GMC Hoops Blogosphere

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Analysis

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Wednesday and Thursday, GMC Hoops traveled over to both East Brunswick High School and Hammarskjold Middle School to take in the final two days of action at the 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp. The camp was being run for the third straight summer. There were fourteen teams in this event including 12 from the GMC. Over the two days the site covered the event, it saw 10 games. Five games at East Brunswick High School and five at Hammarskjold Middle School. One of the big stories of the camp this week was the heat. A small heatwave caused major discomfort at EBHS on Wednesday.

However, at Hammarskjold Middle School, a more recent construction with air conditioning, it was much more comfortable. Nevertheless, much of the contests played at both sites over the two games were competitive. Nine of the ten contests seen by GMC Hoops were decided by twelve points or less. Of those nine games, seven of them were decided by single digits including five on the final day of competition. Bishop Ahr (3-0), East Brunswick (2-0), and Immaculata (2-1) were three teams that stood out to the site over the two days of coverage. The Trojans may have been the most impressive with a good deal of ball movement and teamwork. BGA might have slipped a bit toward the end of the season in 2009-10, but still have plenty of firepower coming back next season with the likes of Pat Widdoss, Ryan Blakely, Rashad Kilgore, Roger Kilgore, Kenny Virden, Anthony DiBella, and Drew Uszenski among others.

The Bears may have lost the likes of Mauro Tucci, Anthony Gudzak, Miles Colmon, Kevin Lantz, Kevin McHenry, and Chris Villanueva, but they will still have a good deal coming back including a talented group of juniors consisting of Anthony Guisti, John Genco, Dan Sclafani, Bobby Fullem, Carl Thomore, and Nick Gudzak along with solid underclassmen such as sophomores Joe Ross, Abanoub Bestawros, and Mike Summerer, and freshman Rob Ukawuba. Next season, the Bears should have plenty of depth again to contend in the GMC Red, and for its first conference tourney title since 1996. Bishop Ahr, which lost to Bloomfield Tech in overtime in the opening round of the Scarlet Shootout, won all three games seen by GMC Hoops including victories over J.P. Stevens (42-37), Perth Amboy (61-54), and J.F. Kennedy (44-38). The Trojans appear to have a very solid starting five returning. The question will be their bench, and who will step forward to contribute next season.

Other teams that competed over the two days the site was there were Cardinal McCarrick, Sayreville, Dunellen, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, J.F. Kennedy, and J.P. Stevens. The Hawks look to improve from last season’s 1-21 campaign, and there’s nowhere to go, but up. So far this summer, JPS is off to a solid start with victories in its first two games at MCC before losing on Tuesday night, and a close loss to Bishop Ahr before defeating J.F. Kennedy in triple overtime on Thursday night. Perth Amboy showed some positives in their loss to Bishop Ahr. The Panthers appeared to be on the verge of getting blown out, but rallied to pull within three in the second half. Yoelbin Sanchez was much more aggressive to the basket, and ended up 7 of 12 from the field in the loss to the Trojans. Amboy will need Sanchez to play that way in order to get better for this coming season.

Another player that impressed on Thursday night was J.F. Kennedy’s, Nick Spoganetz. Known more as a hustle player, who would do a lot of the little things to help his team win the past two seasons, has stepped up his game offensively. In the 44-38 loss to Bishop Ahr, Spoganetz netted 25 points on 8 of 13 shooting including a scintillating 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. His stepping up offensively along with more production from A.J. Pichalski will be key to complement Daishon Robinson if the Mustangs are going to fill the void left behind by Joe Marciano and Rasheed Howard. Josh Kamenas will also have to contribute more as well for JFK. Cardinal McCarrick along with Bishop Ahr and East Brunswick will be one of the teams to watch next year in the GMC. Without the likes of Dana Raysor and Mohammed Ali, the Eagles were still able to hang with EB thanks to the play of Jumanne McDaniel, who fought through the heat and humidity to turn in a good effort. Marques Townes looks to be a real good one for McCarrick. The freshman, who played for the Sayreville Stars in the Raritan Bay Summer League, shows no fear and plenty of poise for a player yet to step into high school.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Day Four–Some Results–June 24th

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Thursday night, GMC Hoops was able to get out to Hammarskjold Middle School for the fourth night of action from the 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp. There are 14 teams in the camp including 12 from the GMC. The site saw six of the contests played on this final night of action from this camp.

Day Four Results–June 24, 2010

• East Brunswick 45–Cardinal McCarrick 41
• Immaculata 43–Dunellen 32
• J.P. Stevens 44–J.F. Kennedy 42 3OT
• Bishop Ahr 61–Perth Amboy 54
• Bishop Ahr 44–J.F. Kennedy 38
• Perth Amboy 52–Immaculata 45

GMC Hoops thanks Bo Henning and his staff at EBHS for their hospitality and assistance this week.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Day Three–Some Results–June 23rd

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops was able to get out to East Brunswick High School for the third night of action from the 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp. There are 14 teams in the camp including 12 from the GMC. The site saw four of the contests played before heading down to Neptune to see Spotswood play in the Hoop Group Headquarters Summer League.

Day Three Results–June 23, 2010

• Bishop Ahr 42–J.P. Stevens 37
• Immaculata 52–Sayreville 47
• East Brunswick 44–New Brunswick 32
• Freehold Township 57–North Brunswick 38

GMC Hoops will have a summary posted on all the action from these four games soon in the blog.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Directions To Hammarskjold Middle School

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–For those of you who have not gone out to East Brunswick High School or Hammarskjold Middle School for any of the games in the 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp, here are the directions to get to EBHS from your location. In addition, there are directions below to get from East Brunswick High School to Hammarskjold Middle School. Click the links to get directions to EBHS and HMS.

• Directions To East Brunswick High School
• Directions From East Brunswick High School To Hammarskjold Middle School

Directions To East Brunswick High School

FROM THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE: (Hilton located immediately at Exit 9)

EXIT #9.

Follow signs for Route 18 South (South River and East Brunswick). Sign for Cranbury and Cranbury Road (approximately 2-1/2 miles) make turn off of Route 18 immediately after the Race Way Gas Station - will be immediately before an overpass). Follow Cranbury Road, bearing to the right, to the first traffic light and turn left into the high school. East Brunswick High School is at the top of the hill (bear left for visitor parking which is located in the first row in the second section past the flagpole).

FROM U.S. #1 NORTH AND U.S. #1 SOUTH

Exit onto Route #18 South and then follow above directions.

