The basketball season ended in a hurry for the local high school squads. After Pinelands was dumped from NJSIAA South Jersey Group III on March 2, the next day the boys’ and girls’ teams from Barnegat and Southern were bounced in their first-round sectional contests as well.

Going into the South Group II tourney, the Barnegat boys were the fifth-seeded squad and had an opening-round home game against 12th-seeded Pleasantville.