Panthers Start Out Quick and Never Look Back Behind Brown and Hester
LITTLE SILVER, NJ—After its trip to Matawan, GMC Hoops got back out on the road and traveled down the Garden State Parkway to Red Bank High School for the opening round of the Albert Martin Buc Classic, where the 8th seeded Sayreville Bombers took on top seeded Ranney. The Panthers scored the first seven points and led 15-7 after one, and gradually grew the led to 37 points in the 2nd half before winning 70-39.
Led by the play of T.J. Brown, who had a game high 18 points including a third quarter dunk along with 5 assists, Ranney was too much for the Bombers. Also contributing were Isaac Hester and Zack Davis, who each chipped in with 10 while Drew Buck added 9 for the winners. Senior Kyler Crespo led the way in defeat for Sayreville with a team high 10 points including four in the opening period.
Santino Whitaker, who scored the Bombers’ final points in the closing seconds, chipped in with 9 while sophomore Jaden Hargrove added 8 in the loss. Max Negron also netted a three in the final minute of action to help round out the final score. Ranney, ranked 20th in the NJ.com Top 20, improved to 2-0 as it pulled away from a 17-11 first quarter lead with a 16-4 second quarter showing for a 33-15 edge at the half.
The Panthers then opened up the third with 12 of the first 16 points including a three pointer and then Brown’s dunk for a 45-21 lead with 3:25 left in the frame. Ranney scored 9 of the last 10 points including a basket from senior forward, Charles Anyichie to take a 54-22 lead heading into the fourth. The Panthers then opened the final stanza by scoring the first five points for its largest lead of the game at 59-22.
Despite the score and the heavy odds against them throughout, the Bombers kept playing. Sayreville finished the game by scoring 17 of the final 28 points. The Bombers utilized full court pressure to force turnovers, and convert a few of them to scores. Hargrove also got himself to the line after being fouled on a three, and on a drive, and made several foul shots.
Sayreville, which was not able to play until December 23rd when it opened the season in the Bomb Shelter with a 88-40 loss to third ranked Colonia, had trouble with Ranney’s size and length. The Panthers, which lost standout Elijah Perkins, who transferred to public school power, Camden during the offseason, just had too many weapons.
It has been a tough several years for Sayreville Basketball, but like their head coach and former hoops standout, John Wojcik, the Bombers just keep battling. You may not see it in the scoreboard or in the standings, but the fact that Sayreville battled its way through a COVID onslaught in the winter of 2021 to play five games at the end of the season, and then got itself back on the court following another outbreak at the start of this season shows the determination the team has to play.
The Bombers (0-2) return to action on Tuesday in a consolation game against Long Branch. The Green Wave lost their first round game to Middletown North (59-39), and is winless on the season at 0-4. Middletown North (1-1), seeded fourth in the tourney, will now take on Ranney in the first semifinal at 3:30 PM at Red Bank High School.
DID YOU KNOW? Sophomore Jaden Hargrove, who scored 12 points in Sayreville’s season opening loss to Colonia, and is averaging 10 points per game, is the son of former Bombers standout and 1998 graduate, Rafi Hargrove. The elder Hargrove teamed up with the likes of Leland Norris and Marcin Ziobron to lead Sayreville to the 1998 GMCT Championship game before losing to Jay Williams led St. Joseph’s (66-54).