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Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–July 9, 2010

READING, PA–On Friday, GMC Hoops traveled down to Albright College in Reading to take in some of the action from the first day at the 2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp. St. Joseph’s was the only team from the Greater Middlesex Conference that participated in this camp along with a number of other teams from around New Jersey including St. Patrick’s, Lakewood, Point Pleasant Beach, Union, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and Pope John among others.

The Falcons were the focal point of our coverage with summaries on their games against Theodore Roosevelt of Washington D.C. in the first round of the winners bracket from the American Division, and versus Cumberland Valley in the consolation bracket. However, the site does have analysis and results on this event as well. Sixty-four teams competed in this two day event across two divisions in tournament style play.

Theodore Roosevelt Of DC Hangs On To Edge St. Joe’s, 46-42

Last year, the Falcons won their first two games at Eastern with victories over a team from Turkey in the opening round, and a defeat of Bishop Ireton from Maryland in the second round before slipping against eventual finalist, Pennington in the quarterfinals. This year though was a bit different for the Green Birds as they lost several seniors from this past season including Penn bound Steve Rennard. Despite the fact that the Falcons lost a great deal of talent and experience from this past season’s GMCT Champion, Quenton DeCosey is still returning along with reserves such as Slay Sudah, Brandon Dolan, Kevin Mayce, and Ace Sudah along with incoming sophomores James Ziemba and Jimbo Long. So, expect the Falcons to still be in at least the GMC top five entering 2010-11.

The Falcons had a tough matchup in the first round with a taller and longer squad in Theodore Roosevelt from the Washington D.C. area. Although they arrived late, the Roughriders were ready to go for their opening round matchup with St. Joe’s. Roosevelt, which competes in the Western Division of the DCIAA, went 9-11 last season. Two years ago, Theodore Roosevelt played for the Washington D.C. city championship after winning the DCIAA by downing long time powerhouse, Dunbar, to play for its first city wide title since 1972. The Falcons had trouble with the taller and athletic Roughriders, but battled to the very end before bowing out 46-42. For the game, Theodore Roosevelt went 19 of 50 from the field for 38 percent including two of eight from three point range while St. Joseph’s went 15 of 56 from the floor for only 27 percent including a 4 of 22 effort from three point range.

At the free throw line, St. Joe’s was better than its opponent, and that along with its defense, kept it in the game. The Falcons were 8 of 12 from the line while Roosevelt was only 6 of 17 from the charity stripe. The Green Birds also committed 16 turnovers, but the Roughriders only got seven points off those turnovers while St. Joe’s scored 11 points off of 15 TRHS turnovers. In other statistical areas, St. Joseph’s had a slight rebounding edge (36-35) including a 13-11 edge on the offensive glass. Neither team was able to cash in on their second chance opportunities as the Falcons only had three second chance points versus four for the Roughriders. Theodore Roosevelt also had more assists (10-7) and blocks (6-4) while St. Joseph’s had more steals (6-5). The Roughriders had a lead as big as nine midway through the second half before the Falcons rallied with a 15-9 spurt to pull within three with 1:30 to play, but couldn’t get any closer.

Despite shooting 3 of 27 from the floor including an 0 of 8 showing from three, soon to be junior, Quenton DeCosey went five of six at the line for a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. He also collected three assists, three blocks, and two steals. Nevertheless, DeCosey appeared bothered by Roosevelt’s defenders, which made him work for everything he got, and thoroughly thwarted him for much of the game. Jimbo Long tried to pick up the slack offensively as he was more assertive offensively, but he also struggled by making 3 of 10 from the floor including two of six from three for 9 points along with 3 blocks, 3 steals, an assist, and a block. Brandon Dolan (5 points and 4 rebounds) and Kevin Mayce (4 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal) helped round out the rest of the scoring.

The game was played in two 16 minute halves so it was a 32 minute game as supposed to the usual forty minutes that are played in summer league contests. Teddy Roosevelt got on the board first with a three pointer from the left wing for a 3-0 edge at the 13:02. Long tied the game up at 3-3 with a three of his own before Roosevelt went ahead with a jumper, and then a one of two showing from the line at the 12:34 mark for a 6-3 lead. A little over a minute later, the Roughriders scored a basket while being fouled for a traditional three point play at the 11:31 mark for a 9-3 advantage. On the Falcons next possession, Long drew a foul, and hit the first of two foul shots. He missed the second, but Dolan was able to get the offensive rebound. Unfortunately, St. Joe’s was unable to take advantage of the second opportunity as Theodore Roosevelt still led by a 9-4 margin at the 11:18 mark.

St. Joseph’s pulled within three when DeCosey followed his own miss, and drew a foul that resulted in two foul shots at the 10:31 mark for a 9-6 score. Nearly two minutes later, Falcons head coach, Dave Turco went big by putting in Ziemba (2 points and 6 rebounds), and the soon to be sophomore went to work early by going to the line, and making one of two for a 9-7 Roughrider lead at the 8:32 mark. The Green Birds then tied the game at 9-9 up as Dolan scored on a layup off a steal for the team’s first field goal in 4:30 before Theodore Roosevelt called for time with 8:06 to go in the first half. St. Joe’s actually took the lead when DeCosey drove in for a layup from the left wing for an 11-9 edge at the 7:30 mark. However, Roosevelt quickly tied things up with a basket while being fouled at the 7:06 mark for an 11-11 tie.

