Another Hudson County title for Bayonne girls

Veteran Bayonne High School girls' basketball coach James Turner knew that there was only one way to defeat Union City in the Hudson County Tournament championship game Saturday afternoon. Simply put, the Bees had to lace and tighten their collective sneakers, look deep inside their collective souls and play defense against one of the top offensive teams in the county. If the Bees were to collect yet another county crown, it had to be on the defensive end of the floor. "It was all about defense," Turner said. "We had to blitz them. I knew that the game would be won or lost in the first quarter." The Bees certainly did exactly that. They shut the Soaring Eagles out early on, outscoring Union City, 11-0, in the opening stages. It was almost a carbon copy of the last time there was a county tournament in Hudson County. In 2020, the Bees raced out to an early lead in the title game against Hudson Catholic, scoring the game's first 13 points, and never looked back. Saturday in the same location (High Tech High School in Secaucus), it was like deja vu all over again. The Bees grabbed the early double digit lead and never trailed, securing a 39-23 win over the Soaring Eagles, to capture the eighth county crown in Turner's career and the astounding and almost unthinkable 27th county title in the school's history. The prior 19 county titles were captured under the guidance and leadership of legendary Hall of Fame coach Jeff Stabile. Turner offered his team some sound advice right before the opening tip. "I told them that we had been here before (there was no county tournament held last year due to COVID-19) and that they should not let the game be bigger than you," Turner said. "I told them that they couldn't panic and that they should just play their game." The Bees' three seniors, namely Eniya Scott (headed to Fairleigh Dickinson-Teaneck in the fall on a scholarship), Julyssa Moody and Jalaiyah Smith all played like the poised senior leaders that they are. While Scott didn't have her best game, she was definitely in control and wouldn't allow the Soaring Eagles (making their first-ever appearance in a county title game) to make any sustainable run. "I think being here before made this one a little less nervewracking," Scott said. "I think we were definitely able to prepare for this game because we had been here before."

Moody agreed. "I think it helped because everyone knew their assignments," Moody said. "The first quarter set the tone for the entire game. You never know. They could have hit a couple of threes and got right back into it. But we wouldn't let it happen." Union City head coach Carlos Cueto knew that his team was in trouble after that first quarter, when there appeared to be a lid on the Soaring Eagles' basket. Nothing they threw up went in. "When you're playing a good veteran team, a team with good experience, it's tough to come back against," Cueto said. "We had a chance, cutting it to six in the third quarter, but then they hit two big shots and that was it. The pressure got to us early and we couldn't respond to it. They were ready to play and we weren't." The two teams split their games in the regular season, but this time, it was all Bayonne, like the experienced team they are. The Soaring Eagles have a relatively young roster and they will be back, although losing senior guard Erika Mercedes will be a big one to overcome. Turner knows that his team will be ready for another challenge next season. "This is as good as it gets," Turner said. "It never gets old. I think it's good for the school and the community. Other girls will see us win and want to be a part of it. But the bottom line here was that we played defense." Holding a team to just 23 points in a county championship game? Yeah, that's as good as it gets.