GMC Hoops Blogosphere

GMC Hoops Slideshow–February 21, 2013–#4 J.F. Kennedy vs. #3 St. Joseph’s-Green–Frosh 3rd Place

Here is a slideshow made from photos taken of the Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tourney Consolation Game between JFK and St. Joseph’s-Green. In the consolation, fourth seeded J.F. Kennedy and third seeded St. Joseph’s-Green swapped leads 9 times and had 9 ties in a contest where neither team had a lead bigger than five points. The Little Mustangs forced the extra session with one of three from the foul line by Nick Keane with four seconds remaining. Then, in the extra session, JFK outscored St. Joe’s-Green by a 9-5 margin to come away with the hard fought 58-54 win. Kush Patel opened the scoring with a layup and Keane and Josh Buchholz followed with scores down the stretch to seal the win for Kennedy. Bryce Layne, John Walton, Jose Medina, and Joseph Mayers stood tall for Joes in defeat.

GMC Hoops Slideshow–February 22, 2013–#7 Piscataway vs. #1 J.F. Kennedy–GMCT Girls Final

Here is a slideshow from photos taken of action from the last three quarters of play between 7th seeded Piscataway and top seeded J.F. Kennedy in the 2013 GMCT Girls Championship at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Kiki Bynes hit an off-balanced shot with 19 seconds to go to lift seventh seeded Piscataway past top seeded, and previously undefeated, J.F. Kennedy, 43-41. Bynes, who was selected tournament MVP, ended up with 13 points on the night. Kennedy battled throughout, especially in the second half. Trailing 30-20 midway through the third period, the Lady Mustangs embarked on an 11-0 run over a span of six minutes to take a 31-30 lead. Brittany Washington led JFK with 6 points during the run. There would be four lead changes and a tie over the final 6:19 of the contest. Kennedy had a couple chances to win in the final 6.7 seconds, but committed a turnover with 3.3 seconds left, and then after getting a steal, the Lady Mustangs came up short on a three attempt from the right wing as time ran out.

GMC Holding Its Own Against Out Of Conference Foes

Conference Teams Combine For Over .500 Record Entering Final Stage Of Season

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Monday, state tournament play began for 25 of the 31 teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference that qualified for the various tourneys categorized by school enrollment. As of the end of play, Wednesday night, the GMC has gone 9-9 against teams outside Middlesex County in state tourney play.

Entering the state tournament season, the 31 teams in the GMC had combined for an 82-76 record during the regular season against teams from other conferences. The conference is now 91-85, and has gone 22-16 since dropping to .500 in the middle of February. It has been an up and down, and streaky season for GMC schools against non-conference foes. The GMC began the year with 8 wins in its first 9 games, and then was clobbered over the holidays.

From that point on, the GMC schools have been on a roller coaster ride against teams outside of Middlesex County. For the most part though, the conference has held its own against many of the conferences in the Central Jersey area. Entering play on Thursday, the GMC is 4-3 against the Colonial Valley Conference, 23-22 versus the Skyland Conference, 10-10 against the Union County Conference, and 16-19 versus the Shore Conference. While the conference has not been dominant against schools from these other conferences, it has been able to hold its own.

A couple conferences that have done fairly well against the GMC this year have been the Burlington County Scholastic League, which has won 5 of 8 games against GMC schools, and the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association, which has won 6 of 9 against the GMC. Breaking down the 91-85 GMC non-conference record by division: The Gold is 32-19. The Red is 27-21. Blue Division is 20-17 while the White has struggled at 12-28. Teams that have done well against non-conference schools this season are: Perth Amboy Tech (8-1), St. Joseph’s (7-2), South River (7-3), East Brunswick Tech (6-2), Dunellen (4-0), Old Bridge (5-2), East Brunswick (5-2), Middlesex (3-0), Piscataway Tech (4-2), and Spotswood (3-1).

GMC Hoops Game Notes–#7 Piscataway vs. #1 J.F. Kennedy–GMCT Girls Championship–Rutgers Athletic Center–February 22, 2013

PISCATAWAY, NJ–On Friday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to the Rutgers Athletic Center for the Championship Game doubleheader. The first contest was for the 2013 GMCT Girls Championship between top seeded, and undefeated J.F. Kennedy, the Blue Division champ, and 7th seeded Piscataway. Led by team MVP, Kiki Bynes, who scored 13 points including the go ahead score with 19 seconds left, P-Way won the title by the score of 43-41. Below are game notes from the contest.

First Quarter

Piscataway jumped out to a 4-2 lead on a score by Kristin Shea, but Kennedy responded with an 8-6 run the rest of the way to tie the game at 10-10.