St. Joe’s went back in front at 14-11 on a three from the right wing off a pass by DeCosey with 5:29 to play in the half. A little over a minute later, Greg Patton (2 points and 2 rebounds) got his only points of the game with a rebound and a drive upcourt for a layup, and a 16-11 lead with 4:14 to go in the half. Teddy Roosevelt got back on the board to pull within three, and had a chance to close the gap to one, but missed both free throws at the 3:24 mark, and the score remained 16-13 in favor of the Falcons. The Roughriders did eventually draw within one on an offensive rebound and follow at the 1:50 mark for a 16-15 score. DeCosey made two foul shots at the 1:33 mark for an 18-15 lead, but TRHS closed within one again with a transition layup for a 18-17 score at the 1:19 mark.

Ziemba made one of two from the line at the 1:15 mark for a 19-17 lead, but Theodore Roosevelt closed out the half with the final five points including a three pointer on its very next trip down the floor for a 20-19 advantage with exactly a minute to go in the half. Then, the Roughriders got a basket and a foul with 21 seconds to go in the period, but missed the bonus free throw for a conventional three point play, and the score ended up 22-19 going into the intermission. In the second half, Roosevelt started out with a 12-6 spurt over the initial 7:50 for its largest lead of the game, and held off the late charge by the Falcons to win the game. Roosevelt began the second half with a 4-2 run over the first 3:05 including a layup for a 26-21 lead at the 12:55 mark. Long accounted for the only Falcon points with a steal for a layup.

TRHS had a chance to go up even further, but their foul shooting again prevented them by missing two charity shots at the 12:12 mark. However, the Roughriders were able to briefly increase its lead with a pump fake and short shot over DeCosey for a 28-21 lead with 11:45 to play. DeCosey responded though with an offensive rebound and follow prior to a Falcons timeout at the 11:12 mark. Theodore Roosevelt went on a 6-2 run following the stoppage for a 34-25 lead. Nick Straughn (2 of 2 FGs for 4 points adn a rebound), who was just getting back into the swing of things after experiencing an injury during the spring, accounted for the only scoring during the 3:02 stretch with a layup. St. Joe’s began to battle back as DeCosey swiped a steal, passed to Mayce, who dished to Dolan for a three from the left wing, and a 34-28 Roosevelt lead at the 6:35 mark.

DeCosey then added a layup, and drew a foul on a subsequent trip that resulted in one of two from the foul line, and a 36-31 Roughrider lead. The Falcons continued to face an uphill battle though as Roosevelt scored for a 38-31 lead before Mayce came up with a steal for a layup that pulled St. Joe’s within five again at 38-33. Theodore Roosevelt then made one of two at the line for a 39-33 score at the 4:21 mark before Slay Sudah (2 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) got into the act with a strong drive from the right side for a layup that closed the gap to 39-35 with 3:19 left. Roosevelt then got a score to go back up by six before Mayce connected on a jumper from Sudah at the 2:15 mark for a 41-37 score. The Roughriders went up by six again, but Sudah continued to try to keep his team in the contest by passing to Long for a three from the right wing that cut the deficit in half at 43-40 with 1:30 to play.

Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to get any closer. Teddy Roosevelt got a rare two free throws with 1:23 to play for a 45-40 lead, and then another free throw late to seal the 46-42 victory to advance to the second round of the winners bracket to face the Potomac School of Virgina while St. Joseph’s faced off against Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania in the consolation bracket.

St. Joseph’s Survives Late Run To Defeat Cumberland Valley, 57-51

The second game of the day for St. Joe’s took place at 2:30 PM against Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania over at Reading Senior High School. Both of these teams lost their opening round games in the American Division tourney at the HG Elite Team Camp as the Falcons lost to the Roughriders of Theodore Roosevelt from Washington D.C. while Cumberland Valley lost its opener to the Potomac School of Virginia. The Falcons played better offensively in the contest, but still had some difficulties as Cumberland Valley hung tough throughout, especially in a high scoring second half that saw a five point lead with less than three minutes to go evaporated to a one point deficit after a 6-0 Cumberland Valley run made the score, 51-50 with just under two minutes to play.

However, St. Joseph’s found a way to win as Quenton DeCosey got a layup for a 52-51 lead at the 1:35 mark, and handed out an assist on a Kevin Mayce layup for a 54-51 lead with 1:14 left en route to a 7-0 finish, and a 57-51 victory. For the game, St. Joe’s made 24 of 49 shots overall for 49 percent while limiting Cumberland Valley to 21 of 54 shots for 39 percent. The Eagles, which went 5-14 last season in the Commonwealth Division of the Mid-Penn League, kept hanging around in this contest thanks to a 12-0 edge from beyond the arc as they made 4 of 14 shots from three. The Falcons also only made 9 of 17 from the foul line while Cumberland Valley made 5 of 11. In other statistical areas, St. Joseph’s had a 30-23 edge on the boards including a 10-8 advantage on the offensive glass. However, the Eagles had more blocks (3-1) and second chance points (6-4). The Falcons had more assists (15-8) and charges (1-0), but Cumberland Valley had more steals (12-7), and fewer turnovers (13-16).

