WEST WINDSOR, NJ–On Monday night, GMC Hoops traveled down the New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 8, and headed over to West Windsor-Plainsboro South High School to take in a game from the 2011 Mercer County Summer League. This contest would be a playoff game as fourth seeded South Brunswick took on top seeded Notre Dame of Lawrenceville in the semifinal round. The Irish led by as many as 18, and didn’t let the Vikings get any closer than 11 points en route to a 61-45 victory.
Notre Dame Defeats South Brunswick To Advance To Championship
It has been a solid summer for South Brunswick at the Mercer County CYO Summer League in West Windsor and Allentown. The Vikings earned the fourth seed this summer with only three losses heading into the playoff round. However, they were going up against a much improved Notre Dame team that not only earned the top seed in this year’s playoffs, but also had won five of six at the Monroe Sports Center Summer League including a surprising 63-32 rout of top seeded Colts Neck in the semifinals on Thursday there.
Monroe native, Ryan Germano, is the only senior in the starting rotation, but the Irish also have the likes of athletic junior Josh Williams along with fellow juniors, Isaiah Johnson, Jabree Jackson, and Steve Harris. Now, under the direction of former Monroe head coach, Bob Turco, who took over at Notre Dame last summer prior to the Summer Prime Time Shootout, the Irish are vastly improved, and will be more of a factor in the Colonial Valley Conference and Mercer County as well as a possible surprise in Non-Public South A.
South Brunswick, with the likes of soon to be senior, Mike Green, gave it a good fight. Trailing 47-29 with a little more than ten minutes to go in the game, the Vikings went on a 9-2 spurt over a span of 4:11 to close within 49-38 with just under six minutes to play. However, the Irish would let the Vikes get any closer. Williams scored four points and blocked to shots over the next 1:47 to spark Notre Dame to finish the game with a 12-7 run for the 61-45 victory, and an appearance in the Championship Game on July 25th.
Despite the traffic caused by an accident several minutes from Exit 8, GMC Hoops still managed to get down to the game with just under 16 minutes to play, and Notre Dame already leading comfortably by a margin of 37-23. After South Brunswick drew a foul, and made one of two from the line with 15:30 remaining, the Irish scored a bucket for a 39-24 lead at the 14:42 mark, and then after a Viking timeout, and a missed floater by Green, they got a transition basket for a 41-24 led with 14:27 to go. Green tried to get the Vikings going again by scoring a basket in transition while being fouled for a three point play that closed the gap to 41-27 with a little more than 14 minutes to play.
A little more than 40 seconds later, Notre Dame got those points back by scoring a bucket in transition while being fouled for a three point play, and a 44-27 lead. South Brunswick got a transition score of its own to pull within 44-29 at the 12:50 mark, but the Irish made one of two from the line, and then scored on a drive from the left wing for a layup with just a little less than midway through the second half for an 18 point lead. The Vikings then put together their best run of the game with 9 of the next 11 points to give them some hope with just under six minutes remaining.
The Vikes kicked off the rally with a three pointer at the 9:44 mark. Just under a minute and a half later, SBHS got on the board again by scoring off a steal to close within 47-34 at the 8:23 mark. After Notre Dame scored a layup off a nice give and go at the 7:47 mark, South Brunswick scored four more points including one of two from the line at the 7:30 mark, and then a three from the left corner to pull within eleven at 49-38 with 5:52 left. The Vikings had a chance to get closer, but threw a pass out of bounds at the 5:30 mark. Williams then got baskets at the 5:06 and 4:32 marks before blocking a shot by Green with 4:15 to go, and swatting away another shot at the 4:05 mark with a 53-38 ND lead.
From there, Notre Dame cruised to the 61-45 victory.