FROM ROUTE 18 SOUTH

Turn off at the Cranbury Road exit (after you pass the “Colonial Diner”) this will make the overpass to the other side of Route 18. Follow Cranbury Road, bearing to the right, to the first traffic light and turn left into the high school. East Brunswick High School is at the top of the hill (bear left for visitor parking which is located in the first row in the second section past the flagpole).

Directions From East Brunswick High School To Hammarskjold Middle School

• Start at East Brunswick High School on 380 CRANBURY RD, EAST BRUNSWICK going toward SUMMERHILL RD - go 0.4 mi
• Turn Right on SUMMERHILL RD(CR-613 S) - go 0.2 mi
• Bear Right on a local road - go < 0.1 mi
• Turn Right on SUMMERHILL RD(CR-613 S) - go 1.2 mi
• Turn Right on SALEM RD - go 0.3 mi
• Turn Right on CANTERBURY RD - go 0.1 mi
• Turn Left on RUES LN - go 0.2 mi
• Arrive at Hammarskjold Middle School on 200 RUES LN, EAST BRUNSWICK, on the Right

GMC Hoops plans to be out at East Brunswick High School on Wednesday, and Hammarskjold Middle School on Thursday for the final two nights of action at the EB Team Camp.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Schedule

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Tuesday afternoon, GMC Hoops received the full schedule for the upcoming East Brunswick Team Camp. This is the third straight year for the camp, and there are 14 teams in this year’s league including twelve from the Greater Middlesex Conference. The camp is set to run from Monday, June 21st to Thursday, June 24th. Games will be held at both East Brunswick High School and Hammarskjold Middle School. Below is the full schedule. Special thanks to J.F. Kennedy head coach, Chris Banos for the information.

Day One–June 21st–East Brunswick High School

• 5:30 PM–Monroe vs. New Brunswick–Main Gym
• 5:30 PM–Bishop Ahr vs. Dunellen–Lower Gym
• 6:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. Sayreville–Main Gym
• 6:30 PM–South Brunswick vs. J.F. Kennedy–Lower Gym
• 7:30 PM–New Brunswick vs. Bishop Ahr–Main Gym
• 7:30 PM–Monroe vs. Dunellen–Lower Gym
• 8:30 PM–Sayreville vs. J.F. Kennedy–Main Gym
• 8:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. South Brunswick–Lower Gym

Day One–June 21st–Hammarskjold Middle School

• 6:00 PM–Cardinal McCarrick vs. Perth Amboy–Court A
• 6:00 PM–North Brunswick vs. J.P. Stevens–Court B
• 7:10 PM–Freehold Township vs. J.P. Stevens–Court A
• 7:10 PM–Rutgers Prep vs. Perth Amboy–Court B
• 8:20 PM–Cardinal McCarrick vs. North Brunswick–Court A
• 8:20 PM–Freehold Township vs. Rutgers Prep–Court B

Day Two–June 22nd–East Brunswick High School

• 5:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. Rutgers Prep–Main Gym
• 5:30 PM–South Brunswick vs. Freehold Township–Lower Gym
• 6:30 PM–North Brunswick vs. J.F. Kennedy–Main Gym
• 6:30 PM–Sayreville vs. Dunellen–Lower Gym
• 7:30 PM–South Brunswick vs. Rutgers Prep–Main Gym
• 7:30 PM–Freehold Township vs. Dunellen–Lower Gym
• 8:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. J.F. Kennedy–Main Gym
• 8:30 PM–North Brunswick vs. Sayreville–Lower Gym

Day Two–June 22nd–Hammarskjold Middle School

• 6:00 PM–J.P. Stevens vs. Perth Amboy–Court A
• 6:00 PM–Bishop Ahr vs. Monroe–Court B
• 7:10 PM–New Brunswick vs. Perth Amboy–Court A
• 7:10 PM–Monroe vs. Cardinal McCarrick–Court B
• 8:20 PM–New Brunswick vs. J.P. Stevens–Court A
• 8:20 PM–Cardinal McCarrick vs. Bishop Ahr–Court B

Day Three–June 23rd–East Brunswick High School

• 5:30 PM–J.P. Stevens vs. Bishop Ahr–Main Gym
• 5:30 PM–South Brunswick vs. Sayreville–Lower Gym
• 6:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. New Brunswick–Main Gym
• 6:30 PM–Freehold Township vs. North Brunswick–Lower Gym
• 7:30 PM–Bishop Ahr vs. South Brunswick–Main Gym
• 7:30 PM–J.P. Stevens vs. Sayreville–Lower Gym
• 8:30 PM–New Brunswick vs. Freehold Township–Main Gym
• 8:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. North Brunswick–Lower Gym

Day Three–June 23rd–Hammarskjold Middle School

• 6:00 PM–Monroe vs. Perth Amboy–Court A
• 6:00 PM–Cardinal McCarrick vs. Rutgers Prep–Court B
• 7:10 PM–Dunellen vs. J.F. Kennedy–Court A
• 7:10 PM–Monroe vs. Rutgers Prep–Court B
• 8:20 PM–J.F. Kennedy vs. Cardinal McCarrick–Court A
• 8:20 PM–Perth Amboy vs. Dunellen–Court B

Day Four–June 24th–East Brunswick High School

• 5:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. Cardinal McCarrick–Main Gym
• 5:30 PM–Monroe vs. Freehold Township–Lower Gym
• 6:30 PM–Rutgers Prep vs. North Brunswick–Main Gym
• 6:30 PM–New Brunswick vs. Sayreville–Lower Gym
• 7:30 PM–Cardinal McCarrick vs. Freehold Township–Main Gym
• 7:30 PM–East Brunswick vs. Monroe–Lower Gym
• 8:30 PM–North Brunswick vs. New Brunswick–Main Gym
• 8:30 PM–Sayreville vs. Rutgers Prep–Lower Gym

Day Four–June 24th–Hammarskjold Middle School

• 6:00 PM–J.F. Kennedy vs. J.P. Stevens–Court A
• 6:00 PM–Dunellen vs. South Brunswick–Court B
• 7:10 PM–Bishop Ahr vs. Perth Amboy–Court A
• 7:10 PM–Dunellen vs. J.P. Stevens–Court B
• 8:20 PM–Bishop Ahr vs. J.F. Kennedy–Court A
• 8:20 PM–Perth Amboy vs. South Brunswick–Court B

GMC Hoops plans to devote covering this camp, and will be down for some of the action next week.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Teams

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Thursday morning, GMC Hoops received information on the upcoming East Brunswick Team Camp from Bo Henning, the head coach of boys basketball at East Brunswick High School. The schedule for the games is yet to be finalized, but there are 14 teams competing in the camp including 12 from the GMC, one from the Patriot Conference, and one from the Shore Conference. Below is the list of teams competing in this year’s EB Team Camp:

Teams Competing In The 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp

• Bishop Ahr
• Cardinal McCarrick
• Dunellen
• East Brunswick
• Freehold Township
• J.F. Kennedy
• J.P. Stevens
• Monroe
• New Brunswick
• North Brunswick
• Perth Amboy
• Rutgers Prep
• Sayreville
• South Brunswick

GMC Hoops plans to cover some of the action from this camp when it begins later this month.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp–Update

EB Camp Schedule Still Not Finalized Yet

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Thursday morning, GMC Hoops received word from East Brunswick High School head coach, Bo Henning, that the schedule for the 2010 East Brunswick Team Camp has not been finalized. However, there are 14 teams that are competing including 12 from the Greater Middlesex Conference. Games will be played at both East Brunswick High School and Hammarskjold Middle School. Game times will be on the hour starting at 5:30 PM and ending with 8:30 PM contests. More details on the teams competing will be posted shortly. GMC Hoops will post another update on the schedule when it becomes available.

2010 East Brunswick Team Camp Looking For Teams

PERTH AMBOY, NJ–On Thursday night at the 2010 GMCBCA Senior All-Star Game, GMC Hoops received information from East Brunswick Head Coach, Bo Henning about the upcoming East Brunswick Team Camp. The East Brunswick Basketball High School Team Week will run from June 21st to June 24th, 2010 at both East Brunswick High School and Hammarskjold Middle School. Here are the particulars:

• Each Team will play two games per night.
• Games will be played on the Main Courts only–Two full courts at each school.
• Cost remains $450.00 per team.
• Limited to the first 16 teams to respond.
• Two working officials per game.

For more information, Call Bo Henning at either (732)-613-6936 (work), (732)-920-2581 (home), or (732)-606-7691 (cell). Coach Henning can also be contacted via e-mail at rhenning@ebnet.org, or via fax (732)-613-6931.

East Brunswick Team Camp–June 18, 2009

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Thursday night, GMC Hoops headed back over to East Brunswick High School after being at the Middlesex County College Summer League to take in some of the games from the final night of action in the 2009 E.B. Team Camp. On this night, the site managed to get in the final six games of the evening at EBHS.

The six contests involved all the schools participating in the camp including nine teams from the GMC and three from outside the conference. At 7:30 PM, over on Main Court A, North Brunswick took on Immaculata in a contest that went to overtime before the Raiders prevailed. Nearby, on Main Court B, East Brunswick and Piscataway, went at it in a GMC Red Division matchup that was a tale of two different halves. Then, in the Lower Gym, Monroe was taking on Freehold Boro in a battle of two of the best teams in the camp this year.

In the 8:30 PM round of games, GMC Hoops got another look at Edison and Sayreville as the Bombers faced off against the Eagles on Main Gym A. Meanwhile, over on Main Gym B, Perth Amboy battled Highland Park in a contest that went back and forth for much of the time before the Panthers pulled away with a 22-8 run to win. Finally, on the Lower Gym, Bound Brook battled South Brunswick in a game that pitted David versus Goliath in terms of school sizes.

North Brunswick Goes Overtime To Knock Off Immaculata, 49-45

Besides the wild ending to the Piscataway and East Brunswick game, this was the most exciting game of the night. North Brunswick, a team that finished below .500 matched up against the defending two time Non-Public A State Champions, Immaculata in a downybrook that needed an extra session to decide it. The Spartans, which won the Somerset County Tournament this past season, took a 28-25 lead only to have North Brunswick clamp down defensively with a 20-17 showing in the second half to force overtime. In the extra period, the Raiders scored all four points for the 49-45 victory.

NBTHS took the early lead when Tait Pirkle took the outlet pass, and drove in for a short jumper from the left side for a 2-0 lead at the 18:44 mark. Immaculata came back down on its next possession for a layup to tie things up at the 18:00 mark. The Raiders went ahead again on a lob pass underneath for a layup that made the score, 4-2 at the 17:29 mark. The game, which had eight lead changes and two ties alone in the first half, continued to seesaw back and forth as the Spartans netted a pair of free throws at the 16:21 mark for a 4-4 tie. Immaculata then took the lead with a pair of foul shots at the 15:22 mark that made the score, 6-4. Soon to be sophomore, Dion Rogers stepped up to the line, and made one of two for a 6-5 Immaculata lead with 14:58 to go in the half. On its very next possession, Immaculata went up by three with a field goal at the 14:37 mark that made the score, 8-5. North Brunswick made one of two at the line for a 8-6 Spartan edge, but the Somerville based school went up by four on a layup from the left side at the 12:45 mark.

Trailing 10-6, North Brunswick responded with a three pointer from Rogers on the left wing following a pass by Pirkle to close within one at the 12:23 mark. In a game that saw neither team lead by more than seven points, the Raiders took the lead again on a pair of foul shots with 10:15 to play in the half. Immaculata replied with two charity shots of its own at the 9:43 mark to go back in front, 12-11, but Rogers got a layup off a backdoor cut to go back ahead, 13-12 with 7:40 to go in the period. Immaculata wrestled the lead back with a field goal at the 7:12 mark that made the score, 14-13. The Spartans then got a stop on the defensive end, and came back down the floor for a score in the paint that increased their lead to three at 16-13 with 6:41 left before the intermission. Immaculata continued to go back and forth with North Brunswick with a tightly played rest of the half, but still managed to get a 12-10 edge for a 28-25 lead at the half after Pirkle made two free throws with one second left.

After watching some of the other action from the EB Team Camp, the site returned to pick up the action with 16:21 remaining in regulation, and the score tied at 28-28. North Brunswick, which tied the contest up with the only three points of the second half up to this juncture, went to take the lead, but Immaculata drew a charge at the 15:40 mark to prevent the score. The Raiders did go ahead eventual with a field goal, and then the Spartans turned the ball over at the 14:26 mark. Both teams then exchanged scores for a 32-30 North Brunswick lead, and the Raiders again went to go for more when they were stopped by another offensive foul drawn by Immaculata at the 12:14 mark. Over the next 2:16 only Immaculata scored to tie the game at 32-32 with 9:58 remaining in regulation. The Spartans then went ahead 34-32 with a field goal at the 9:48 mark. At this point, North Brunswick took control of the game with an 11-2 run over the next 6:03 to take what seemed to be a commanding, 43-36 lead with 3:45 left.

