SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ–It was quite a day down at South Brunswick High School on Sunday. Not only because of the great GMCT Championship Game played between sixth seeded St. Joseph’s and top seeded Cardinal McCarrick, but also thanks to an amazing GMCT Girls final between top seeded Piscataway and third seeded McCarrick. Due to my very hectic schedule covering Boys Basketball in the GMC, I don’t get an opportunity to see many girls games. As a matter of fact, the GMCT Championships are probably the only time I do get to see a girls contest, and I usually don’t get there until the second half of action. However, for the first time since the 2002 GMCT Final, I happened to get to SBHS early (since I know the place gets packed, and it is hard to find a seat if you’re lucky to get a ticket), and saw the entire contest.
I’d have to say that the 2008 GMCT Girls Final will go down as one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen in terms of drama, heroics, and back and forth action despite the shaky and sloppy start due to the overanxiousness of the two squads. It also had a flair for putting little known or used players on the big stage. Take McCarrick’s freshman reserve guard, Jen Shereyka. Here was a young lady, who hadn’t played a single minute in the entire Girl’s Tournament, and although her braces laden smile showed the look of a typical 14 year old kid, she showed the confidence and poise of a veteran that had been in this position many times before. Twice Shereyka came up with huge three point baskets in a game that was filled with clutch shots and late game theatrics to first extend the game into the second overtime with a buzzer beating trey that knotted the game at 61-61, and then the game winner with a trifecta that turned a 67-65 deficit into a 68-67 lead with six seconds remaining in front of a bedazzled packed house that was perhaps more disappointed that the game had to end.
Another McCarrick reserve that was forced into the limelight after limited minutes in the GMCT, Jessica Hartland, a transfer along with Jacinda Dunbar from St. Peter’s, and the younger sister of former Cardinal sharpshooter, Kyle Hartland, also came up huge down the stretch of the first overtime as well. With Cardy Mac’s Lady Eagles trailing by four at 59-55 with about a half minute to play, Hartland, just inserted into the lineup moments earlier in the hope to provide some much needed three point shooting, delivered with a trey from the right wing with 18 seconds remaining, that got her, and her teammates so excited that they forgot to defend the inbounds right away, and foul to stop the clock and force the Lady Chiefs, which were only 19 of 36 from the charity stripe according to the article in the Star-Ledger, to go to the line, and make free throws. When the Lady Eagles finally did foul, they fouled one of P-Way’s top players, Brittany Myatt (17 points on six field goals and five free throws as well as 16 boards for a huge double-double), who then made both charity shots for a 61-58 lead with eight seconds to play.
That set the stage for Shereyka, who connected on a long distance bomb from the left wing as time expired to knot the game at 61-61 in one of those moments etched in time as the crowd, which had already seen a last second shot by McCarrick’s junior point guard, Chrissy Keir (team high 18 points on four field goals and 10 of 11 FTs) that was originally ruled a three pointer for an apparent 50-49 victory in regulation, but then was declared a two for a 49-49 tie to force the first extra session, was in a state of delirium. In the second overtime, the Chiefs again took the upper hand with five straight points including two quick scores by DreShonda Williams, who had a game high 19 points on seven field goals and five free throws, and a free throw by sophomore Raven Gerald (14 points on three field goals, a three pointer, and five free throws for a 66-61 lead. However, the Cardy Mac Girls, which upset second seeded New Brunswick in the semifinals at MCC on Monday night, weren’t going away as they rallied with the next four points on buckets by Jessica Costa (only field goal of the game for 2 points) and Olivia Gorczynski (10 points on two field goals, a three pointer, and three free throws) to pull within a point at 66-65.
The Lady Eagles then fouled Paig Robinson, who had a monster double-double game with 14 points on five field goals and four free throws along with a mindboggling 26 rebounds. Robinson made only one of two for a 67-65 lead with less than fifteen seconds to go. The stage was then set again for Shereyka, who dialed long distance again to put McCarrick up for good with seconds to play. On the ensuing inbounds the Chiefs threw a long heave dowcourt for a layup attempt, but was called for a traveling violation that put an end to their amazing two year run as defending conference champions. It was a game that took everything from players and coaches. As a matter of fact, McCarrick girls head coach, Lyn Ust, a former standout at Hoffman High School, which is now today South Amboy High School on the other side of the tiny enclave known as the Gateway to the Jersey Shore, seemed more emotionally exhausted at game’s end than exalted in jubilation for the school’s first ever girls crown.
Shereyka’s heroic’s were not the only ones performed by a freshman thrown into the heat of battle. As a matter of fact, Ust had four freshman on the floor along with one starter according to the article written in The Home News-Tribune, and three of those freshmen reserves, Shereyka, Costa, and Gorczynski were responsible for all eight points in the final extra session. Pat Mayo’s club, which was appearing in its fourth straight GMC Tournament Championship game, and actually defeated McCarrick in the title tilt two years ago (64-43 with both teams being the exact same seeds), appeared to be poised for its third straight crown. In the first quarter, after the two teams exchanged leads several times, the Lady Chiefs closed the opening frame with a 6-0 run to go on top, 14-10. Then, after Cardy Mac began the second with the first four points to knot the game again at 14-14, Piscataway embarked on an 11-0 tear to take a 25-14 lead late in the first half.
The Lady Eagles would fight back though as they scored seven of the last eight points of the second quarter to pull within five at halftime, 26-21. Then, at the start of the third, Cardinal McCarrick got a bucket to close the gap to three at 26-23 before the Lady Chiefs of P-Way scored six of the next eight points to increase its advantage to 32-25 with about three minutes to go in the period. At this point, there were only three combined team fouls with Piscataway having two and McCarrick having one. However, over the next several minutes, the fouls would dramatically increase with eight in just the next two minutes or so alone, and that put the Lady Eagles in the bonus. Led by Keir, who demonstrated some great playmaking ability despite moments where she appeared to be overanxious, and forcing things, McCarrick rallied with an 11-0 tear over the final 2:34 to cap a 15-6 third quarter showing for a 36-32 lead going into the final period. From that point on, it would be a very contentious game the rest of the way.
Tournament MVP, Lauren Zarantonello, had 13 points on six field goals and a foul shot along with 12 rebounds for a double-double before fouling out late in regulation while Dunbar added 12 points and 12 boards. Zarantonello averaged 12.5 points per game in the 2008 Girls GMCT. With the victory, the Lady Eagles improved to 23-2 on the season, and will be going into the field of the Non-Public B South Girls State Tournament with a lot of confidence especially with the knowledge that the younger reserves can deliver if called upon. Meanwhile, Piscataway, which has played a very tough non-conference schedule in addition to its typical Red Division slate, dropped to 20-6, and will get ready for the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV Girls Tourney.