Second Quarter

J.F. Kennedy scored the first four points all compliments of forward Brittany Washington for a 14-10  lead at the 6:30 mark.  Piscataway responded with a 9-2 run sparked by a three pointer from Kiki Bynes for a 19-16 lead.  Washington sank two free throws with seven seconds left in the first half for a 19-18 lead, but Shea replied with a three from the left wing as time was running out for a 22-18 lead at the intermission.   Washington scored all of JFK’s points on three field goals and 2 of 2 FTs.

Third Quarter

4:20–PWAY–timeout–Piscataway opened the 2nd half with an 8-2 run as JFK could only muster 2 of 4 FTs.  Trailing 30-20, the Lady Mustangs got a three pointer from the left wing to draw within seven at 30-23.   After the Lady Chiefs timeout, Brittany Washington made one of two FTs for a 30-24 P-Way lead.

2:49–JFK–Washington scores underneath for a 30-26 PWAY lead.

1:35–JFK–Washington fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 30-27 PWAY lead.

20.3–JFK–Washington fouled–misses both FTs–Dana Phillips gets offensive rebound, and scores on putback for a 30-29 PWAY lead.

0.0–PWAY–unable to score at the end of the period.  Still leads 30-29.

PWAY–doesn’t score for over the last 4:30 of the 3rd.

Fourth Quarter

7:30–PWAY–fouled–missed both FTs.

7:18–JFK–full timeout.

6:19–JFK–takes 31-30 lead on layup by Washington.

6:00–PWAY–Bynes fouled–makes both FTs for a 32-31 lead.

5:55–JFK–Washington fouled–makes both FTs for a 33-32 lead.

5:30–PWAY–Kendrea Williams–layup from left side for a 34-33 lead.

4:55–PWAY–Bynes layup for a 36-33 lead.

4:15–PWAY–timeout.

3:57–PWAY–Wande Adeavoh–fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 37-33 lead..ball goes off foot of PWAY player out of bounds–JFK ball.

3:31–JFK–Rachel Andrejack–puts in follow for a 37-35 PWAY lead.

3:15–PWAY–Bynes–layup for a 39-35 lead.

2:30–PWAY–30 sec timeout.

1:19–JFK–Washington–fouled–makes both FTs for a 41-39 PWAY lead.

58.0–PWAY–Bynes misses layup.

40.0–JFK–Washington scores on layup from right low block for a 41-41 tie.

19.0–Bynes drives to the hoop–and makes off balanced shot fora 43-41 lead

14.5–JFK–full tmeout.

9.2–PWAY–gets steal–Crystal Carlucci of JFK called for foul–PWAY tries to inbound ball after foul–can’t…forced to  call a full timeout.

6.7–PWAY–Bynes fouled by Andrejack (fouls out)–Bynes misses front end of one and one.

5.7–JFK–gets rebound of missed FT, and calls timeout.

3.3–JFK–turnover

0.0–JFK–Julia Chang steals ball away, and is able to ge a thre point shot attempt off from right wing, but it falls short.  PWAY wins 43-41.

MVP–Kiki Bynes–Piscataway–13 points

GMC Hoops Highlights–February 19, 2013–J.F. Kennedy @ Cardinal McCarrick–GMC Crossover

Here are video highlights from the final 18 minutes of action in the game between J.F. Kennedy and Cardinal McCarrick on Senior Night at McCarrick. Trailing 20-9 at the half, the Eagles got 16 second half points including three treys from junior Sky Harris, 11 points including three treys from junior Aaron Lewis, and 6 points from freshman Nick Krimin including the game winner with 6.2 seconds left for the 44-43 win. Kyle Alvarez led Kennedy with 14 points while Omar Reyes chipped in with 10.

GMC Hoops Game Notes–#4 J.F. Kennedy vs. #3 St. Joe’s-Green–Consolation–February 21, 2013

PERTH AMBOY, NJ–In the consolation game of the Championship Doubleheader in the 2013 Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tournament, third seeded St. Joseph’s-Green, and fourth seeded J.F. Kennedy went at it in quite a battle. Neither team had a lead bigger than five points throughout the contest while there were 9 lead changes and 9 ties. Late in the third quarter, St. Joe’s-Green led 41-36 before Kennedy closed the game with a 13-8 run that included four points each by Nick Keane and Giovanni Johnson to tie the game up at 49-49 at the end of regulation. Then, in overtime, the Mustang Colts outscored the Little Falcons by a margin of 9-5 as Josh Buchholz scored three points while Keane, Rocky Prakyia, and Mohi Mia chipped in with two each for the 58-54 win. Below are game notes from the contest.

First Quarter

St. Joseph’s took a 5-2 lead early in the game before Kennedy went on a 9-4 run to take an 11-9 lead. St. Joe’s got a jumper from the right corner by Brendan Moreau, and then a layup underneath by Jose Medina to take a 13-11 lead before JFK tied it with a basket. The Little Falcons took a 16-13 lead into the second on a three from the right wing by John Walton in the waning moments of the period.

St. Joseph’s First Period Scoring

Deladem Adadevoh–3 PTR for 3 points
John Walton–3 PTR for 3 points
Bryce Layne–FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points
Bryan Carley–FG for 2 points
Jose Medina–FG for 2 points
Brendan Moreau–FG for 2 points

STJ–4 FGs, 2 3s, and 2 of 2 FTs for 16 points

J.F. Kennedy First Period Scoring

Nick Keane–FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points
Adrian Budzuku–3 PTR for 3 points
Kush Patel–FG for 2 points
Josh Buchholz–FG for 2 points
Rocky Prakyia–FG for 2 points

JFK–4 FGs, 3 PTR, and 2 of 2 FTs for 13 points

4 lead changes and 2 ties in the period.

Second Quarter

7:21–JFK opens second with a 4-0 run on layups by Giovanni Johnson and Rocky Prakyia for a 17-16 lead.

1:31–There have been several more lead changes and two ties before St. Joe’s put together a 6-0 including a layup and 1 of 2 FTs by Bryce Layne for a 29-24 lead. JFK–timeout.

1:13–JFK–steal for layup by Johnson fora 29-26 Joes lead.

0:41–STJ–draws charge.

0:25–JFK–swipes steal.

0:01–JFK–misses layup from right low block, but gets the ball out of bounds.

0:00–JFK–unable to get shot off in time–STJ-Green leads 29-26 at half

St. Joseph’s Second Quarter Scoring

Layne–FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points
Joseph Mayers–3 PTR for 3 points
Adadevoh–FG for 2 points
Walton–FG for 2 points
Connor Mahony–FG for 2 points

STJ–4 FGs, 3 PTR, and 2 of 2 FTs for 13 points

J.F. Kennedy Second Quarter Scoring

Giovanni Johnson–2 FGs for 4 points
Kush Patel–FG and 1 of 2 FTs for 3 points
Jaspreet Hari–3 PTR for 3 points
Rocky Prakyia–FG for 2 points
Buchholz–1 of 2 FTs for 1 point

JFK–4 FGs, 3 PTR, and 2 of 4 FTs for 13 points

Three lead changes and two ties in the period.

St. Joseph’s First Half Scoring

Bryce Layne–2 FGs and 4 of 4 FTs for 8 points
John Walton–3 PTR and a FG for 5 points
Deladem Adadevoh–3 PTR and a FG for 5 points
Joseph Mayers–3 PTR for 3 points
Brendan Moreau–FG for 2 points
Connor Mahony–FG for 2 points
Bryan Carley–FG for 2 points
Jose Medina–FG for 2 points

STJ–8 FGs, 3 3s, and 4 of 4 FTs for 29 points

J.F. Kennedy First Half Scoring

Kush Patel–2 FGs and 1 of 2 FTs for 5 points
Giovanni Johnson–2 FGs for 4 points
Rocky Prakyia–2 FGs for 4 points
Nick Keane–FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points
Adrian Budzuku–3 PTR for 3 points
Jaspreet Hari–3 PTR for 3 points
Josh Buchholz–FG and 1 of 2 FTs for 3 points

JFK–8 FGs, 2 3s, and 4 of 6 FTs for 26 points

Third Quarter

5:02–JFK–after Joes opened the 2nd half with a putback and 1 of 2 FTs, the Mustangs roared back with a 7-0 run that was sparked by a three from Johnson, a layup by Nick Keane, and a score by Prakyia for a 33-32 lead.

4:15–STJ–Deladem Adadevoh–fouled–makes both FTs for a 34-33 lead.

3:13–STJ–Bryce Layne to Joseph Mayers for layup and a 36-33 lead.

2:45–JFK–Mohi Mia–layup from left low block for a 36-35 STJ lead.

2:17–STJ–basket for a 38-35 lead.

1:41–STJ–John Walton–fouled–misses both FTs.

1:00–STJ–three pointer for a 41-35 lead.

0:33–JFK–Josh Buchholz–fouled–makes 1 of 2FTs for a 41-36 STJ lead.

0:00–JFK–inbounds to Keane for layup from left low block as time expires for a 41-38 STJ lead.

Two lead changes in the period.

Fourth Quarter

7:09–JFK–Johnson–layup off steal for a 41-40 STJ lead.

6:45–JFK–Keane–fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 41-41 tie.

6:34–STJ–Layne–gets kind bounce on foul line jumper for a 43-41 lead.

4:45–JFK–4-2 run including layup from right side by Johnson for a 45-45 tie.

0:43–JFK–calls timeout after getting loose ball.

0:36–STJ–fouled on the floor after getting rebound.

0:27–JFK–30 sec timeout.

0:04–JFK–Keane fouled on three point attempt–misses first two, and then makes the last one for a 49-49 tie–STJ timeout. STJ then inbounds the ball to midcourt without losing any time, and calls 2nd timeout.

0:00–STJ–Walton puts up heave from 35 feet, but it hits backboard–going to overtime.

Five ties in quarter.

Overtime

3:59–STJ–turnover.

3:39–JFK–Mia–layup for a 51-49 lead.

3:00–STJ–turnover.

2:49–JFK–Buchholz–fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 52-49 lead.

2:00–STJ–Layne–scores on putback for a 52-51 JFK lead.

1:30–JFK–Keane–layup for a 54-51 lead.

0:33–JFK–Buchholz–layup from right low block for a 56-51 lead.

0:20–STJ–timeout after Walton hits three from left wing for a 56-54 JFK lead.

0:09–JFK–Prakyia–fouled–makes both FTs for a 58-54 lead.

0:01–STJ–timeout after missing a couple shots.

0:00–STJ–three point attempt from left corner by Walton is off the mark–JFK wins 58-54.

9 lead changes and 9 ties in the game. Neither team had a lead bigger than five points in the game.

GMC Hoops Game Notes–J.F. Kennedy @ Cardinal McCarrick–Senior Night–February 19, 2013

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ–On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to Cardinal McCarrick one last time for Senior Night, and a regular season GMC crossover contest with J.F. Kennedy.  The Eagles  fell behind 20-9 at the half as Kennedy’s Kyle Alvarez had two field goals and two threes for 10 points.  

However, the Eagles, led by Sky Harris’ 13 points, roared back in the third with a 20-11 surge in the third to tie the score at 26-26 before Kennedy ended the period on a 5-3 run for a 31-29 lead heading into the fourth.  In the final period Aaron Lewis and Nick Krimin each had six points with Krimin netting the game winner with 6.2 seconds left for the 44-43 win.  Below are game notes from the contest.

First Quarter

Kyle Alvarez sank three field goals including a three pointer for 7 points to help the Mustangs jump out to a 13-4 lead.   McCarrick only had one field goal in the quarter as Tavian Chukwuani and Jaquantee Madden accounted for the only Eagle scoring with two points each.

J.F.  Kennedy First Quarter Scoring

Kyle Alvarez–3 PTR and 2 FGs for 7 points
Stepp Ozigbe–FG for 2 points
Joe Duffy–FG for 2 points
Pete Fiore–FG for 2 points

J.F. Kennedy total scoring–5 FG and a 3 PTR for 13 points

Cardinal McCarrick First Quarter Scoring

Tavian Chukwuani–FG for 2 points
Jaquantee Madden–2 of 2 FTs for 2 points

McCarrick total scoring–FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points

Second Quarter

The Mustangs outscored McCarrick by a 7-5 margin for an 11 point lead at half as Alvarez sank hits second three, and Zach Buchholz added a late second quarter score on top of two free throws by Joe Duffy.

2:00–arrive–J.F. Kennedy leading 18-9.

1:37–JFK scores on follow for a 20-9 lead.

both teams have chances to score in the final minute, but are unable to.  JFK leads 20-9 at half.  

J.F. Kennedy Scoring First Half

Alvarez–2FG and 2 3’s for 10 points.
Duffy–FG and 2 of 4 FTs for 4 points
Ogzibe–FG for 2 points
Fiore–FG for 2 points
Buchholz–FG for 2 points
Reyes–0 of 2 FTs

J.F. Kennedy total scoring–6 FGs, 2 3s, and 2 of 6 FTs for 20 points

Cardinal McCarrick First Half

Chukwuani–2 FGs and 1 of 2 FTs for 5 points.
Harris–FG for 2 points
Madden–2 of 2 FTs for 2 points

McCarrick total scoring–3 FGs and 3 of 4 FTs for 9 points

Third Quarter

7:41–CM–Aaron Lewis scores on breakaway layin for a 20-11 JFK lead.

7:05–CM–Sky Harris fouled–makes  1 of 2 FTs for a 20-12 JFK lead.

6:32–CM–Harris blocks shot by Joe Duffy.

6:25–JFK–Omar Reyes scores on putback for a 22-12 lead.

5:23–CM–Harris scores on floater for a 22-14 JFK lead.

5:12–JFK–timeout follows CM layup off steal by Tavian Chukwuani for a 22-16 JFK lead.

4:45–JFK–Kyle Alvarez swipes steal and goes in for layup and a 24-16 lead.

4:30–CM–Harris drives leeft baseline for floater, and a 24-18 JFK lead.

4:00–JFK–Joe Duffy nice feed to Reyes for layup and a 26-18 lead.

3:51–CM–traveling.

3:13–CM–Harris fires in three pointer from right wing for a 26-21 lead.

2:55–CM–traveling.

2:22–CM–Lewis fires in three from right side of the key for a 26-24 JFK lead.

1:50–JFK–timeout after transition layup by Harris for a 26-26 lead.

1:00–JFK–Stepp Ozigbe nice no look pass to Reyes for layup and a 28-26 lead.

35.0–JFK–Zach Buchholz fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 29-26 lead.

20.0–CM–Harris hits three from left wing for a 29-29 tie.

7.4–JFK–Ozigbe–fouled–makes both FTs for a 31-29 lead.

0.0–CM–Lewis hits front of the rim on three attempt from right wing as time expires–JFK up 31-29 after three.

J.F. Kennedy Third Quarter Scoring

Omar Reyes–3 FGs for 6 points
Kyle Alvarez–FG for 2 points
Stepp Ozigbe–2 of 2 FTs for 2 points
Zach Buchholz–1 of 2 FTs for a point

J.F. Kennedy total scoring–4 FG and 3 of 4 FTs for 11 points

Cardinal McCarrick Third Quarter Scoring

Sky Harris–3 FGs, 2 3s, and 1 of 2 FTs for 13 points
Aaron Lewis–FG and a 3 PTR for 5 points
Tavian Chukwuani–FG for 2 points

McCarrick total scoring–5 FG, 3 3s, and 1 of 2 FTs for 20 points

Fourth Quarter

7:09–CM–Harris hits three from right side of the key for a 32-31 lead.

6:50–JFK–Ozigbe–hits foul line jumper for a 33-32 lead.

6:17–JFK–Reyes scores on follow for a 35-32 lead.

5:34–CM–Lewis hits three as he is fouled–missed two bonus FTs–either a technical or flagrant called.  Tie score at 35-35.

4:55–CM–Krimin scores on layup from right low block for a 37-35 lead.

4:00–CM–traveling.

3:45–JFK–Buchholz basket for a 37-37 tie.

3:00–CM–Krimin scores on layup from right low block for a 39-37 lead.

2:35–JFK–Reyes scores on layup for a 39-39 tie.

2:23–CM–Lewis fires in three from deep on right wing for a 42-39 lead.

2:08–CM–timeout.

1:25–CM–turnover.

1:16–JFK–Alvarez kicks out to Duffy for mid-range jumper from right side and a 42-41 CM lead.

1:15–JFK–30 sec timeout.

1:14–CM–fouled on floor.

1:02–CM–fouled on floor.

53.9–CM–fouled on floor.

46.8–CM–Chukwuani–fouled–CM in bonus–misses front end  of one and one.

39.8–CM–forces jump ball–JFK possession.

21.9–JFK–Alvarez hits pull-up jumper from left elbow for a 43-42 lead.

21.0–CM–full timeout.

13.1–JFK–deflects ball out of bounds.

6.2–CM–Krimin scores on follow for a 44-43 lead.

4.9–JFK–timeout.–Kennedy out of timeouts.

0.0–JFK–Alvarez shoots leaner from right side–hits off backboard, and rim as time expires.  CM wins 44-43.

J.F. Kennedy Fourth Quarter Scoring

Omar Reyes–2 FGs for 4 points
Kyle Alvarez–FG for 2 points
Stepp Ozigbe–FG for 2 points
Zach Buchholz–FG for 2 points
Joe Duffy–FG for 2 points

J.F. Kennedy total scoring–6 FGs for 12 points

Cardinal McCarrick Fourth Quarter Scoring

Nick Krimin–3 FGs for 6 points
Aaron Lewis–2 3s and 0 of 2 FTs for 6 points
Sky Harris–3 PTR for 3 points
Tavian Chukwuani–0 of 1 FTs–0 points

J.F. Kennedy Game Scoring

Kyle Alvarez–4 FGs and 2 3s for 14 points
Omar Reyes–5 FGs and 0 of 2 FTs for 10 points
Joe Duffy–2 FG and 2 of 4 FTs for 6 points
Stepp Ozigbe–2 FGs and 2 of 2 FTs for 6 points
Zach Buchholz–2 FG and 1 of 2 FTs for 5 points
Pete Fiore–FG for 2 points

J.F. Kennedy total game scoring–16 FGs, 2 3s, and 5 of 10 FTs for 43 points

Cardinal McCarrick Game Scoring

Sky Harris–4 FGs, 3 3s, and 1 of 2 FTs for 18 points
Aaron Lewis–FG and 3 3s and 0 of 2 FTs for 11 points
Tavian Chukwuani–3 FGs and 1 of 3 FTs for 7 points
Nick Krimin–3 FGs for 6 points
Jaquantee Madden–2 of 2 FTs for 2  points

McCarrick total game scoring–11 FGs, 6 3s, and 4 of 9 FTs for 44 points

GMC-Skyland Challenge–January 19, 2013–Schedule

Good morning everyone.  Here is the latest schedule for the GMC-Skyland Challenge set for today.  GMC Hoops plans to be at Immaculata for the two games there, and then go over to Bound Brook to see Cardinal McCarrick take on the home town Crusaders.

Skyland/GMC Challenge

At Bound Brook

Colonia vs. Warren Hills, 5:00 PM

Cardinal McCarrick vs. Bound Brook, 7:00 PM

At East Brunswick

Timothy Christian vs. Voorhees, 2:00 PM

Piscataway vs. Montgomery, 4:00 PM

Bridgewater vs. East Brunswick, 6:00 PM

At Franklin

South Brunswick vs. Hillsborough, 12:45 PM

North Brunswick vs. Franklin, 2:30 PM

At Immaculata

Bishop Ahr vs. Pingry, 3:00 PM

Woodbridge vs. Immaculata, 5:00 PM

At North Plainfield

J.F. Kennedy vs. North Plainfield, 1:00 PM

At Middlesex

South Hunterdon vs. Middlesex, 12:00 PM

At Monroe

Hunterdon Central vs. Monroe, 7:00 PM

At North Hunterdon

Edison vs. North Hunterdon, 1:30 PM

At Perth Amboy

Delaware Valley vs. Perth Amboy, 1:00 PM

At Phillipsburg

Old Bridge vs. Phillipsburg, 2:30 PM

At Somerville

Carteret vs. Somerville, 2:00 PM

At South Amboy

Manville vs. South Amboy, 11:30 AM

At Spotswood

Bernards vs. Spotswood, 1:30 PM

At Ridge

New Brunswick vs. Ridge, 2:30 PM

At Watchung

Sayreville vs. Watchung Hills, 7:00 PM

Great Races Developing In Blue And Gold Divisions

Carteret’s Win Over Spotswood Makes It A Three Team Scramble In Blue While Four Teams Separated By One Game In Gold

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Prior to the season, I had indicated that the Blue and Gold Divisions were going to be tough. With the additions of Piscataway Tech and South Plainfield in the Blue, and the exit of P-Way Tech from the Gold, competitive races were expected this year in these two divisions. So far the season hasn’t disappointed. At the midway point we have a three way tie in the GMC Blue, there are three teams separated by one game.

If there is any parity in the GMC, it lies in these two divisions mostly. For instance, of the seven games that were played on Wednesday, five of them were decided by single digits, and six were determined by 10 points or less. Oh, by the way, the sixth game, the one that was decided by ten points, went to overtime. South River needed an extra session to defeat Timothy Christian, 72-62.

Gold Division Free For All

Speaking of the Rams, they have come back from the dead in divisional play. After losing its first three league games, South River has battled back with victories over Wardlaw (57-36), East Brunswick Tech (78-44), Amboy Tech, and TCS. A big part of that was the play of Tyler Harris, who had a monster week in week four with 89 points in three games.

Besides the rally in the GMC Gold, the Rams also have beaten a very good Group I school from the Shore in Keansburg twice. First time was a come from behind overtime victory in the Genevieve Hawley Tournament Championship (73-71) at Henry Hudson Regional HS over the holidays, and the second time was last Saturday at home (79-77). Matt Martinez has also played very well for the Rams. He pumped in 27 points in the win over Timothy Christian, and had a double-double in the first win over Keansburg with 16 points and 10 assists. Martinez has a great handle, shoots the ball well, and plays with great confidence. He is probably the best point guard at South River since this site was launched in 2000.

Let’s not forget Sean Darrar, who was the hero in the first win over Keansburg. The younger Darrar scored all 11 of his points in the final 5:35 of the contest including three treys. One of the threes tied the game at the buzzer to force overtime, and then another was the game winning with 18.7 seconds remaining. Against East Brunswick Tech, South River opened the game with a 28-6 first quarter rampage that included five threes. Two of those treys were by Harris, who scored the first 9 points of the game for the Rams, and had 14 of the points in the period. He ended up with 22 in the first half, and 30 for the game. Another of the two treys came from Bobby Applegate, who can provide scoring from the perimeter as well as length on defense, and rebounding.

Back to the rest of the Gold Division, there is a lot more competitive balance this year with the departure of Piscataway Tech. For instance, even though Amboy Tech is 2-5 in the league, they have lost a number of close games including a one point loss at home to Dunellen, and overtime losses to Timothy Christian and East Brunswick Tech. They also suffered a loss to South Amboy without two top players in Agnel Etienne and Jonathan Sosa. Jordan Little is a solid player in the middle for the Pats while Kelvin Perez has been the most consistent. Wardlaw is also 2-5, but they have been a strange team.

The Rams have lost twice to Amboy Tech by four and defeated Dunellen. Wardlaw also lost by one in non-conference play to North 13th Street Tech of Newark in the Joe Silver Holiday Tournament. Justen Davis is a solid rebounding and scoring combination, who is closing in on 1,000 points. Noah Ganz gives the Rams some perimeter punch while Ish Menns and John Newman provide athleticism. Matt Rosado gives much needed experience at the point while John Pohopin gives additional scoring from the outside. East Brunswick Tech has struggled since a 2-0 start with six losses in its last 10 games. Mark Alston and Brett Carmen have been solid for the Tigers.

Moving up to the top half of the Gold, Dunellen, South Amboy, and Timothy Christian are all locked in a three way battle for first place at 5-2. The Guvs appeared to have control of the division late last week, but three straight single digit losses including one at the buzzer to Highland Park, have brought them back down to .500. Thankfully, South Amboy only has won loss in the division during this recent tough stretch, a 50-42 defeat at the hands of Dunellen on Wednesday. The Governors are led by a group of juniors that includes Steve Herdman, Joe Fruncillo, Nick Kales, and Dan Murphy. They also have sophomore Tim Kales and senior Matt Lavan in the rotation.

The Guvs could easily be 9-3 at least if it weren’t for tough crossover losses to Cardinal McCarrick (54-51 in OT on December 15th), Sayreville (54-46 on January 12th), and the buzzer beater to Highland Park. In all three games, South Amboy had the held including an 11 point advantage on McCarrick. If this group begins to figure out how to close out close games against these bigger schools from the upper divisions of the GMC, they could make a bit of a rumble in the county tournament. Herdman, who recently had his 37 consecutive game streak with at least one three pointer broken, came back the next game with four in the first period as the Guvs defeated Wardlaw, 60-38. Fruncillo has had game high in each of the last three games.

Despite losing two 1,000 point scorers in Dan “Triple” Decker and Kristian Svendsen to graduation, and another key player from last year’s team in Devon Johnson, who transferred to Edison this year, the Tigers of Timothy Christian are still a factor in the GMC Gold. Led by senior Jeff Parker and junior Brandon Summers, this edition of the Tigers are a solid shooting bunch that still play solid defense and great team ball. Trailing by four near the end of regulaton and in overtme at Amboy Tech last week, TCS found a way to win (54-51) as Summers came up with two scores to tie the game with a minute to go in overtime and Parker won it with a three from the left wing with 31.8 seconds to go.

Jarret Locke is a nice little playmaker, who was just a split second shy from winning the contest in regulation with a heave just inside halfcourt. He also had a runner that tied the contest. Mike DiLeo provides some additional scoring punch while reserve Zach Coyle helped the Tigers stay in front for a while in the third against the Patriots with a trey from the left wing. Evan Waldron clogs up the middle, and gives TCS some much needed size down low. Head coach Chris Hobbs has some help on the bench this year with an assistant, and that has helped him find ways to keep the Tigers in the hunt despite the turnover from last year.

Finally, we get to Dunellen, which could be the most intriguing team of all in this division. The Destroyers did take some hits to graduation by losing the likes of Sean Gibney and Jeff Puckett, but they still had a lot back this year with Deon Brown, Dylan Hoski, Matt Heidinger, Tony McGuane, and Orville Thompson. However, DHS has had some struggles that included losses to Wardlaw, Middlesex, and more recently, Timothy Christian. Keep in mind though that Dunellen has always gotten off to tough starts under head coach Bernie Buniak only to come on strong and either win or challenge for the division crown in late January and February.

Three Way Horse Race In GMC Blue

While four teams are in the hun in the Gold Division of the Greater Middlesex Conference, three teams are battling for first place in the Blue. Carteret moved into sole possession of first at 8-1 with a come from behind, 75-72 win over Spotswood on the road on Wednesday night. The Chargers, which came into the week undefeated in both division and conference play suffered two straight conference losses including a 74-59 defeat to North Brunswick at home on Monday night.

Tied with Spotswood, and only a half game back of Carteret in the standings is Piscataway Tech at 7-1. The Raiders rolled over Bishop Ahr, and have a tie breaker over Carteret thanks to a thrilling, 54-52 win on the road at CHS on January 4th. Spotswood defeated the Raiders at P-Way Tech to start the new year. Despite moving up a division, and losing the likes of Galen Smith, Khairi Mosely, and Mo Pierre to graduation and the likes of Will Joyce and Jalen Jackson to transfer, Piscataway Tech has managed to not only stay in contention, but get some early season quality wins on the road at Carteret and over Group IV schools, Passaic and Paterson Kennedy in the Jingle Bells Jubilee over the holidays.