First, the Raiders scored four straight points to go back out in front, 36-34 at the 8:44 mark. Then, after Immaculata tied it with 6:46 left, North Brunswick scored a field goal at the 6:31 mark for a 38-36 lead. NBTHS added another score for a 40-36 edge at the 4:17 mark, and then a three pointer with under four minutes to play for the seven point advantage. However, the Spartans, to their credit, didn’t quit. Immaculata rallied with a 9-2 spurt over the final 3:45 to knot the game up as it went into overtime after a last second shot by Rogers fell short. In the extra session, it was all North Brunswick. Neither team scored for about the first 56 seconds to play before Immaculata tried to call timeout in order to avoid a turnover at the 1:04 mark. What the Spartans didn’t realize was that they were out of timeouts, and a technical foul was assessed. Pirkle then made both foul shots for a 47-45 lead. The soon to be junior had a chance to put the game away for North Brunswick, but missed a one and one with 16 seconds remaining. However, soon to be sophomore Dillon Salva came up with a huge play by blocking a shot with five seconds left, and then Pirkle sealed the victory by swiping a steal, and drawing a foul that resulted in two free throws for the 49-45 final score.

East Brunswick Hangs On To Be Determined P-Way After Fast Start, 51-47

One of the big matchups, and more riveting games to watch on this final night of the East Brunswick Team Camp was the contest between the hometown Bears and their Red Division rival, Piscataway Chiefs. It was a tale of two completely different halves in this one as EB jumped out to a commanding 32-8 halftime lead only to have it almost disintegrate entirely as Piscataway’s pressure, and never give up attitude helped the Chiefs rally to the tune of a 39-19 surge in the game’s final twenty minutes to make things interesting at the end. However, East Brunswick was able to prevail with a somewhat slim, 51-47 victory. The amazing thing about the first half was that P-Way jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first 3:36 of the contest before the Bears went on a 32-2 rampage over the last 16:24 of the half to take the 24 point lead.

Piscataway got on the board first with a layup from Brandon Williamson at the 19:15 mark for a 2-0 lead. A little more than a half minute later, the Chiefs were back on the board with an offensive rebound and putback at the 18:43 mark for a 4-0 lead. Meanwhile, East Brunswick was still struggling to get itself started as it was called for traveling at the 17:38 mark. P-Way then ended its early burst when Justin Kirkland drive to his right into the paint for a layup off an inbounds play for a 6-0 lead with 16:24 remaining in the first half. For the next ten minutes or so, Piscataway didn’t score a point while East Brunswick got rolling in a big way. Mauro Tucci got the Bears finally on the board with two foul shots at the 15:43 mark. Kevin Lantz then added a breakaway layup for a 6-4 Chief lead at the 15:25 mark. Justin Rosa then got into the act with a jumper from the left baseline off an inbounds play to tie the game at 6-6 with 14:34 remaining in the first half.

The Bears weren’t through by a long shot. Tucci grabbed a rebound, and drove upcourt where he drew a foul, and made one of two at the line for a 7-6 Bears lead at the 13:38 mark. East Brunswick then added another score for a 9-6 lead with 11:09 left in the half, and thirty-five seconds later, added another two points as P-Way called for time with 10:34 to go before the intermission. Twenty-three seconds after the timeout was called, John Genco converted a fast break layup from the right side for a 13-6 lead at the 10:11 mark. Like a snowball coming down a hill, EB kept gaining momentum as it got four more points including two free throws at the 8:05 mark for a 17-6 lead. Carl Thomore got going for the Bears as he grabbed one of two offensive rebounds off misses by Genco, who later drove and kicked for a jumper, and a 19-8 lead after Piscataway had finally ended EB’s 17-0 onslaught.

However, East Brunswick resumed its rampage though by getting the final 13 points of the half including a Tucci drive to the right side for a layin while being fouled for a conventional three point play, and a 26-8 lead, another layup by Tucci off an assist by Rosa on the break at the 2:34 mark for a 28-8 lead, and then two free throws by Rosa with one minute left in the half for a 32-8 advantage at the break. In the second half, P-Way showed that despite its lack of experience, it had plenty of determination with a near monumental rally. Over the first 7:55 of the period, the Chiefs scored 10 of the first 13 points to cut the lead virtually in half at 35-18. Piscataway then added another field goal at the 11:52 mark to pull within 15 at 35-20, and capped the 14-3 tear with another field goal as the Bears called for time with 11:23 to go. Following the timeout, East Brunswick put together a clutch play as Rosa came up with a steal, and handed out an assist on a three point play by Mike Summerer at the 10:58 mark for a 38-22 lead. Piscataway scored four more points to chip into the lead some more before Rosa and Summerer joined forces again with a pick and roll play that led to two free throws at the 8:21 mark for a 40-26 edge.

The Chiefs wouldn’t go away though with a field goal, but the Bears handled the enusing full court pressure well, and it led to another Tucci layup at the 6:37 mark for a 42-28 lead. P-Way continued to peck away though with four more points before Thomore got a layup while being fouled, but missed the bonus free throw for a 44-32 lead at the 4:45 mark. The Bears added another score before Piscataway got a basket while being fouled at the 4:45 mark. The Chiefs had caught a break when East Brunswick was called for a lane violation on the bonus free throw, but the second attempt was no good as well so the score remained, 46-35 at the 3:24 mark. EB got a field goal, but gave up another four points including a three point play by the Chiefs on a nice floater while being fouled for a 48-39 score with just under a minute to play. P-Way continued charging with another score on an offensive rebound and putback at the 40.6 second mark to close the gap to seven at 48-41.

Following a Chief timeout, Piscataway scored four of the next six points over just a 27.9 second span to pull within five at 50-45 with 12.7 seconds remaining. After an East Brunswick timeout, the Bears took the ball out of bounds underneath their own basket, Summerer tried to inbound the ball, and passed to his left for Tucci, but Tucci caught the ball inbounds, and went out of bounds according to the officials with 11.8 seconds to play. The Chiefs then capitalized again with a layup, and called for time with 7.3 seconds left, and the Bears now only leading by three, 50-47. However, P-Way was unable to get any closer as EB got the ball inbounds this time, drew a foul, and made one of two from the line with 4.2 seconds left to seal the 51-47 win.

