The highly anticipated boys’ basketball season got underway with a bang last Thursday, as Middletown North defeated Monmouth Regional, 56-35.
    North got off to a slow start and the game was close for the first three quarters, but turned it up and played sharp in the fourth quarter en route to the 21 point victory.
    Leading the way for North were senior guards Eric Youncofski and Jason Huelbig, along with junior guard Will Boman. Youncofski had 9 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals, while Huelbig added 10 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Boman finished as the leading scorer with 12 points and 6 rebounds.
    The second game of the season proved to be a much tougher contest, as North lost its first divisional game to Manalapan, 56-54.
    In a tightly contested game, North held the lead heading into the final minutes, but Manalapan went on a 13-1 scoring run, capped by a go-ahead layup by Manalapan’s Bryan Adams with 2.1 seconds remaining, leading to a victory.
    Huelbig was North’s leading scorer in this game, adding 25 points in the loss. However, the most impressive statistic coming from this game was from Youncofksi, as he set the school record for assists (218). It is a great achievement for the senior, especially considering it only took him two games into his senior year to accomplish it.
    North looks to bounce back from this early season loss and maintain its preseason #3 ranking in the Class A North division.