St. Joe’s was able to take better advantage of its opponents turnovers by scoring 15 points off of Eagle miscues while Cumberland Valley scored 12 points off of St. Joseph’s mistakes. DeCosey turned in another double-double performance (his third of the summer in games covered by GMC Hoops). He again had some struggles from the floor making 6 of 16 shots, but scored 15 points, collected 10 rebounds, and handed out two assists. Kevin Mayce had a greater presence in this game, and when he does well, the Falcons tend to do well in the win column so far this summer. The soon to be senior made 7 of 10 shots for 14 points along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and the game’s only charge. Jimbo Long also chipped in again with 4 of 8 shooting from the floor and 3 of 6 from the foul line for 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Nick Straughn (5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Slay Sudah (4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal) helped round out the scoring for the Green Birds, which advanced to play another game at 7:10 PM.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 7-4 lead as Mayce connected on two of his first three shots while Slay Sudah converted a traditional three point play at the 13:26 mark. Ace Sudah (2 points and a steal) got his only points of the game when he swiped a steal for a layup, and a 9-4 lead, but Cumberland Valley fought back with a 4-0 run before St. Joe’s called for time at the 11:32 mark, and the score 9-8 in its favor. The Eagles had a chance to go ahead, but they missed two free throws at the 10:26 mark, but they would get redeemed by forcing a steal, and then scoring on a follow while being fouled for a three point play, and an 11-9 lead. Straughn then made one of two at the line for an 11-10 Eagle lead at the 9:02 mark. Cumberland Valley then connected on a three pointer from the left wing at the eight minute mark for a 14-10 lead, but Mayce prevented the Eagles from going up by more when he drew a charge at the 6:54 mark.

The Falcons seized the momentum created by Mayce’s charge as DeCosey made one of two from the line after Mayce scored a layup off an assist from Albert Myers III (2 points, an assist, and a block) to close the gap to 14-13 with 4:54 to go in the half. Twenty seconds later, the Green Birds went out in front as Long made one of two from the line, and Mayce got the offensive board on the missed second shot, and put in the follow for a 16-14 lead at the 4:34 mark. Mayce got another offensive rebound and follow, and Slay Sudah made one of two from the line at the 1:20 mark for a 19-16 lead, but Cumberland Valley evened things up at 19-19 with a three pointer from the left wing at the 1:05 mark. DeCosey gave the Falcons the edge going into the brief intermission by making two foul shots at the 46 second mark for a 21-19 score.

St. Joseph’s shot 7 of 24 overall from the floor in the first half while Cumberland Valley was 8 of 29 from the floor in the opening period. The Eagles were 2 of 6 from three while the Falcons were 0 of 4. St. Joe’s made 6 of 11 foul shots while Cumberland Valley made one of five. The Eagles had the edge in turnovers (5-7), but St. Joe’s cashed in for seven points off of turnovers, and scored four second chance points. Mayce was five of eight from the floor for 10 points along with 5 rebounds in the first half. The offenses picked up dramatically in the second half as St. Joseph’s outscored Cumberland Valley by a 36-32 margin as it hit 17 of 25 shots in the final twenty minutes while the Eagles were 13 of 25. CVHS began the second half with a 4-0 run to take a 23-21 lead before Slay Sudah drove and dished to Mayce for a layin at the 14:23 mark that made the score, 23-23.

DeCosey, who scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half, got a basket while being fouled for a 25-23 edge before the Eagles fought back with four straight points for a 27-25 lead at the 13 minute mark. DeCosey then grabbed two offensive rebounds off his own misses, and put in a follow to end a 6-0 run by Cumberland Valley for a 29-27 Eagle lead at the 12:15. DeCosey then tied things up at 29-29 with a jumper off a dish by Slay Sudah at the 11:26 mark. Cumberland Valley replied with a 5-0 run including a three for a 34-29 lead before DeCosey connected on a bank shot to make the score 34-31. The Eagles then made two from the foul line at the 8:46 mark for a 36-31 advantage. On the next St. Joe’s possession, Long scored a layin as he was fouled, but missed the bonus free throw for a 36-33 lead with 8:30 remaining.

Cumberland Valley then netted two free throws at the 7:59 mark for a 38-33 lead, but the Falcons got the points back right away as Long drove and dished to James Ziemba (2 points and 2 rebounds) for a layup as he was fouled for a 38-35 Eagles lead with 7:20 to go. The Central Pennsylvania team seemed to have control of the game with a 5-0 run over the next minute or so for a 43-35 lead, but the Falcons continued to hang in there with a 6-0 burst including scores by Myers III and Long with the latter set up by a steal and assist by Straughn for a 43-41 Eagles lead at the 5:23 mark. A short time later, Straughn got another steal and drove in for a layup that tied the score at 43-43 with 4:51 left. The Falcons then scored seven of the next nine points including a nice reverse layup by Long at the 3:04 mark to cap a 15-2 tear for a 50-45 lead with two and a half minutes remaining.

However, the game continued to have dramatic shifts of momentum as Cumberland Valley remarkably scored six unanswered points in a little more than a half minute for a 51-50 lead. The rally was capped by a steal for a layup at the 1:55 mark. However, the Eagles would not score for the rest of the game as St. Joe’s rallied back for the victory. First, DeCosey, who got all six of his field goals in the second half, scored on a layup at the 1:35 mark for a 52-51 lead. Then, the soon to be junior handed out an assist on Mayce’s final field goal of the game for a 54-51 lead with 1:14 to play. The Falcons then sealed the hard fought, 57-51 win with three more points to go even in its first two games at the HG Elite Team Camp. Cumberland Valley dropped to 0-2 on the camp.

GMC Hoops thanks the Hoop Group for their assistance, the folks at Meg’s Cafe for their hospitality during the camp.

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Analysis

READING, PA–On Friday, GMC Hoops took the long two hundred mile round trip to Albright College and back to see the 2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp. There was only one team from the Greater Middlesex Conference that participated among the 64 teams in two divisions. Each division: American and National, had a 32 team tournament that last over two days, Friday and Saturday with games on the campus of Albright as well as nearby Reading High School.

GMC Hoops saw games at both Albright and RHS. The site took a long walk up the road to Reading High School, and found some fascinating things. One thing was the fact that you could find an Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and college all on the same street in Reading. Another interesting fact was the rich basketball history and tradition at Reading High School. The Red Knights are one of the dominant teams in Berks County as well as District III and Central Pennsylvania with titles dating back to 1917. In addition, Donyell Marshall, a standout at both Connecticut and in the NBA, played at the school, and has his number retired. His jersey hangs in a corner of the gym.

Getting back to the games, GMC Hoops arrived about ten minutes before St. Joseph’s took on Theodore Roosevelt of Washington D.C. in the American Division’s Winners Bracket opening round matchup. St. Joe’s wound up losing the game by a score of 46-42. Theodore Roosevelt had a tough time with the Falcons though. Despite having a size advantage, and limiting the Falcons to just 15 of 59 from the floor, TRHS didn’t have a lead bigger than nine points, and that didn’t come until midway through the second half. St. Joe’s also managed to cut into that deficit, and was within striking distance at the end. In the second game, the Falcons had some struggles against Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania in a contest from the consolation bracket, but they were able to pull things out with a 57-51 victory.

St. Joseph’s shot 24 of 49 from the floor, and scored 15 points off of Cumberland Valley turnovers. Quenton DeCosey, who was really bothered by the taller and longer players from Theodore Roosevelt, and only went 3 of 27 in the four point loss, was much better as he made six field goals and three of five from the line for 15 points along with 10 rebounds for a double-double. DeCosey actually had a double-double in both games covered by GMC Hoops on Friday despite shooting a combined 9 of 43 from the field. He averaged 13 points and 11.5 rebounds per game over the two contests. Kevin Mayce had a much bigger impact in the second game with a 7 of 10 shooting performance for 14 points along with 6 rebounds in the victory over Cumberland Valley. One thing that has been noticed so far this summer with St. Joe’s is when Mayce does well, the team does well.

Jimbo Long was more aggressive on offense in the two games at the Hoop Group Elite Team Camp. Along with DeCosey and Mayce, he had a positive impact in the victory over Cumberland Valley with a 5 of 10 shooting performance including a one of three showing from beyond the arc along with 3 of 6 from the foul line for 14 points. He also collected 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Over the two games, Long went 8 of 20 from the floor including 3 of 9 from three for an average of 11.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, and 2 steals per game. St. Joseph’s limited their opponents to a combined 40 of 104 from the floor in the two contests while forcing 28 turnovers. The Falcons scored 26 points off of those turnovers. Other teams from New Jersey that participated in this event included St. Patrick’s, Union, Scotch Plains, Point Pleasant Beach, and Pope John among others.

Union won its first round game over Philadephia Electric, which took place at RHS while Scotch Plains rallied to defeat Trinidad in a consolation bracket game. The Raiders held a 34-31 lead with about eight minutes to play when Trinidad went on a 10-0 run to take a 41-34 lead with a little more than four minutes left. Scotch Plains pulled out the win though with the final nine points for a 43-41 win. The Raiders advanced to play Bullis of Maryland, which actually defeated Reading on their home court in another consolation game. In other action, Shipley of Pennsylvania defeated Cedar Cliff of PA (61-56), Potomac Pride edged Hershey of Pennsylvania (59-52), and Philly Electric soundly defeated Pope John (85-41). GMC Hoops always enjoys the long trip out to Reading. It is an interesting drive that takes the site through a rural section of Eastern Pennsylvania including the Amish Country. This was the second year in a row the site traveled to Reading, and this year was much more enjoyable than last.

A more detailed article on the two games involving St. Joseph’s will be forthcoming in the blog.

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Some Results–Day One–July 9th

READING, PA–On Friday, GMC Hoops traveled out to the Hoop Group Elite Team Camp that is taking place until Saturday at Albright College. There are two divisions of 32 teams competing in a winners bracket and consolation bracket tourney format. St. Joseph’s is the only team from the GMC competing in this event. Below are the results from day one of this event.

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Day One–Some Results–July 9, 2010

• Theodore Roosevelt (D.C.) 46–St. Joseph’s 42
• St. Joseph’s 57–Cumberland Valley (PA) 51
• Union over Philadelphia Electric
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood 43–Trinidad 41
• Bullis (MD) 66–Reading (PA) 56
• Shipley (PA) 61–Cedar Cliff (PA) 56
• Potomac Pride 59–Hershey (PA) 52
• Philadelphia Electric 85–Pope John 41

GMC Hoops will have a summary on the action involving St. Joseph’s from the first day of this camp soon.

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Opening Round Matchups

READING, NJ–GMC Hoops has the pairings for both the American Division and National Division Tournaments in this year’s Hoop Group Elite Team Camp, which will be played at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania on July 9th and 10th. There are 64 teams competing in this event from 10 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad. One team from the GMC, St. Joseph’s, is competing in this two day event. Below is the opening round matchup for the Falcons on July 9th.

• St. Joseph’s vs. Theodore Roosevelt (DC), 11:00 AM, Court GM 9

GMC Hoops plans to take the long journey out to Albright College on July 9th to take in some of the action from this team camp.

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Teams

READING, PA–On Thursday afternoon, GMC Hoops received information from the Hoop Group on the HG Elite Team Camp that is being held at Albright College. The camp, which was formerly known as the Eastern Invitational Team Camp, has a total of 64 schools spread across two divisions in this camp including two from the GMC: Monroe and St. Joseph’s. Below is a list of all the schools in the American and National Divisions:

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–American Division

• St. Joseph’s
• Bishop McDevitt (PA)
• Bowie (MD)
• Bullis (MD)
• Caesar Rodney (DE)
• Cedar Cliff (PA)
• Cumberland Valley (PA)
• Denbigh (VA)
• Eastern York (PA)
• Father Judge (PA)
• Frederick Douglas (NY)
• Good Counsel (MD)
• Hershey (PA)
• Hill Career (CT)
• Penn Hills (PA)
• Philadelphia Electrical Technology (PA)
• Point Pleasant Beach
• Pope John
• Potomac School (VA)
• Potomac Pride WCHS (VA)
• Pottstown (PA)
• Reading (PA)
• St. Alban’s (DC)
• St. Joseph’s
• Scotch Plains
• Scranton (PA)
• Shipley (PA)
• Sussex Tech (DE)
• Tasis (PR)
• Theodore Roosevelt (DC)
• Trinidad
• Union
• York (PA)

2010 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–National Division

• Bishop Ireton (MD)
• Bishop McNamara (MD)
• Boys-Girls (NY)
• Chestnut Hill (PA)
• Davidson Day (NC)
• Eleanor Roosevelt (MD)
• Flint (MD)
• Gonzaga (DC)
• Henninger (NY)
• Hill School (PA)
• Hun School
• Imhotep Charter (PA)
• Jamesville Dewitt (MD)
• Lakewood
• Largo (MD)
• Lincoln (NY)
• Neumann Goretti (PA)
• Paul VI (MD)
• Peddie
• Penn Wood (PA)
• Pocono Mountain East (PA)
• Pougkeepsie (NY)
• Prep Charter (PA)
• Roman Catholic (PA)
• St. Patrick’s
• St. Paul’s (MD)
• St. Raymond’s (NY)
• St. Rita’s (IL)
• South Shore (NY)
• Thomas Jefferson (NY)
• Westtown (PA)
• Xaverian (NY)

Note: –GMC Hoops plans to take the long trip out to Reading on Friday, July 9th.

Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–July 9, 2009

READING, PA–On Thursday, GMC Hoops made its second trip to Pennsylvania within the past eight months as it visited Albright College to take in some of the action from the first day of the 2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp. This team camp had a total of 64 teams competing in two separate brackets: National and American. Two of the teams playing were from the Greater Middlesex Conference: Monroe and St. Joseph’s. The St. Joe’s Falcons won their opening round game against a team from Turkey while Monroe defeated Holy Redeemer. Both schools were playing in the American Division team tournament. See the results from both tournaments. In the Round of 16, St. Joseph’s was taking on Bishop Ireton of Alexandria, Virginia while Monroe was facing off against Bowie of Mississippi.

Morgan Leads The Way As Falcons Pull Away In Second Half To Defeat Bishop Ireton, 55-36

In the first of the two games GMC Hoops saw at this year’s Hoop Group Elite Team Camp, which was previously known as the Eastern Invitational Team Camp, St. Joe’s took on the Cardinals of Bishop Ireton located in Alexandria, Virginia. This past season, Bishop Ireton went 5-23 overall and 1-16 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, which includes the likes of national powerhouses such as DeMatha and Gonzaga, which competed in the National Division bracket this year. Over the past four years, the Cardinals have struggled in the rugged WCAC with a 27-92 overall record, and a 6-67 mark in conference play.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph’s is competing at this camp for the fourth straight year, and the Falcons were looking to go farther than just the first round. Coming to this camp with St. Joe’s was Steve Rennard, Robbie Ashamole, Nick Contino, Eric Peterson, Andrew Morgan, Kevin Mayce, Nick Straughn, and Slay Sudah. In the contest, both teams played a competitive first half with the Falcons taking a 22-12 lead before the Cardinals rallied with an 8-2 run over the final 4:45 to pull within four at 24-20 going into halftime. In the second half though, the Falcons pulled away even with Rennard on the sidelines nursing a minor injury to his chin. Led by Morgan (13 points on 5 of 9 FG including 3 of 4 3PTR, 3 rebounds and 3 steals) St. Joseph’s outscored Bishop Ireton by a 31-16 margin in the game’s final 20 minutes. For the game, the Falcons shot 23 of 46 from the floor overall for 50 percent including a solid 4 of 12 effort from beyond the arc for 33 percent. At the line, St. Joe’s was just 5 of 10 from the floor, but collected 25 boards including 10 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 12 steals, 3 blocks, and a charge. St. Joseph’s committed 14 turnovers in 32 minutes of play.

Chipping in for the Falcons was Ashamole, who made 5 of 6 shots and 1 of 2 from the line for 11 points while pulling down 6 boards, blocking 2 shots, and handing out an assist. Before leaving the game at the 13:14 mark of the second half, Rennard had 7 points, 3 assists, a rebound, steal, and blocked shot. Soon to be junior, Nick Straughn also contributed with a 2 of 4 effort from the floor as well as a 1 of 1 showing at the line for 5 points, 2 assists, an offensive rebound, and a steal. St. Joe’s took a 1-0 lead early as Nick Contino drew a foul, and made one of two from the line at the 15:39 mark. Bishop Ireton then responded with two free throws at the 14:05 mark for a 2-1 lead. After stopping the Falcons at the other end, the Cardinals quickly came back down, and got two points when Rennard hit the net for a 4-1 lead with 13:46 to go in the half. Peterson (4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) got the Falcons back to within one at 4-3 by making both of his free throw attempts with 13:35 remaining in the half.

One minute later, St. Joseph’s took the lead as Ashamole scored on an offensive rebound and putback off a missed three point attempt by Rennard that made the score, 5-4 at the 12:35 mark. Bishop Ireton made another two foul shots to go back up by one, 6-5 with 11:50 to play in the first half, but then Peterson got his final points of the game on an offensive rebound and putback off his own miss for a 7-6 lead at the 11:22 mark. Up to this point in the contest, there had been five lead changes. However, there would be no more. Over the next 6:37, the Falcons outscored the Cardinals by a margin of 17-6 including a 6-0 burst that was highlighted by two Ashamole field goals off assists by Rennard and Peterson for an 11-6 lead as Bishop Ireton called for time at the 10:13 mark. Following the timeout, the Cardinals drew within four on a one of two showing from the foul line that made the score, 11-7 at the 9:44 mark. The Cardinals had a chance to get closer, but Morgan poked away a steal, and Rennard picked it up and raced downcourt for a layup while being fouled for a 13-7 lead with 8:36 to go in the half.

On its next possession, Bishop Ireton got a layup while being fouled by Rennard for a three point play that closed the gap to 13-10 with 8:08 to play before the intermission. A little over a minute later, the Falcons had a chance to go back up by five, but Rennard misfired on both free throw attempts with 7:02 to go before halftime. The soon to be senior, who has made an early commitment to Pennsylvania redeemed himself though by taking a pass from Mayce on the left wing, and making a three pointer for an 18-10 lead with 6:35 to go in the opening half. Rennard then scored again on a pull-up jumper from the left side for a 20-10 lead before Bishop Ireton, which only had two field goals to this point (one on an interference call), made its eighth free throw in nine attempts to trim the deficit to single digits again at 20-12 with 5:30 to play in the half.

St. Joe’s went back up by ten as Rennard found Mayce for a layup, but then Bishop Ireton connected on a jumper to close the gap again to eight at 22-14 with 4:24 to go before the break. The Cardinals then added another bucket to pull within six before Ashamole kicked out to Morgan for a jumper at the 3:00 mark for a 24-16 lead. Bishop Ireton finished off the half with a 4-0 run to get within four as the two teams went into the brief break with St. Joseph’s in front 24-20. In the opening half, the Falcons were 10 of 22 overall from the floor including just 1 of 7 from downtown, and made 3 of 7 at the line while turning the ball over 7 times. Rennard got all of his points in the half along with 2 assists, a rebound, steal, and blocked shot. Ashamole added 6 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a block while Morgan (4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Peterson (4 points, 6 rebounds, and an assist) each had four.

In the second half though, Morgan picked up 9 points on three treys to lead the Falcons to an impressive win. The soon to be senior guard, netted a three pointer from the top of the key to open the scoring in the final period for a 27-20 Falcon lead at the 14:33 mark. Thirty-seconds after that, Rennard made a fine alleyoop pass to Ashamole for a dunk following a Morgan steal to put St. Joe’s up by nine, 29-20 with 13:55 left. Soon afterward, Rennard left with a cut to his chin, but it didn’t affect the Falcons. Following a three pointer by Bishop Ireton to pull within six at 29-23 with 12:40 to play. Contino got his only field goal of the game off a drive for a layup that put the Falcons up by eight, 31-23 with 12:21 left. After a Cardinal timeout, Straughn made a nice drive and dish for a layin at the 10:52 mark, and a 33-23 lead. Bishop Ireton would get a field goal to close to within eight again, but Morgan then drained a three pointer from the left wing at the 9:47 mark for a 36-25 lead.

Following a 30 second timeout with 9:47 to go, St. Joseph’s scored 9 of the next 13 points including Morgan’s final three of the game to take a 45-29 lead, but the Cardinals showed some fight by scoring five straight points to pull within eleven at 45-34 with 4:47 to go. Fortunately for the Falcons, Bishop Ireton was unable to get any closer. Straughn came up with a three point play at the 4:24 mark for a 48-34 lead, and then scored again on a layup off a pass from Contino for a 50-34 lead. The Falcons, which closed the game with a 10-2 spurt, scored five of the last seven points for the 55-36 win. St. Joseph’s advanced with the win, but would lose in the Quarterfinals to Pennington.

Bowie Rolls Past Monroe Thanks To Strong First Half Finish, 68-41

In the final game of the day that GMC Hoops reported on before coming back to New Jersey, Monroe took on Bowie from Mississippi in another game from the American Division Tournament. The Purple Birds advanced by defeating Holy Redeemer while Bowie, which is located 5 miles Northwest of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, defeated the Bishops of Asbury Park. This game appeared to be very competitive at the start with a total of six lead changes and three ties over the first 10:45 while neither team held a lead bigger than four points. However, over the last 9:15 of the half, Bowie turned on the fullcourt pressure, and put together a 28-12 surge for a 39-24 lead at the intermission. From there, Bowie coasted with a a 29-17 showing over the first 17:02 of the second half before the game was halted with 2:58 left, and the Mississippi team leading, 68-41.

It was a difficult game for the Purple Birds. One of the toughest of the summer for a Monroe team that has played exceptionally well since competing in the Rebounds Spring League. For the game, Monroe Township was 16 of 51 from the floor including just 2 of 12 from three point range while making 7 of 14 from the foul line. In other statistical areas, the Falcons picked up only 19 rebounds including 7 on the offensive glass. Monroe did hand out 16 assists, and swipe 13 steals, but turned the ball over 18 times in 32 minutes. There was a bright spot though for the Purple Birds, and that was the play of soon to be senior, Timmy Brix. The Monroe forward picked up 14 points on 5 of 12 shooting from the field, and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line. Brix also collected 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 charges.

Bowie got on the board first with a layup at the 15:26 mark for the 2-0 lead. Monroe tied the game at 2-2 up a little more than a minute later when Danny Brix inbounded to his older brother for a layup underneath in the left low block. Following a timeout at the 14:12 mark, Bowie got a jumper from the right wing at the 14:05 mark, and then a fast break layup at the 13:06 mark to go ahead, 6-2. The Falcons fought back though as Timmy Brix found Kenny Pace (9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal), and then after Bowie came up empty on two attempts at the foul line, Pace scored again to tie the game up. However, Bowie raced back down for a fast break layup, and an 8-6 lead with 11:52 to go in the half. Monroe was able to keep pace though as Timmy Brix scored again, and then came up with a stop on the defensive end by drawing a charge at the 11:27 mark with the score tied at 8-8.

Monroe now had a chance to take the lead, but after being fouled, Danny Brix was unable to take advantage as he missed both foul shot attempts at the 11:17 mark, but his brother and Kenny Pace picked him up 16 seconds later when the former found the latter for a layup, and a 10-8 lead with 11:01 to go in the half. The elder Brix then followed that up with his second charge of the game at the 10:44 mark. However, Bowie overcame that to take the lead back on a traditional three point play at the 10:07 mark. Almost a minute later, soon to be junior Alex Vizcaino (2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal) passed to Timmy Brix for a layup, and Monroe’s final lead of the game at 12-11 with 9:15 to go in the first half. Bowie then took over the contest. Its fullcourt pressure began to force turnovers, and the offense started converting them. Over a span of just over three minutes, the game transformed from a closely played affair to a double digit Bowie lead.

Bowie scored 16 of the next 18 points including a short baseline jumper from the left side at the 8:27 mark for a 13-12 lead, a steal for a layup seconds later for a 15-12 lead, and another steal for a layup at the 7:58 mark for a 17-12 lead. When Monroe finally got the ball into the frontcourt, Danny Brix missed a shot that Bowie rebounded and turned into a fast break layup, and a 19-12 lead with 7:38 to go in the half. Bowie would add another bucket for a 10-0 run before the Falcons were able to stem the tide temporarily as Pace found Travis Dufner (9 points on 4 of 6 shooting, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal) for a layup as the Monroe forward was fouled for a traditional three point play, and a 21-15 Bowie lead with 7:07 to play before halftime. Bowie quickly picked up right where it left off after that with a 6-0 run in just 56 seconds including one of two free throws to cap the 16-2 run for a 27-15 lead with 6:11 to go in the half.

The next 3:54 saw Monroe compete more, but still Bowie outscored the Falcons by a 10-7 margin despite a three pointer by Pace, and a bucket by Dufner. As the Purple Birds called for time, Bowie was now leading 37-22 with 2:17 to go in the half. Both teams then scored two points each over the final two plus minutes for a 39-24 Bowie lead at the intermission. In the second half, the Mississippi team picked up where it left off in the first half with a 10-4 start over the first 6:53 of the second half to take a commanding, 49-28 lead. Bowie scored eight of the next 12 points after that to go ahead by twenty-five at 57-32 with 10:09 to go. From there, Bowie wasn’t threatened as the game ended with just under three minutes to play, and the Mississippi school leading, 68-41. Bowie went on to win the National Division bracket by beating Pennington, a team that defeated St. Joseph’s in the Quarterfinals. So both Monroe and St. Joe’s have nothing to be ashamed of, and can hang their heads high.

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Final Results

READING, PA–On Thursday morning, GMC Hoops checked out the final brackets from the recent Hoop Group Elite Team Camp at Albright College last week. The site was there to cover a couple games from the first day of action that involved Monroe and St. Joseph’s of Metuchen. The Falcons advanced to the Quarterfinals by defeating Bishop Ireton while Monroe won its first round game over Holy Redeemer, but then lost to Bowie of Mississippi in the Round of 16. Speaking of Bowie, then went on to win the American Division tournament by defeating Pennington in the Championship. Pennington was the team that defeated St. Joe’s in the Quarterfinals. In the National Tournament, Gonzaga of Virginia won over Penn Wood as St. Patrick’s was defeated by Schenectady in the opening round.

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Brackets

READING, PA–On Thursday, GMC Hoops received information on the 2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp including the teams and brackets. As always, there are two divisions in this team camp with 32 teams each. Two of the teams competing are from the Greater Middlesex Conference including Monroe and St. Joseph’s. Here are the brackets from the American and National Divisions. The site has already posted some of the results, and will have summaries on more information soon.

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Some Results–Day One

READING, PA–On Thursday, GMC Hoops traveled over to Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania to take in action from several games in the 2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp including matchups involving Monroe and St. Joseph’s. Here are the results from the games listed below.

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–Results–July 9, 2009

• St. Joseph’s over Turkey–Opening Round
• Monroe over Holy Redeemer–Opening Round
• St. Joseph’s 55–Bishop Ireton 36–Round of 16
• Bowie (MD) 68–Monroe 41–Round of 16

GMC Hoops enjoyed its long trip to Reading, and will have summaries on the action soon.

Teams In The 2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp

READING, PA–On Thursday, GMC Hoops received information from the Hoop Group on the HG Elite Team Camp that is being held at Albright College. The camp, which was formerly known as the Eastern Invitational Team Camp, used to be held at the College of New Jersey. There is a total of 20 schools spread across two divisions in this camp including two from the GMC: Monroe and St. Joseph’s. Below is a list of all the schools in the American and National Divisions:

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–American Division

• Monroe
• St. Joseph’s
• Turkey
• Holy Redeemer
• York
• Trinidad
• Chestnut Hill
• Lakewood
• Bishop McDevitt
• St. Albans
• Bayard Rustin
• Ridge
• Asbury Park
• Bowie
• Sussex Tech
• Pleasantville
• Frederick Douglas
• Hershey
• Pennington
• Ephrata
• Notre Dame
• Scranton
• Central Dauphin
• Bishop Ireton
• Bishop Kearney
• Poly Prep
• Philly Electric Tech
• Bullis
• Hill Regional Career
• Tappan Zee
• Elmira Southside
• Penn Hills

2009 Hoop Group Elite Team Camp–National Division

• Imhotep Charter
• Flint Hill
• Riverdale Baptist
• Westtown
• Bishop McNamara
• Pocono Mt. East
• Reading
• Peddie
• Neumann-Goretti
• Paul VI
• New Rochelle
• Hill
• Prep Charter
• Xaverian
• Poughkeepsie
• Gonzaga
• Jamesville DeWitt
• East Roosevelt
• Hun
• Good Counsel
• Susquehanna Twp.
• St. Raymond’s
• Roman
• St. Patrick’s
• Schenectady
• Carroll
• St. Paul’s
• South Philly
• Milford Mill
• North Catholic
• Boys & Girls

Note: –GMC Hoops took the long trip down to Reading, Pennsylvania, and saw St. Joseph’s and Monroe in action. Results and summaries will be forthcoming.