Debators sure to discuss Vikes ranking in school history
By: David Gurney
PISCATAWAYThe debate will rage on for years to come, between the older generation and the new: was this year’s South Brunswick High School boys basketball team the greatest in school history?
They didn’t collect the overall state championship like the Group I championship team of 1968, and didn’t have the flair or Division One recruits past SBHS teams have had.
What the team did accomplish was a 27-3 overall record, a Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division Championship, a No. 1 seed in the GMC tournament, a Central Jersey Group IV sectional championship, a Group IV second-place trophy, and a top 20 state ranking for a bulk of the season.
But after the game, the season and its accomplishments still hadn’t really sunk in for the players.
"(You could say we had one of the greatest seasons) but what we really wanted to do was top the season off by winning the state Group IV, which would have made a big mark on our school’s history," said senior forward Devon Young, who scored 17 points in his final game as a Viking. "That would let people know that we really can play down in South Brunswick and the GMC. We really thought we could hang with Linden. We scrimmaged St. Patrick’s before the season and played some really big schools this year.
He added, "I really thought we could play with them. But I think today, if we won, that would have really put us on the map."
You could say making it this far put the Vikings on the map, or at least on the radar of every avid or semi-avid high school basketball fan in the state.
But SBHS hung tough with Linden, and came within four points of tying the heavy favorite late in the fourth quarter.
Leading the charge during the Vikings’ 13-3 fourth quarter run was, of course, the seniors; six of whom logged major minutes for head coach Chris Balent.
Young had five points during that stretch and guard Martin Soaries had the reverse lay up that cut it to four with 2:02 left before a Linden time out.
It was the seniors that left an indelible mark on the program and school, battling back as juniors from what they thought was a disappointing 22-6 season that featured earlier-than-expected exits from the county (quarterfinals) and state (sectional semifinals) tournaments.
"We’re basically a big family, so we all know we have to step up and contribute in different ways," Young said. "We all wanted it, so we had to step up as a family."
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Despite a seven-inch disadvantage on the frontline for South Brunswick, Linden only out-rebounded the Vikings 37-32, and 16-13 on the offensive glass.
But the big problem, literally, Mohammed Wilkerson. The 6-foot-6 center grabbed four offensive rebounds (12 overall), scored 12 points, and set some clean screens for diminutive guards Darrell Lampley and Desmond Wade, opening up space and lanes for the lightning-quick guards.
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How similar were the two teams?
Both played at a similar pace, preferring an up-tempo speed rather than a methodical half court game. Both featured athletic lineups and tenacious defenders.
And it was all evident in the final statistics.
Linden made one more field goal than SBHS and shot 0.5 percent better from the field. The Vikings hit six shots from three-point range (6-for-17) while the Tigers hit five (5-for-10) and both teams had similar rebounding numbers (37-32 in favor of Linden).
But the big difference was at the line, where Linden hit 12-of-19 while SBHS hit 4-of-9. The Vikings also committed 11 turnovers to the Tigers’ seven.
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There were only two lead changes in the game and two ties. The only lead SBHS held in the game was 6-5 at the 4:46 mark in the first quarter.
SBHS held the lead for 23 seconds, until a three-pointer by guard Jerry Jones gave Linden the lead for good at 8-6.
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With the win, Linden was awarded the No. 1 seed in this week’s Tournament of Champions Can you believe it? Late in the game, the Vikings were four points away from tying the No. 1 seed in the overall state.
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In last week’s Post, it was reported that South Brunswick’s Central Jersey Group IV title was the second sectional title in school history. It was actually the third, as the Vikings won Central Jersey in 1974. Sorry for the mistake.

