Hartford Public knocks off SMSA to win inaugural Greater Hartford Conference boys basketball title

HARTFORD – Jaiden Booth poured in 29 points and Jorge Nieves controlled the paint for 12 as No. 2 Hartford Public held off top-seeded Sport & Medical Sciences Academy 57-54 Wednesday night, claiming the first-ever Greater Hartford Conference boys basketball championship before a capacity crowd at SMSA’s home gym.

The Owls never trailed in the rubber match of a season-long trilogy, opening a 15-point cushion late in the third quarter and surviving a late Tigers barrage that trimmed the deficit to a single possession in the final minute.

“We lost to them two times in a row; we couldn’t do it three,” said Booth, who also canned a pair of 3-pointers and went 13-for-14 from the foul line. “The emotions were high. The intensity was high today. We needed this win.”

Hartford Public (17-6) seized early momentum, leading 15-11 after one quarter and 25-20 at halftime. A 17-4 third-quarter burst—highlighted by Sasha Elia’s baseline drive, Booth’s transition triple and Ja’meer Jefferson’s fast-break finish—stretched the advantage to 42-27 with 2:12 left in the period.

SMSA (20-3), the league’s regular-season kingpin at 16-0, answered with a 9-1 surge capped by Elijah Williams’ buzzer-beating three from the top of the key, trimming the gap to 43-36 entering the fourth.

Williams and back-court mate JaShaun Jernigan took over from there, combining for five fourth-quarter 3-pointers and relentless full-court pressure that whittled the Owls’ lead to 54-51 with 1:08 remaining. A clutch corner triple from coach Leo Ramirez’s son, Leo Ramirez Jr., and a press-breaking drive by Booth provided just enough breathing room, as SMSA’s last three looks from deep rimmed out in the closing seconds.

“That was amazing,” Ramirez said, his sweat-soaked Owls Basketball hoodie testament to the drama. “Both teams from Hartford, you couldn’t picture it any better, and it was a great game.”

Williams finished with 19 points and Jernigan added 18 for the Tigers, who were seeking their first GHC crown after relocating from the NCCC, where they had captured five league titles—including four straight from 2021-24. Instead, Hartford Public flipped the script, avenging two regular-season defeats and setting a high bar for future championship games in the rebranded conference.

The victory also propels both city rivals into the CIAC tournament as No. 3 seeds—SMSA in Division III and Hartford Public in Division V—each receiving a bye into Tuesday’s second round. The Owls await the winner of Valley Regional vs. GHC foe Comp Sci, while the Tigers will host either Sheehan or South Windsor.

“We were hungry,” Nieves said. “We lost twice. We definitely weren’t losing the third time, especially in the conference final.”

Hartford Public 15 10 18 14 – 57 SMSA 11 9 16 18 – 54

Hartford Public: Booth 29, Nieves 12, L. Ramirez 5, Elia 4, Mitchell 3, Jefferson 2, Olmeda 2. SMSA: Williams 19, Jernigan 18, Rios 9, Del Valle 8.