Girls Basketball: Sayreville clinches first GMC Tournament title

PISCATAWAY – For the first time in school history, the Sayreville High School girls basketball team is the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champion.

Facing its most resistance from a GMC opponent this season, the top-seeded Bombers ended the game on a 14-7 run as senior guard Isi Enahoro scored 11 point in the final eight minutes to hold on and defeat third-seeded South Brunswick 59-52 in the GMC Tournament final on Friday evening at Rutgers University.

Aside from the title, Friday marked Sayreville’s first county championship appearance since 1978.

“This is huge for our program and our kids,” Sayreville coach Janet Cook said. “Our seniors worked so hard all four years, and this has been a goal every year, so to have them get here is just unbelievable. I’m so happy for them.”

READ:Girls Basketball: Sayreville advances to GMCT final with win over Piscataway

After giving up a 14-point lead from late in the second quarter, the Bombers (24-2) found themselves down 41-39 with seconds remaining in the third quarter. Seeing the lead disintegrate before her eyes, Enahoro grabbed the momentum right back for her team by burying a 3-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer to give Sayreville a 42-41 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“At that point, we knew we worked too hard to let this game slip away like that,” Enahoro said. “It was so intense, it was like a fire was lit inside me. We were not going home without this win, we were not dying her right now. We were going to prove to everybody why we deserve this. We’ve come this far, and we deserve the respect.”

After a South Brunswick bucket started the fourth, Enahoro drained another three to retake the lead at 45-43. The score went back-and-forth in the early fourth, but senior Patrice Harding scored on a teardrop layup to give the Bombers a 47-45 lead, a lead they would not relinquish, with 5:02 left to play.

Sayreville boasts a very balanced offensive attack, but Enahoro is the straw that stirs the drink. The guard led the offensive charge in the fourth quarter, and the normally placid and reserved Enahoro let her emotions loose after her buzzer-beating three.

READ: Girls Basketball: South Brunswick outlasts Bishop Ahr and advances to GMCT final

“Isi is the backbone of our team,” Cook said. “She came to the bench with a fire I’ve never ever seen from her, screaming ‘let’s go!’ To see that emotion from her, she’s not really the kid that usually presents that emotion, gave that energy to the rest of the team.”

South Brunswick (21-4) trailed 32-18 late in the first half, but ended the second quarter on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 34-25. Freshman Onoseta Ufuah then scored seven quick points as the Vikings opened the third on an 11-3 run, and a 19-5 run dating back to the second quarter.

Senior Amber Brown tied the game at 37, and Samia Baig scored on a layup in transition to give South Brunswick a 41-39 lead, its first of the game, with about 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice can be reached at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @danny_logiudice.