Red Bank Regional girls basketball team finds resilience in tough season

After a nine-game losing streak, the Bucs have won two straight and are looking to make a run in the Shore Conference Tournament.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Red Bank Regional girls basketball team discovered its resilience after going through a tough stretch where it lost nine straight games following a 6-0 start to the season. The Bucs, seeded ninth, defeated Freehold Township 43-29 in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament and will now face No. 8 St. Rose in the Round of 16 on Thursday. Head coach Adam Merklinger praised his team's patience and defensive effort as they look to make a deep run in the tournament and capture a Central Group 3 sectional title.

Why it matters

Red Bank Regional is in the highly competitive A North Division, which includes nationally ranked teams like Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney, as well as defending state champion Manasquan. The Bucs' ability to bounce back from a long losing streak and find success in the postseason tournament shows their resilience and determination to compete at the highest level.

The details

After starting the season 6-0, the Bucs lost nine straight games, but a win over St. Rose snapped that skid. In the first-round win over Freehold Township, starting point guard Synai Blychanton had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while also making all 8 of her free throw attempts. Riley Joyce and Miranda Casey also contributed to the victory. The Bucs will now have to defeat teams they've lost to earlier in the season, including a potential matchup with No. 1 seed Red Bank Catholic, if they want to advance further in the Shore Conference Tournament.

  • On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Bucs defeated Freehold Township 43-29 in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament.
  • The Bucs will play No. 8 St. Rose in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

The players

Adam Merklinger

The head coach of the Red Bank Regional girls basketball team.

Synai Blychanton

The starting point guard for the Red Bank Regional girls basketball team, who had a double-double in the first-round win.

Riley Joyce

A senior guard for the Red Bank Regional girls basketball team who scored 10 points in the first-round win.

Miranda Casey

A sophomore and big for the Red Bank Regional girls basketball team who had 5 points and 10 rebounds in the first-round win.

Madison Sciarrino

The leading scorer for Freehold Township with 13 points in the first-round loss.

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What they’re saying

“Resilient. We learned that not to put our head in the sand and feel sorry for ourselves. We would say after every game 'trust the process'... it's a tough division, it's a brutal division, we knew that and we just took it one day at a time.”

— Adam Merklinger, Head Coach (northjersey.com)

“Her character's great and she's a leader. She's shown to be a leader, she shows it off and on the court. I really love her patience though. She's been a lot more patient over the course of this season. Nothing's really forced her (to) rush, she's taking what the defense gives her, she's making the right reads... I'm really impressed also with her as the second half of the year has progressed - her defensive effort, too.”

— Adam Merklinger, Head Coach (northjersey.com)

What’s next

If the Bucs want to keep advancing in the SCT, they'll have to defeat foes they've lost to earlier this season. Next up are the Purple Roses, a team the Bucs lost to early in the season before prevailing in the rematch. Then would come a potential games against Red Bank Catholic.

The takeaway

This story highlights the resilience and determination of the Red Bank Regional girls basketball team, which bounced back from a tough losing streak to find success in the postseason. Their ability to overcome adversity and compete at a high level in a challenging division shows the strength of their program and their commitment to achieving their goal of winning a Central Group 3 sectional title.