It was a wild scene at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River in the moments after Roselle Catholic bested St. Anthony in the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship game, with fans and players celebrating throughout the gym.
But Roselle Catholic's Isaiah Briscoe didn't looked overwhelmed. He was calm as he took in the scene, talking to friends and family about what he had just done.
He looked calm in the final moments of the game against St. Anthony as well. His 24 points (12 in the fourth quarter), eight rebounds, five assists, a block and two steals were key in Roselle Catholic's victory, the crowning performance for Briscoe, a Star-Ledger First Team All-State selection for 2013-14.
"Games like this are just amazing," the 6-3, 215-pound Briscoe said. "The scenery, the support, the game. Just everything. This is why I came here."
Briscoe transferred to 2013 Tournament of Champions winner Roselle Catholic over the summer from St. Benedict's, where he helped the Newark squad end St. Anthony's 83-game winning streak last winter.
"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games," Roselle Catholic coach Dave Boff said. "That's what he did. When the chips were down and we needed a bucket, Isaiah really stepped up."
While Roselle Catholic struggled at times throughout the season, Briscoe was a consistent scoring threat and also facilitated the offense, averaging 18.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, five assists and two steals per game.
Roselle Catholic fell to Newark East Side in the Tournament of Champions semifinals. But with Briscoe returning, along with most of the roster, the future is bright in Roselle.