Enfield Prevails in Final Crosstown Hoop Matchup

ENFIELD, CT - All the elements were in place for an outstanding basketball game Thursday night - a capacity crowd cheering, the pep band rocking, the emotions of Senior Night - and the boys from Enfield and Fermi high schools did not disappoint.

In the end, Kumar Brown proved to be an unstoppable force inside, pouring in 32 points to lead Enfield to a 68-58 victory in the Fermi gym, in the last game ever between the two teams.

Next year, the schools will be combined into a consolidated Enfield High School campus.

Fermi, the visiting team despite playing in its home gym, came out fired up, grabbing an early 7-3 lead and holding a 16-12 advantage after one quarter.

The Raiders came back to tie the game at 29-29, then a Brown putback at the buzzer sent Enfield into intermission with a 31-29 lead.

Shots fell like rain for both teams in the third period, with the Raiders outscoring the Falcons 24-20 in those eight minutes for a 55-49 margin heading into the final quarter. Fermi could not narrow the gap, enabling Enfield to win its fifth game in the last seven outings, cementing a berth in the Class M state tournament in the process.

Anthony Jimenez scored 15 points and Kyle Smith added 11 for the Raiders, who finished 9-11 after a 1-7 start.

Colin O’Connell led the Falcons with 20 points. Josh Pasini, in his final game, tallied 19 points, while Brandon Lucas had 13.

Photo credits: Tim Jensen