Monroe Keeps Freehold Boro In Check For 49-41 Victory

While North Brunswick was battling Immaculata, and East Brunswick was facing off against Piscataway in the Main Gym, Freehold Boro and Monroe were duking it out for which team would be the class of this year’s EB Team Camp. Unfortunately, due to the overtime game between the Raiders and Spartans, and Piscataway’s almost improbable comeback against EB, the site didn’t get much of a chance to see a lot of action from this game. It didn’t managed to see a good chunk of the final six minutes of the first half. GMC Hoops sat down with Freehold Boro leading by a slim, 16-13 margin at the 6:13 mark. However, the Colonials were assessed a technical foul for having too many players on the floor, and that resulted in two free throws from Timmy Brix for a 16-15 Freehold Boro lead at the 5:42 mark.

On the ensuing possession, Monroe took an 18-16 lead thanks to a three pointer from the right wing by Kenny Pace with 5:30 to play in the half. Blake Bascom then added one of two from the line with 4:31 to go before halftime. Freehold Boro then got its first score in nearly two and a half minutes on a drive into the pain for a dump off pass and score underneath for a 19-18 Monroe lead with 3:47 to go in the period. The Purple Birds then went up by four on a three pointer at the 3:19 mark that made the score, 22-18. Freehold Boro quickly replied with a score at the three minute mark for a 22-20 lead. Timmy Brix then made two foul shots at the 2:34 mark for a 24-20 Falcon edge, and then the Colonials scored the final two points of the half for a 24-22 Monroe lead at the break.

In the second half, the Falcons took charge with a 25-19 showing over the final twenty minutes for the eight point win. Over the first 12:31, Monroe outscored Freehold Boro by a 15-7 margin for a 39-29 lead. The Colonials were only able to cut the deficit to seven with a 12-9 showing over the next 7:04 for a Falcon, 48-41 lead with 25 seconds left. Ahmid Williams then sealed the victory with one of two from the line for the 49-41 final score.

Milewski Helps Bombers Pull Away From Eagles, 41-23

In a game that started late due to the overtime classic between North Brunswick and Immaculata, Sayreville battled Edison in a crossover game involving teams from the GMC Red and White Divisions. After watching Perth Amboy and Highland Park go at it as well as South Brunswick and Bound Brook, the site managed to still see a good portion of this contest. GMC Hoops joined the action with Sayreville already leading 16-7 with 6:17 to go in the first half. After an injury timeout at the 6:12 mark, Edison got a three pointer with 5:35 to cut the Sayreville deficit to six at 16-10. The Eagles then made one of two from the foul line to pull within five at 16-11 with 4:20 to go in the half.

On the missed second free throw, Edison grabbed the offensive rebound, drove through the middle, and had a shot attempt blocked by Dave Milewski, who was called for a foul. The Eagles then made another one of two from the line for a 16-12 Bomber lead. Edison had an opportunity to get closer, but committed a turnover at the 2:10 mark. Sayreville then closed out the first half with a field goal, and three offensive rebounds for a putback attempt that resulted in one of two at the line, and a 19-12 lead at the intermission. In the second half, the Bombers outscored Edison by a two to one margin for the victory.

Sayreville started the half with four points including two free throws by Milewski at the 15:39 mark for a 7-0 run, and a 23-12 lead. Edison was then assessed a technical at the fourteen minute mark that produced one of two from the line by Milewski for a 24-12 lead. Nearly two minutes later, the Bombers were on the board again as Mark Keir found Milewski for a layup that followed another field goal for a 12-0 run, and a 28-12 advantage with 12:19 to play. Edison finally came up with an answer on a floater from the left side that banked in while being fouled for a three point play, and a 28-15 lead at the 11:30 mark. The Eagles wouldn’t get any closer though as Sayreville put the game away with eight unanswered points over the next 3:50 for a 36-15 lead at the 7:40 mark.

Edison tried to make the game more respectable by first swiping a steal off of Keir for a fast break layup, and a foul. Then, after missing the bonus free throw at the 6:43 mark, the Eagles got a three pointer from the right side for a 36-20 Sayreville lead with just inside five minutes to go. The Bombers finished off the victory with one of two free throws by Darryl Stephenson after he was fouled on a layup attempt set up by Keir and Milewski, who both effectively broke Edison’s press, and then Milewski made one of two with 3:17 left to make the score 38-20 in what ultimately turned out to be a 41-23 Bomber win.

Late Surge Propels Amboy Past Highland Park, 52-39

In a back and fourth game that saw six lead changes and five ties over the first 10:00 of the first half, Perth Amboy was able to pull away from a fierce fight with Highland Park, which was again without the services of Nate Smith. GMC Hoops was so preoccupied with the contest between North Brunswick and Immaculata, which went to overtime that it was only able to take brief glances at much of the action in the first half between these two teams. Nevertheless, there were four lead changes and four ties including a 6-6 tie at the 12:48 mark, and an 8-8 tie at the 12:29 mark. Perth Amboy then took the lead with a jumper from the right corner for a 10-8 advantage at the 12:12 mark.

Amboy could have went ahead even further, but committed a turnover on a subsequent possession at the 11:14 mark, and that led to a fast break by the Owls, which resulted in a foul by Amboy’s Yoelbin Sanchez, and produced two free throws and a 10-10 tie. Kearny Canela had a chance to put Amboy back on top, but was called for an offensive foul at the 9:01 mark. The Panthers then outscored the Owls by a 10-9 margin for the balance of the half to take a 20-19 lead going into the second half. In the final period of play, Amboy outscored Highland Park by a 32-20 margin to secure the hard fought, 52-39 win. Ariel Hilton and Sanchez got the Panthers going at the start of the second period as Hilton scored on a fast break layup with 19:42 left for a 22-19 lead. After the Owls scored to pull within one again, Sanchez got an offensive rebound, and was fouled on the putback attempt, which resulted in two free throws for a 24-21 lead at the 16:58 mark. Hilton then got a steal for another layup, and a 26-21 lead with 16:13 remaining.

Highland Park didn’t go away that easily though. The Owls first scored four unanswered points at the 14:45 mark for a 28-25 lead before Sanchez made a pair of foul shots at the 14:45 mark to put Amboy back on top by three, 28-25. Following the free throws though, Highland Park scored six of the next eight points to go ahead by one, 31-30 with 11:46 to go. Canela then drove for a score from the right side, and drew a foul that produced two free throws, and a 32-31 Amboy lead with 10:35 left. The Panthers had a chance to go up even further, but was called for a traveling violation with 9:49 left. Perth Amboy would still go up by more though as it scored three of the next four points for a 35-32 lead. Highland Park was unable to overcome Amboy after that despite a 30 second timeout with seven minutes to play. Over the next 4:47, the Panthers went on a decisive 11-2 run to take command of what had been a close battle.

Perth Amboy then made one of two from the line at the 1:44 mark for a 47-34 lead, and after Highland Park registered four straight points, the Panthers closed out the win with two free throws at the 1:11 mark to go ahead, 49-38 as they went on to win, 52-39.

Bound Brook Surprises South Brunswick, 50-40

In this game, Bound Brook jumped out to a 15-10 lead over the first 16:39 before the Vikings ended the half with a 9-0 run that included a field goal at the one minute mark, a three pointer with 31.5 seconds remaining, and a fast break layup after breaking The Brook’s press for a 19-15 lead at the intermission. However, in the second half, Bound Brook roared back with a 17-8 effort over the first 11:08 that included one of two from the line by Mike Schiferstein at the 8:52 mark for a 32-27 lead.

The Vikings then got a layup to pull within three at 32-29 with 8:06 to go, and then scored four of the next seven points including a layup at the 7:03 mark for a 35-33 Crusader advantage. Although both teams scrapped hard, South Brunswick seemed poised to take the game over as the Vikes made a nice entry pass into the left low block for a score, and a 35-35 tie with 4:42 left. However, Bound Brook got a field goal to take a 37-35 lead at the 4:05 mark, and then South Brunswick turned the ball over on its next possession to open the floodgates that would be a 13-5 game deciding run for the 50-40 victory.

GMC Hoops wants to thank everyone at East Brunswick High School for their hospitality.

East Brunswick Team Camp–June 17, 2009

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops headed back over to East Brunswick High School after being at the Raritan Bay Summer League to take in some of the games from the third night of action in the 2009 E.B. Team Camp. On this night, the site managed to get in the final six games of the evening at EBHS.

The six contests involved all the schools participating in the camp including nine teams from the GMC and three from outside the conference. At 7:30 PM, over on Main Court A, East Brunswick and Perth Amboy battled in a game that saw the Bears come from behind for the win. Nearby, on Main Court B, Freehold Boro and South Brunswick, went at it in a Shore vs. GMC matchup. Then, in the Lower Gym, Monroe was taking on Highland Park, which was without the services of football standout, Nate Smith.

In the 8:30 PM round of games, GMC Hoops got its first look at North Brunswick this summer as the Raiders battled neighborhood rival Edison on Main Gym A. Meanwhile, over on Main Gym B, Immaculata went at it with Bound Brook in a renewal of rivalries going back to both schools days in the Mountain Valley Conference. Finally, on the Lower Gym, Sayreville took on Piscataway in a rematch of the 2009 GMCT Elite Eight.

Rosa and Summerer Spark EB Comeback Win Over Amboy, 54-49

This would end up being the marquee game of the night on Wednesday as the Bears battled the Panthers in a summer league revival of their annual Red Division rivalry. Perth Amboy came out fast by jumping out to a 26-14 halftime lead, but East Brunswick rallied in the second half behind Justin Rosa and Mike Summerer with a 40-23 surge to come away with a 54-49 victory. When GMC Hoops arrived at EBHS, it walked into the Main Gym A to see Perth Amboy already leading by a score of 21-10 with 3:36 to go in the first half. Then, junior Mike Weber drove through the middle for a layin that made the score, 21-12 at the 3:15 mark. Perth Amboy then got a jumper from the right wing to go back up on top 23-12 with 2:57 left. Over the final three minutes or so of the first half, Perth Amboy outscored EB by a 5-2 margin to take the 26-14 lead going into the intermission.

In the second half, however, things would get very interesting. When the site returned from watching Freehold Boro play South Brunswick, and Monroe take on Highland Park, Perth Ambooy had increased its lead with an 11-10 run during a very high scoring first five minutes of the second period to take a 37-24 lead. East Brunswick then responded with a field goal at the 13:30 mark that made the score, 37-26 at the 13:30 mark. Mike Summerer began to play a more pivotal role in the game when he took a pass from Kevin Lantz for a layin while being fouled to convert a traditional three point play that pulled EB to within single digits at 37-29 with 10:33 left. Fifty seconds later, the Bears had the ball again, and gave a nice entry pass to Lantz, who bounce passed to Summerer on the kick, and then the freshman connected on a bank shot from the right side for a 37-31 Amboy lead with 9:43 to go.

Several seconds later, Perth Amboy called for time. Following the timeout, East Brunswick was fouled, and went to the line. The Bears made the first free throw, and then after a Panther lane violation, converted the second to close to within four at 37-33 with 8:41 remaining. Perth Amboy would get its first field goal in seven minutes to go back up by six, but then Weber fed sophomore John Genco for a layup, and a 39-35 with 7:20 mark. East Brunswick then closed to within one over the next 1:49 with three points, but Amboy’s Kearny Canela came up with a three point play for a 42-38 edge with 5:31 to play. Enter EB sophomore guard, Justin Rosa, who sank a three pointer from the top of the key to put the Bears back down by one again at 42-41 with 4:15 to play. East Brunswick then got the ball back, and took the lead when Summerer connected on a jumper from the left elbow for a 43-42 score at the 3:49 mark.

Twenty-five seconds later, Rosa continued the onslaught with a jumper from the right wing for a 46-42 with 3:14 to go. After Perth Amboy called timeout with 3:11 left, Summerer made another big play on offense that capped the 24-5 second half surge with a tap in off an Anthony Gudzak miss to put the Bears up by six, 48-42 with 2:40 left. The Panthers finally put a halt to East Brunswick’s rally with a three pointer at the 1:52 mark to close the gap again to three at 48-45 as EB called for time. Following the timeout, the Bears scored four more points incluidng a Gudzak offensive rebound and follow off a Lantz miss for a 52-45 lead with 1:21 left. Perth Amboy tried to comeback with four of the final six points, but it wasn’t enough as East Brunswick came away with the five point, 54-49 win. Both teams were in action on Thursday as EB took on Piscataway while Perth Amboy played Sayreville and Highland Park.

Freehold Boro Dominates In Victory Over South Brunswick, 60-26

In the most lopsided game of the night, the Colonials from the Class B North Division of the Shore Conference, jumped out to a 28-14 lead, and never really looked back in a 60-26 win. When GMC Hoops arrived at EBHS, Freehold Boro was already ahead by a 22-12 margin with 3:22 left in the first half. Nearly a minute, and a half later, the largely raucous contingent of Freehold Boro fans in attendance had reason to cheer again with a layin at the two minute mark for a 24-12 lead. The Colonials then scored four of the last six points of the half to make it a 6-2 run over the final 3:22 for the double digit halftime lead. GMC Hoops went away from the action for a little bit to take in the battle between East Brunswick and Perth Amboy as well as the game between Monroe and Highland Park. However, when the site returned to the action, it found the game was completely in Freehold Boro’s control.

Over the first 8:22 of the second half, the Colonials outscored the Vikings by a 13-4 margin to take a 41-18 lead at the 11:38 mark. Fourteen seconds later, Freehold Boro got on the board again with an offensive rebound and follow for a 43-18 advantage with 11:24 to play. A little more than two minutes went by before another score, but it would be the Colonials getting on board again with a field goal for a 17-4 tear, and a 45-18 lead at the 9:09 mark. The Monmouth County squad then scored four of the next seven points over the next 2:48 for a 49-21 lead at the 6:21 mark, and then played even with South Brunswick over the next 3:37. During the late stretch, Freehold Boro connected on a three pointer from the right side for a 54-26 lead at the 2:44 mark.

From there, the Colonials scored the final six points of the contest to register its third victory of the camp with GMC Hoops in attendance, 60-26 over the Vikings. Both teams were in action again on Thursday with Freehold Boro taking on Monroe, and South Brunswick battling Bound Brook in non-conference competition.

Highland Park Gives Monroe Some Fight, But Falcons Still Win Easily, 64-44

In the early days of GMC Hoops, these two teams were rivals in the GMC Blue Division. As a matter of fact, these two squads got entangled in the Round of 16 in the 2002 GMCT with the Owls prevailing to advance to a Quarterfinal round matchup with then second seeded New Brunswick. Back in those days, current Monroe JV and assistant coach, Matt Gigliello played for the Falcons along with the likes of Chris Felix, Marcello Henriques, Tom Woolfolk, Mario Zygadlo, and Eric and Jim Gaston. Meanwhile, for Highland Park, there were the likes of Amir White, Tarell Greene, Tim Stark, and Devren Hunt. Things have changed considerably since those days. Monroe, which was a Group II school at the time, is now Group IV, and Highland Park has gone from Central Jersey Group I Champion, to a program still trying to rebuild.

The Purple Birds have had a solid week so far at EB with a hard fought win over Sayreville on Monday night. Meanwhile, Highland Park was defeated on Tuesday night by Bound Brook. The Owls were coming into the matchup without the services of Nate Smith, a football standout, who played in the contest against the Crusaders the night before. The Purple Birds rolled to an easy victory thanks to their 35-16 showing in the first half, but the second half was played much more evenly as Monroe only outscored Highland Park by a 29-28 margin in the 64-44 win. GMC Hoops picked up the action in the second half when the Owls went to work right away with an offensive rebound that led to a jumper from the right wing for a 35-18 Monroe advantage with 19:43 to play.

On a subsequent possession, Monroe got on the board as freshman Victor Sorrento grabbed an offensive rebound off of a miss by Danny Brix. The youngster then ship passed back to Danny Brix, who then fed Travis Dufner for a layin, and a 37-18 lead with 18:58 to go in the contest. A little more than a minute later, Highland Park got on the board again with a nice spin around move against Dufner in the left low block for a layup, and a 37-20 lead with 17:51 remaining. Moments later though, freshman guard, Ahmid Williams answered for the Purple Birds with a three pointer from the left wing that made the score, 40-20 at the 17:38 mark. Following a timeout at the 16:36 mark, Highland Park made one of two from the foul line for a 40-21 lead with 16 minutes remaining before Dufner helped Monroe again double the Owls output with a jump hook for a 42-21 lead at the 15:34 mark.

Forty-eight seconds later, Timmy Brix picked up a steal, and drove hard to the basket, where his shot was blocked by a Highland Park player. Dufner then got the offensive rebound, and gave a behind the back pass to Brix for a layup, and a 44-21 lead with 14:52 to go. A little over a minute later, sophomore, Mike Walp, grabbed an offensive rebound off a Danny Brix miss, and scored on the follow to cap an 11-5 start, and make the score, 46-21 at the 13:40 mark. Highland Park showed some determination, and heart by fighting back the rest of the way with a 23-18 showing to round out the final, 64-44 score. Both teams were in action on Thursday as the Falcons faced off against Freehold Boro in a battle of two of the top teams in the camp while Highland Park took on Perth Amboy.

Salva Lifts North Brunswick Past Edison, 42-31

This game marked the first time that GMC Hoops saw North Brunswick in action this summer while it was the third straight night the site saw Edison. Once more, the Eagles showed some fight, particularly in the first half, but then gave way to a decisive run in the second half as North Brunswick came away with the victory. Freshman Dillon Salva played a key role in the win with several key baskets midway through the second half. The web site first joined the action with the score, 12-8 in favor of the Raiders, which lost the likes of forward Mike Cole and Ricky Harris to graduation this month. Edison then got a field goal at the 5:27 mark to pull within two at 12-10 before North Brunswick scored six straight points including a basket at the 4:30 mark, a score at the 3:46 mark, and a bucket at the 3:11 mark to take an 18-10 lead.

Following an Edison timeout with 3:03 to go before the intermission, the Eagles stormed back with five unanswered points of their own to close within three at 18-15 before the Raiders closed the first half scoring out with one of two free throws in the final minute to make the score 19-15 entering the brief break. When the second half resumed, freshman Dion Rogers got into the act with a steal and a feed to another player, who was fouled. The result was two free throws, and a 21-15 lead at the 18:33 mark. Over two minutes later, Edison responded with some nice penetration that picked up a foul, and produced two free throws for a 21-17 North Brunswick edge with 16:11 to play. A short time later, Edison got a steal off an errant pass for a layup that closed the gap to two at 21-19 with 15:30 to go.

