Since joining in 1982, Christian Brothers Academy has held the record for most Shore Conference basketball titles with 16. The Colts’ 17th title has been elusive, until now.

CBA secured the 2026 Shore Conference Championship with a 58-37 victory over Red Bank Catholic on February 20 at Monmouth University.

The Colts wasted no time putting their stamp on this game, racing out to a 13-0 lead and never looking back.

“It meant a lot to be part of the Shore Conference Championship. I was very happy and satisfied with our performance,” sophomore guard Izayah Cooper explained. “We played really aggressively defensively, making it easier for us to score the ball since we created turnovers that led to points. As a whole team, everyone was excited and pumped that we won. I was more excited for the seniors finally winning in their last season.”

Cooper played a pivotal role in the win, scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assists. He scored 11 of those points in the first half.

In addition to Cooper, senior captain Conor Andree had a strong performance in his last Shore Conference game, recording 14 points and six rebounds. For Andree, it was a sweet ending after falling just short as runner-up in 2025.

“Going into CBA, I always really wanted to win a Shore Conference Championship. The last couple of years, we came close, but we couldn’t pull one out, so that was my top goal for senior year,” Andree said. “I knew with Coach Lynch coming in, we were going to have a great chance. As a team, we all worked really hard to accomplish that goal. I couldn’t be happier that we brought a Shore Conference Championship back to CBA, and I’m really proud of our team.”

The Colts now look to carry their momentum into the NJSIAA State Sectional Tournament. CBA is the number two seed, earning a first-round bye and home court advantage until the sectional final.

“We are moving on from a great Shore Conference Tournament and now focusing on getting to Rutgers, ” Cooper said. “Coach Lynch brought up a good analogy, referring to teams in March Madness who have to keep winning. Just like those teams, we have to forget what we already accomplished, but not how we accomplished it. For us, keeping our defensive principles and our aggressiveness will get us to Rutgers.”

CBA looks to claim a ninth state championship in the program’s history and its first title since 1995. The Colts will host seventh-seeded Camden Catholic on March 2 in the state sectional quarterfinals.