Bound Brook’s Donovan Nwenyi shoots a three against Bernards in the second half of Thursday night’s 47-41 victory over Bernards.
They met three times, and each time Bound Brook came away with a victory.
The first time was on the road, the second time was at home, both in the regular season. The third time was Thursday night in the Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division semifinals, and Bound Brook pulled out a 47-42 victory as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.
Quadir Harrell had a game-high 16, while Cam’rom Summers had 12 points and 10 boards to record a double-double.
It was a low-scoring game early, with the teams tied 5-5 at the end of one quarter, a hint we looked headed for another low-scoring affair like the first time the teams met, a 39-33 Crusader victory.
But things picked up, as Bound Brook hit nine threes in the game. Bernards’ senior Jordan Insler hit four of his own, the most of anyone, which got the Mountaineers – who trailed by 13 at the half – as close as a single possession in the fourth quarter, trailing by three more than past the midway point of the final stanza.
But the Crusaders just had the extra edge.
And now Bound Brook has won 22 straight against the Mountaineers; their last loss to Bernards came on January 16th, 2009, a 56-51 road loss.
Fourth-seed Bernards drops to 8-4, while top-seed Bound Brook improves to 13-0, and moves on to the Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division Championship Game Saturday at 1 pm against 3rd-seed Immaculata, which had a bye after both its potential semifinal opponents failed to play their first-round game due to separate COVID-related issues; Pingry’s whole athletic department is shut down, while North Hunterdon is in contact tracing protocol due to COVID issues that shut down Ridge.
Click below to hear Dom Savino’s postgame reaction with Bound Brook players and coach Anthony Melesurgo: