NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Wednesday night, I headed over to the new New Brunswick High School right off Route 27 South to see the Zebras in action against the Sayreville Bombers. NBHS had yet to lose in their new gym. Well, I guess I gave them a bit of bad karma. Sayreville led 26-25 at the half, but New Brunswick got the first points of the second half on a score down low by sophomore forward, Milton Pittman for a 27-26 lead. From that point on, it was all Sayreville in the third.
Tarif Jackson scored 10 of his 15 points in the period while Jarrell Smith scored 9 of his game high 20, and drew two charges in a 27-11 surge that turned the early one point deficit into a 15 point, 53-38 lead going into the fourth. Darryl Stephenson and Dave Milewski had four points each on a field goal and two foul shots to complete Sayreville’s third quarter showing. The Bombers then started the final period by scoring the first six points including an unconventional four point play as Jackson made one of two at the line, and then after New Brunswick’s T.J. Overtree tried to save the ball inbounds off Jackson’s missed second shot, Stephenson got possession of the ball. Sayreville worked the ball around until it got into the hands of freshman Joe Saitta, who connected from beyond the arc on the right wing for a three pointer, and a 59-38 lead with just over 6:30 left in the game.
New Brunswick closed the game strong with a 14-7 spurt as Nigel Scott got going with 11 of his 15 points in the stretch. However, it was too little, too late as the Bombers came away with the 66-52 victory. The win was the second this season over the Zebras for Sayreville, which is now in third place at 4-3 in the GMC White. The Bombers improved to 7-4 overall while New Brunswick, which had recently won six straight, dropped its second in three outings, and are now 8-6 overall, and 4-4 in the White Division. Sayreville is 6-3 in conference play while NBHS is 6-5. The Zebras are now 5-1 in their new gym. Speaking of the new facility, I was really impressed with it. It’s very spacious, and the gym looks fantastic.
I had seen the new high school during Thanksgiving Weekend when I traveled down Route 27 on my way to seeing a college hoops game. I was amazed that the school was just about completed. I had heard stuff on the radio, and read things in the paper that didn’t give me the impression that the school was going to be ready this soon. It’s nice to see NBHS get a new facility with all the modern amenities. So many schools in this area as well as around the state are in need of such upgrades.
Returning back to the game, I was a bit tentative about having the Bombers in my pre-season Top Ten. However, Sayreville has not disappointed. The Bombers are three games over .500, in third in the GMC White, and 6-3 in conference play. In addition, the four losses suffered by Sayreville were all by single digits: Monroe (68-62 OT), Hillsborough (48-45), Carteret (50-47 2 OT), and North Brunswick (68-59). Both Monroe and Hillsborough have ten wins on the season. The Bombers play a very physical style of basketball on defense, which can really frustrate if you don’t maintain your poise and focus. On top of that, they have two guards in Smith and Jackson that can pour in a lot of points. Sayreville also has a solid front line with Dave Milewski and Darryl Stephenson. Mark Keir is a scrappy player, who can hit big shots. Just ask McCarrick.
Many may feel that New Brunswick has been quite a surprise this season. However, this site isn’t. GMC Hoops put the Zebras tenth in the pre-season poll, and has been rewarded for showing the faith. NBHS really made strides during the summer with a solid showing at the Bound Brook Summer League. The Zebras get after it on defense, and have had consistent scoring from Jaquan Cook. As a matter of fact, the loss to Sayreville was the first time this season that Cook had been held under 10 points. Milton Pittman, a sophomore forward, has stepped up to be a nice second option for New Brunswick while Simuel Williams can also score some points.
It would really be nice if New Brunswick can make the state tournament, and finish up with a nice season. The program has struggled in recent times, and having the Zebras be a viable team again is good for the GMC. View all of the details on this game in our summary, and video highlights here in the blog.