By Wayne Witkowski
Ryan Devine of New Egypt High School’s boys’ basketball team did not want the season to end until the Warriors reached the NJSIAA Group I championship game.
Devine seemed intent on that mission when he scored 32 points, including seven 3-point shots, for the sixth-seeded Warriors in beating third-seeded Middlesex County Vocational School Perth Amboy, 48-44, in the Central Jersey, Group I quarterfinals. He has 79 3-pointers this season.
However, Bound Brook High School had other ideas in the semifinals when it pulled away to a 64-47 victory on its home court March 5.
“They had a great game plan. One of their coaches had come to at least 10, maybe 15, of our games,” Devine said. “They seemed to know and be ready for every move we made. It was tough for us to run our stuff the way we wanted, and they made their shots.”
Bound Brook (20-6) led, 17-12, after the first quarter and 30-20 at halftime before padding the lead to 50-31 entering the final quarter. Evan Brown led Bound Brook with 22 points, and Kyle Fraunheim chipped in 17 with five 3-pointers. Three players ended up in double figures for Bound Brook.
Owen Rabb was the only one in double figures for New Egypt with 13 points. Devine and Quinn Kimmick each were held to eight points.
New Egypt (16-12) would have liked to have won that game for another reason. The other team in the sectional finals is Burlington City High School, and New Egypt would have liked to have a shot at avenging two losses during the season. Burlington City and Florence Township Memorial High School shared first place in the Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division at 10-2. New Egypt finished right behind at 9-3.
“We always worked hard on defense,” Define said. “Defense comes first and then the offense comes off it.”
Devine, who is pondering a college career from among Gettysburg College, Bard College, Dickinson College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is one of only three seniors on the team and finished with a team-best 14 points a game. He is the only senior who saw considerable playing time. Rabb, Kimmick, Anthony Burr and Matt Dempsey lead the junior-laden roster of players returning next season.
Rabb averaged 13.8 points and a team-best seven rebounds. He also had a team-high 36 steals. Kimmick scored 9.3 points a game. Burr had 84 assists and scored eight points a game.
They’ll provide a solid nucleus to continue the success of a team that’s been on an upswing the past two years.