Girls Basketball: Sayreville proves its the best in the GMC with rout of South Brunswick
SAYREVILLE – Entering Tuesday’s game, the Sayreville High School girls basketball team enjoyed a 12-game winning streak in which the Bombers won each game by at least 18 points. By the end of their game against South Brunswick, the Bombers kept the streak alive and earned some redemption.
After falling to South Brunswick in last year’s Central Group IV quarterfinal, Sayreville routed the Vikings, the top team in the GMC Red Division, 53-25 and extended its winning streak to 13 games. With the victory, the Bombers made a strong case to be named the top seed in the upcoming GMC Tournament.
“We had this game marked on our calendar since last year, they’re the ones who knocked us out of states and was the only loss on our home floor last year, so this was a game our girls definitely had on their radar from the beginning of the year,” Sayreville coach Janet Cook said. “It’s something we kept talking about. It’s a big game, so you need to show up and play your game.”
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Sayreville (17-1) absolutely blanketed South Brunswick (14-3) on the defensive end. With their high-pressure defense, the Bombers held South Brunswick to six points apiece in the first and second quarters and only two points in the third quarter.
South Brunswick’s Amber Brown, who is averaging 17.8 points per game this season, scored six points in the first quarter, but Sayreville held the star senior to zero points the rest of the way, due largely in part to the defensive efforts of senior Isi Enahoro. Enahoro finished with nine steals.
“Amber is a great player, she does everything all over the board,” Enahoro said. “Stopping her like that was really crucial for this game. I’m glad we were able to do that.”
Both sides struggled offensively, and at times it was an ugly grind, but Enahoro led the charge, finishing with 15 points. Sayreville boasts a very balanced scoring attack, with players like Ryane Brush, Patrice Harding, Jasmine Van Note and Morenike Akinrefon, alongside Enahoro, capable of leading the offense. Tuesday was Enahoro’s night.
“Isi plays with composure because she’s been playing for four years as a varsity player,” Cook said. “Her composure definitely helps settle down the rest of the team. When she gets it under control, I think everybody feeds off it.”
Sayreville also got a lift from Harding, who scored eight points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, including a three-point play in which she converted on a lay up she was fouled on and knocked down the subsequent free throw.
Sayreville can now officially be considered a favorite to win the GMC Tournament. With a roster full of seniors, it will be their final time to clinch a county title and perhaps more.
“This is primarily a group of seniors, they’ve played together a long time and they realize that this is it,” Cook said. “We come into practice everyday, and they have smiles on their faces. They’re ready to go. I think they’re just having fun and enjoying it.”
Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice can be reached at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @danny_logiudice.