By Warren Rappleyea
Sayreville War Memorial High School’s girls’ basketball team is rolling toward the postseason with 12 straight wins, including an impressive 58-40 victory over previously unbeaten Morristown High School Jan. 28.
The Bombers went into halftime with a 27-26 lead and then dominated the second half with its opportunistic defense. Isi Enahoro scored 16 points to lead the Blue and Gray, and Ryane Brush hit a trio of 3-pointers and ended up with 11 points.
Quickness and a pressure defense have kept Sayreville’s opponents on their heels. Enahoro averages more than six steals, and backcourt mate Patrice Harding is not far behind. With Brush at the top of Sayreville’s zone and Jasmine Van Note under the hoop, coach Janet Cook’s team regularly holds its opponents to 35 or fewer points.
The Bombers’ lone loss came in the season’s fifth game — a 65-51 decision against Toms River High School North in the quarterfinals of the WOBM Classic in Toms River. Sayreville had defeated Central Regional High School, 58-53, in the opening round.
Sayreville has been dominant ever since the loss — often jumping out to big early leads. In a recent win over John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, the Bombers were up, 39-2, at the end of the opening quarter. Against South Plainfield High School, Cook’s team built a quick 25-7 lead and never looked back. Cook’s team sits atop the Greater Middlesex Conference’s (GMC) White Division standings.
“This is a veteran team,” the coach said. “They have experience, they’ve played together and they all know what they’re doing. They know winning takes team basketball, and they play hard at both ends of the floor and just work well together.”
Enahoro and Brush both average 14.5 points to lead the team in scoring. Brush, who has scored 21 points on three occasions, has connected on 33 3-pointers, while Enahoro has 15 treys to her credit.
Harding, who had a season-high 18 points in a victory over East Brunswick High School, is averaging 10 points. Point guard Katie Esposito averages 6.3 points, and Van Note averages eight points and six rebounds.
“Jasmine [Van Note] has really stepped it up defensively and on the offensive boards,” Cook said. “As a result, she’s opening up second-chance opportunities for us that we didn’t get last year.”
Another key contributor is junior guard Morenike Akinrefon, who averages 8.6 points to go along with three rebounds per game. Two guards, sophomore Lyssandra Delacosta and freshman Jackie Ventricelli, have both seen significant playing time.
While Sayreville’s dominance has given it an edge, Cook knows things are only going to get tougher for her girls as they head into the GMC and state tournaments. In addition, on Jan. 31, the Bombers were scheduled to face South Brunswick High School, a Red Division squad with a 14-2 overall record and an eight-game winning streak.
“That’s why the win over Morristown was so important,” Cook said. “They’re a top team and they played very well. Our girls rose to the occasion, though, and took over the second half. It was a good experience because they’ll need to play that way in the tournaments.”