Orrin Pennycoft (12) and Central Mountain's Noah Wells (5) reach for a rebound during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

With the win, Jersey Shore improves to 6-3 on the season and checks a box it’s been working towards for years, ending an eight-game losing streak to Central Mountain and beating the Wildcats for the first time since February of 2021. It’ll look to carry that momentum forward into another home test on Saturday, hosting Shamokin at 7:30 p.m.

For Central Mountain (2-7), its rough stretch continues, with Wednesday’s loss marking its fifth in a row. It’ll look to kick off a mid-season turnaround on Saturday, hosting Heartland-I foe Midd-West at 7:30 p.m.

“The spot we’re in is about a bit more than basketball,” said Central Mountain head coach Tyler Bardo on the team’s focus following the loss. “We love our people. And we need to continue coaching our people through the smallest parts of the everyday that success requires.”

Jersey Shore 58, Central Mountain 45

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (45)

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ty McDermit (33) is blocked by Central Mountain's Noah Wells (5) during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

Blake Walker 4 0-0 8; Isah Dorman 1 0-0 2; Darius Shade 2 1-2 7; Dane Hanne 1 0-0 2; Carson Couturiaux 1 0-0 2; Noah Wells 4 3-6 11; Calen Hunter 2 2-2 6; Collin Confer 1 0-0 2; Travis Diaz 1 0-0 3. Totals 18 6-10 45.

JERSEY SHORE (58)

Carson Watkins 2 0-0 5; Khani McCray 4 1-2 10; Jacob Lorson 7 0-0 15; Breylon Guerrero 7 3-4 17; Ty McDermit 3 3-4 9; Tucker Hanna 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 7-10 58.

Cent. Mountain 6 10 11 17 – 45

Jersey Shore 19 8 21 10 – 58

Three-pointers: Central Mountain 3 (Shade 2, Diaz 1); Jersey Shore 3 (Watkins 1, McCray 1, Lorson 1).

Records: Central Mountain 2-7 (0-2 HAC-I); Jersey Shore 6-3 (1-0 HAC-I)

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Central Mountain's head coach Tyler Bardo meets with his players during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Tucker Hanna (34) tries to block a pass by Central Mountain's Blake Walker (0) during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Central Mountain's Darius Shade (2) is fouled by Jersey Shore's Khani McCray (2) on his way to the basket during a high school boys basketball game at Jersey Shore on Wednesday.