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TOMS RIVER - Heading into the WOBM Christmas Classic as the 10th seed on the heels of a seven-win season, a hungry Jackson Memorial boys basketball team had a clear agenda.

"Coach (Joe Fagan) said that we had to knock down some doors,'' said senior forward Jimmy McDonnell. "We certainly accomplished that in this tournament.''

The Jaguars displayed that they are one of the Shore Conference's most improved teams and won their first WOBM title since 1997 and their third overall by becoming one of the lowest-seeded teams to ever bring home the big trophy with a 57-43 win over eighth-seeded Brick Memorial (4-1) on Wednesday night at the Ritacco Center.

McDonnell, who is 6-foot-8 but has range out beyond the arc, led the way with a game-high 16 points on his way to being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. His younger brother, sophomore Brandon McDonnell, chipped in with 13 points and buried three 3-pointers to add to the two triples that Jimmy McDonnell knocked down. Senior guard Andrew Papis (8 points) was also named to the All-Tournament first team, Brandon McDonnell was selected to the second team, and junior Connor Saker added 10 points in the win.

"We've been talking about it since the summer that we want to work hard and try to make some things happen,'' said Fagan, who is in his second season. "Going into the tournament I told them there's no reason why it couldn't be us. I know that if you do quality stuff and put yourself in position, anything can happen.''

After playing several nailbiters throughout the tournament, the Jaguars (4-1) left no doubt on Wednesday night against a Mustangs team playing in its second straight WOBM final. Jackson came out smoking from the perimeter against the Mustangs' zone defense, hitting three 3-pointers in the first quarter to grab a 15-11 lead. The Jaguars pushed the advantage to 35-18 by halftime as Jimmy McDonnell had 10 of his 16 points in the second quarter. After Brick Memorial had closed to within 17-15 on a 3-pointer by Bill Hoch, Jackson ripped off a 13-0 run and never let the Mustangs back in the game.

"My brother, Papis - it was contagious,'' Jimmy McDonnell said about the hot shooting. "You can't guard all three of us, so someone is going to be open.''

The Jaguars dictated the tempo and limited Brick Memorial's transition game by trying to smother Brick Memorial senior point guard Joe Perri, who was named to the All-Tournament first team and finished with 12 points on four 3-pointers in the loss. They also limited the second-chance opportunities for the athletic Mustangs, who were led by Tim O'Shea's 13 points.

"We tried slowing down Joe Perri because he's a great point guard,'' Jimmy McDonnell said. "Every time they inbounded it, we tried to double him and slow him up, and it worked for the most part.''

"They have a fast transition game, so we just had to slow them down, and if we got them in a halfcourt game, then we were in good shape,'' Brandon McDonnell said.

Also, one of Brick Memorial's top perimeter threats, senior guard Drew Atheras, went down with an injury only 2:27 into the game and did not return. The Mustangs could not get anything to fall, the Jaguars were challenging shots on the wing, and Jimmy McDonnell and his long arms were discouraging too many forays into the paint off the dribble, as Brick Memorial only attempted eight free throws in the game. Jackson also held dangerous forward Jahmere Calhoun to two points that came on a dunk during garbage time.

"That's as good a first half as we are going to play,'' Fagan said. "I don't know if it can get any better than that all year long. We played great defense, we executed the offense and when stuff broke down, we just played a two-man game together, which is not as easy as they made it look. It's hard to teach that.''

The Jaguars kept their foot on their gas in the third quarter to render the fourth quarter a mere formality, as Brandon McDonnell canned a pair of 3-pointers to end the period and balloon the lead to 48-25 heading into the final quarter. It was a wrap from there, with the fourth quarter culminating Jackson's coming-out party as the early favorite to win Class A South after taking its lumps last season. Having had a full season under Fagan has certainly made a difference.

"We worked hard over the summer and just got better,'' Brandon McDonnell said. "We knew we came in underrated and could win the tournament. We came in wanting to knock down some doors, and we did that.''

"We're working so much harder, practicing so much harder and we didn't have to cram things in like last year when coach (Fagan) came in late,'' Jimmy McDonnell said. "Now we've had time to get stuff in, and it's been working out.''

The clear improvement of the McDonnells, who are match-up nightmares because of their height, long arms, and deep shooting range, has been a crucial aspect to the Jaguars' leap forward.

"People have no idea how much they've worked,'' Fagan said. "I laid out a plan for them during the summer and they followed it to a 'T.' They want it. Things haven't been going their way as much as they want and it's only because they're growing into their bodies. Their best basketball is going to be well after Jackson, but it's not for lack of work, it's just that they are still growing.

"I told Brandon he's so screwed because Jimmy is such a worker and such a great kid that he is going to have impossible shoes to fill the next two years. I've never encountered a kid that wants to get better as much as Jimmy does.''

While the Jaguars accomplished their mission of making an early statement, the flipside is that now there will be increased expectations for a team that has stamped itself as the early favorite to unseat Brick Memorial as the division champion. The Jaguars actually play the Mustangs again in only a few days as they square off on Monday in a divisional game.

"We can't really hide any more,'' Jimmy McDonnell said.

"I don't think we're the target by any means,'' Fagan said. "We'll have to work to get six wins in our division. We have to show up every night.''

Regardless of what happens, the Jaguars will never get beaten because they weren't ready, as they have been geared up for this season since early in the summer.

"Teams will be coming at us, but we'll be prepared,'' Brandon McDonnell said before smiling.

Box score

Jackson Mem. 57, Brick Mem. 43

Jackson Memorial (57): Bell 2 1-2 5, Papis 2 3-3 8, B. McDonnell 5 0-0 13, Saker 4 2-2 10, Specht 1 0-0 2, Kelly 1 0-0 2, Skwiatt 0 1-2 1, J. McDonnell 6 2-4 16. Totals: 21 9-13 57.

Brick Memorial (43): Meredith 2 2-6 6, Perri 4 0-0 12, O'Shea 5 0-0 13, Hock 1 0-0 3, Calhoun 1 0-0 2, Atheras 0 0-0 0, Roote 0 0-1 0, Sliazis 3 1-1 7, Hirzel 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 3-8 43.

Jackson Mem. (4-1)   15  20  13  9 - 57

Brick Mem. (4-1)       11  7     7  18 - 43

Three-pointers: (B) Perri 4, O'Shea 3, Hoch; (J) B. McDonnell 3, J. McDonnell 2, Papis. Fouled out: (B) Meredith.