Unfortunately, the Eagles wouldn’t get closer. Over the next 2:11, the Raiders scored four points in a row to take a 25-19 lead, and then after an Edison block on a hard driving layin attempt by sophomore Tait Pirkle at the 12:49 mark, North Brunswick picked up two more points at the line with 12:04 to go for a 27-19 lead. Edison made one of two from the line with 11:10 to play to cut the deficit to seven at 27-20, but then Salva got into the act with a layin on the right low block for a 29-20 lead at the 10:45 mark. After the Eagles scored three straight points to pull within six, Salva came back with another layin from the right low block for a 31-23 lead at the 8:42 mark. Edison would score four of the next five points to creep within five, but Pirkle and Salva would join forces to keep the Eagles at arm’s length when Pirkle drove, and kicked the ball out to Salva for a short jumper from the right baseline to make the score, 34-27 with 7:13 to play.

From there, Edison couldn’t get any closer as the Raiders outscored the Eagles by an 8-4 margin the rest of the way for the 42-31 victory. Both teams were in action on Thursday as well with North Brunswick taking on Immaculata while Edison battled both Bound Brook and Sayreville.

Immaculata Cruises Past Bound Brook, 53-39

This contest matched up to old foes from the Mountain Valley Conference as Immaculata of Somerville took on the Crusaders of Bound Brook. These two teams from Somerset County have since broken their annual get togethers in football and basketball as well as in other sports, but have since migrated to the Skyland Conference where Immaculata competes in the Delaware East Division while Bound Brook plays in the smaller Valley Division. This was the first time that GMC Hoops saw Immaculata play at this camp, and the Spartans didn’t disappoint. The Somerville based school, which has won two consecutive Non-Public A State Championships, and made two straight berths in the semifinal round of the Tournament of Champions, jumped out to a 28-16 lead over the first 18:43 of the contest.

Then, Immaculata went back to work with a field goal moments later for a 30-16 lead with exactly a minute to go in the first half. The Spartans, which have gone a combined 48-13 in the past two seasons including a 21-9 mark in 2007-08, and a 27-4 mark this past season, then got a basket and a foul for a three point play with eight seconds left that drew the ire of Bound Brook head coach, Anthony Melesurgo, who wanted a charge called. The Somerville based school, which led at the half, 33-16, scored four of the first six points of the second half in a span of 3:27 for a 37-18 lead. On the next Bound Brook possession, the Crusaders got the ball downcourt for a breakaway layup, and drew a foul as well when the Spartans tried to hustle and stop the score. The result was a three point play that made the score, 37-21 with 15:46 left.

Bound Brook then added another three points for a 6-0 run in a 3:21 span to pull within a baker’s dozen at 37-24 with 13:12 remaining. Immaculata ended the charge by the Crusaders though with a layin at the 12:20 mark that made the score, 39-24. The Spartans then scored eight of the next eleven points over a 3:07 span for a 10-3 run to take a 47-27 lead as Bound Brook called for time at the 9:13 mark. Following the timeout, the Crusaders finished the game strong with a 12-6 spurt that made the score more respectable in the end, but Immaculata still came away with the 53-39 victory. Both teams were in action again on Thursday night at EBHS as the Spartans faced North Brunswick while the Crusaders took on South Brunswick.

Sayreville Handles Younger Piscataway Squad, 43-24

In the finale game on the Lower Gym floor, Sayreville took on Piscataway in a very physical game that saw a total of 43 combined team fouls. Both teams brought a good number of players, which were all needed, but the Chiefs still didn’t have the likes of Wayne Newsome and Malcolm Griggs in the lineup. Piscataway had thirteen players ready to go in this matchup while Sayreville had ten. Although Piscataway’s players had the “P” chant back early on in this game, the Bombers set the tone early by drawing an early charge on Brandon Williamson at the 19:32 mark. Sophomore guard, Mark Keir then struck for a three pointer at the 18:07 mark to put Sayreville in front. Justin Kirkland tried to get P-Way going by drawing a foul, and making one of two from the line with 17:41 left in the first half, but Sayreville would break the Piscataway pressure defense on a subsequent possession for a layup opportunity that was missed, but sophomore forward, Darryl Stephenson got an offensive rebound off his own miss, and put it back in for a 5-1 lead at the 16:32 mark.

Piscataway continued to be held down offensively by Sayreville’s defense, and offensive fouls including an illegal screen at the 15:33 mark, and another player control foul at the 12:22 mark that got the P-Way fans in an uproar. Keir then netted another three pointer from the right wing for an 8-1 lead with 11:40 to play in the half. The Chiefs wouldn’t get their first field goal until the 11:18 mark when Kirkland scored a layup while being fouled, but couldn’t convert the traditional three point play for an 8-3 Bomber lead at the 11:18 mark. Nearly a minute went by before we got another score, and that would be in the form of two foul shots by Milewski for a 10-3 lead with 10:20 remaining in the first half. About a minute and forty seconds later, Piscataway kept shooting themselves in the foot as the Chiefs were called for a backcourt violation.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Sayreville pounded the offensive boards with three offensive rebound and putback attempts by Darryl Stephenson that drew a foul. The sophomore forward then made the first free throw, and missed the second, but thanks to a P-Way lane violation, got a second chance, and made the most of it for a 12-3 advantage at the 7:40 mark. In the meantime, Piscataway’s younger, and somewhat more inexperienced players, kept making mistakes as the Chiefs threw away an inbounds pass at the 6:30 mark. Sayreville then got another three pointer from the left corner on its next possession for a 15-3 lead, and Keir added two free throws at the 4:45 mark for a 17-3 lead. Stephenson then closed out the early run with one of two free throws to give Sayreville an 18-3 advantage at the 3:05 mark. Piscataway would close the half with the final five points, but missed a chance to get more by missing the front end of a one and one with 2.7 seconds remaining in the half as the Bombers went into the brief intermission with an 18-8 lead.

In the second half, Sayreville pulled away even further from Piscataway with a 25-16 showing in the final period that consisted of a 9-5 run over the first 9:23 for a 27-14 lead, then a 9-5 run over the next 8:51 for a 36-19 lead. The Bombers then added another basket before Kirkland got P-Way on the board again with an offensive board and putback at the 1:21 mark for a 38-21 Sayreville lead. The Bombers then put the exclamation point on things with a one handed jam from along the left baseline while being fouled at the 1:03 mark. Although Sayreville missed the bonus free throw, the Bomber players gave out quite a roar on the play, and still held a 40-21 lead. From there, each team scored three points apiece to round out the 43-24 Bomber victory. Both teams were in action again on Thursday as Sayreville took on Perth Amboy and Edison while Piscataway went up against division rival East Brunswick.

GMC Hoops was back out at EBHS on Thursday to see the final night of action, and will have summaries on those games posted soon.