Vikings Rally From 3rd Quarter Deficit to Advance to CJ Group 4 Championship for 1st Time Since 2007
MIDDLETOWN, NJ—The last time South Brunswick reached this stage of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 State Tournament in 2016, the Vikings played a team in the Shore Conference’s Class A North Division on the road and lost.
Despite the efforts of top player, Eric Savage, who went on to be a 1,000 point scorer at Tufts University, South Brunswick fell short to Colts Neck. The Cougars rode the play of Lloyd Daniels (23 points), Kyle Gordon (17 points), and Brendan Clarke (14 points) to defeat the Vikes, 67-47 en route to the sectional championship.
Four years later, South Brunswick was in a similar position: On the road at a Shore Conference, Class A North school in the 2020 NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals. This time, it was at Middletown South, which entered the game at 26-2 including a division title, and the section’s top seed after losing to Long Branch (53-51) in the second round of the 2020 Shore Conference Tourney.
And for a while, it looked as if history would repeat itself. After the Vikings jumped out to a 21-14 first quarter lead, hanging on for a 35-33 halftime lead, and opening the second half by scoring the first five points, Middletown South rallied back with a 12-2 spurt to take a 45-42 lead with 2:42 remaining in the frame. However, South Brunswick battled back to not only tie the game, but eventually take the lead for good.
First, the Vikings scored 5 of the last 7 points of the third including a clutch three by Andrew Tesser, and two free throws from Yathin Vemula to tie the game at 47-47. Then, South Brunswick scored the first four points of the fourth including a go ahead trey from Tesser for a 51-47 lead with 6:13 to play. Both teams scored 7 points each over a span of the next 4:13 to give the Vikings a 58-54 lead with two minutes to go.
Then, the combo of Devin Strickland and Justin Carbone finished off the Eagles by leading an 8-1 run for a 66-55 victory to seal a berth in the Central Jersey Group 4 Championship Game for the first time since 2007. Strickland ended the game with a game high 20 points while Carbone chipped in with 14 points and Vemula added 13. Akhil Edekar (8 points), Tesser (6 points), and Ty Murchison (5 points) rounded out South Brunswick’s scoring in the game.
Bobby Pirie led Middletown South in a losing cause with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Mike Dabas chipped in with a double-double of his own with 10 points and 10 boards along with 4 assists. James Anderson also contributed with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Jack Sheridan (9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and block), Luke Albrecht (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block), and Richie Boyko (2 points, 4 assists, a rebound, and a block) rounded out the Eagles scoring.
Middletown South opened the game in front of their raucous student section by scoring the first five points, but South Brunswick turned the tables with an 8-0 run capped by an Edekar trey for an 8-5 lead at the 4:35 mark of the first. The Vikings then scored 13 of the last 19 points of the first period including a layup by Carbone late in the frame for a 21-6 tear, and a 21-14 lead. The Eagles surged back early in the 2nd with a 10-2 spurt capped by a Dabas score for a 24-23 lead with 5:02 left in the first half.
The Eagles increased their lead to 29-25 by scoring 5 of the next 7 points before the Vikes rallied to end the half on a 10-4 spurt including a pull-up jumper by Vemula to take a 35-33 lead into the locker room at the intermission. South Brunswick then opened the half with the first five points including a layup by Strickland, and then a trey by Carbone for a 40-33 lead, but the Eagles roared back by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to take a three point lead.
Over the final 10:42 of the game, the Vikes outscored Middletown South by a margin of 24-10 including a 19-8 showing in the fourth to surge to the victory. With the win, South Brunswick improved to 24-5 overall on the season, and will face 3rd seeded Marlboro, a 77-72 winner over 2nd seeded New Brunswick in the other CJ Group 4 semi, in the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 10th at 5:00 PM in Marlboro. Middletown South concluded its season at 26-3.