The Atlantic City High School boys and Cedar Creek girls basketball teams won’t get much time to enjoy the state championships they won Sunday.
Both will be back in action this week in the Tournament of Champions.
Cedar Creek, the sixth seed, plays Manasquan, the third seed, in a TOC quarterfinal on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
Atlantic City will play Wednesday in the TOC quarterfinals. The fourth-seeded Vikings take on fifth-seeded Ewing at 6 p.m. at Pine Belt Arena.
The TOC matches the six boys and girls teams that won state titles. The boys teams are: St. Anthony (Non-Public B); St. Joseph-Metuchen (Non-Public A); Plainfield (Group III); Atlantic City (Group IV); Ewing (Group II); Asbury Park (Group I).
The girls teams are: Malcolm X. Shabazz (Group II); St. Rose (Non-Public A); Manasquan (Group III); Gill St. Bernard’s (Non-Public B); Jackson Memorial (Group IV); and Cedar Creek (Group I).
This is Atlantic City’s second trip to the TOC. The Vikings also qualified after winning Group IV in 2005. Atlantic City beat Newark Science 65-52 in the quarterfinals before losing to Seton Hall Prep 74-37 in the semifinals.
This is Cedar Creek’s first TOC appearance.
No local team has ever won the TOC. The 1992 Egg Harbor Township girls and the 1993 Middle Township boys lost in the finals.
Here is this year’s schedule (seeds in parentheses):
GIRLS
Tuesday
At Pine Belt Arena in Toms River
6 p.m. — Gill St. Bernard’s (4) vs.
Jackson Memorial (5)
8 p.m. — Manasquan (3) vs.
Cedar Creek (6)
Thursday
At Pine Belt Arena in Toms River
6 p.m. — Gill St. Bernard’s/Jackson vs. Shabazz (1)
8 p.m. — Manasquan/Cedar Creek vs. St. Rose (2)
March 20
At Izod Arena in East Rutherford
6:30 p.m. — Championship
BOYS
Wednesday
At Pine Belt Arena in Toms River
6 p.m. — Atlantic City (4) vs.
Ewing (5)
8 p.m. — Plainfield (3) vs.
Asbury Park (6)
Friday
At Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscatway
6 p.m. Plainfield/Asbury Park vs. St. Joseph-Metuchen (2)
8 p.m. Atlantic City/Ewing vs. St. Anthony (1)
March 20
At Izod Arena in East Rutherford
8 p.m. — Championship