Turell McClendon, Jordan Lackey, and Aziz Austin carry much of the load for PVT, but role players Robby Pierre, Inderpaul Pingahila, and Willie Patterson have contributed nicely as well. Head coach Karl Towns has also made some defensive adjustments, and now he is looking like a strong GMC Hoops Coach of the Year candidate. He may have mellowed a bit on the sideline as well, but he was very close to top form in the win over Carteret two weeks ago. Carteret also took some heavy losses to graduation by losing the likes of Avery Carter, Tanveer Dosanjh, Joe Nigro, and Kevin Van Dyke among others, but still had the likes of sophomores Jaquan Robertson and Brandon Gilder back along with senior Elijah Torres.

Younger brother Zach Torres has also contribued off the bench while newcomers Tyrell Lockley and Joe McRae provide athleticism and versatility. Forward Andrew Stam gives CHS some length and scoring ability from the perimeter. The team in the Blue with the most experience back is Spotswood. Even though the Chargers lost 1,000 point scorer, Tommy Soulias, who is now playing well at Kean, they had the likes of Jake Dadika, Dalonte Grant, Jamal Lewis, Corey Brown and Kevin Fox all back this year. In addition they have some solid newcomers such as freshmen Marlon Hart and Eric Dadika coming off the bench. Jake Dadika is one of the top scorers in the GMC this year whle Grant provides additional scoring punch to make this one of the best backcourts in the conference.

Lewis may be undersized, but his athletic ability and tenacity help him compensate for that as he has put up a number of double-digit scoring games recently including 18 in a victory over Bishop Ahr. Corey Brown brings his football toughness on the boards while scoring from either the perimeter or by going to the basket. Kevin Fox demonstrated a nice knack of perimeter shooting to help the Chargers put the game out of reach against BGA. Hart and the younger Dadika also find ways to contribute any way they can.

For a while, Bishop Ahr appeared to be a contender with five wins in six games after an opening night loss to Carteret, but since then, the Trojans have come back down to earth with three straight losses including an overtime defeat at Metuchen, and double digit setbacks to division frontrunners Spotswood and Piscataway Tech. The BGA was hit hard by graduation with all but two players graduating last June. However, head coach Dennis O’Keefe has a solid sophomore class headed by Tom Weiler, and a couple transfers from St. Joseph’s including Owen McLeod. Mike Jensen, one of the two holdovers from last year, has a knack for getting to the basket while Greg Patuto provides some scoring from the perimeter. Senior guard, Tom Duffy has the ability to make plays and score.

Like Ahr, Middlesex had also been playing well for a stretch before suffering several setbacks. Although the Blue Jays are presently hovering around the .500 mark, they look to be more improved this year, especially with Rutgers Prep transfer, Austin Bardaji in the lineup. Prior to Bardaji getting into the rotation, the Jays had won 5 of its first seven games with the only two losses to division contenders Bishop Ahr and Piscataway Tech. Middlesex also defeated Dunellen in a crossover for the 2012 Shello/Santy Christmas Tournament Championship. However, the Jays have stumbled as of late with losses to divsion heavyweights Spotswood and P-Way Tech before falling at home to JFK.

Speaking of the Mustangs, Kennedy is starting to play better. After a 1-4 start the Stangs have split their last six with wins over Metuchen, South Plainfield, and Middlesex while losing to Spotswood, Piscataway Tech, and Point Pleasant Boro. JFK suffered close defeats to Warren Hills (54-47) and Mater Dei (51-47) over the holidays at the Gene Haley Tournament in Edison. Head coach, Chris Banos was hit hard by graduation as he lost his entire starting lineup from last year, but he is not making excuses and hopes his young bunch that includes Kyle Alvarez, Darrin Perez, Mike Weinstein, and Joe Duffy will continue to grow.

Metuchen has struggled in the early going this season, but second year head coach, Jon Korellis pretty much had figured that. He felt his team would start playing better come January. The Bulldogs have only won three games this season, but two of them included the overtime win over Bishop Ahr and a solid win over Group IV Howell of the Shore Conference. Metuchen also gave Piscataway Tech some trouble before falling in overtime (57-51) in the first full week of the season. Artie Flaherty Jr. is playing much like his dad did when he scored over 2,000 points to become the all time leading scorer at the school in the early to mid-1980s. Tom Chalker continues to grow at the point while Brian Eustace, Hunter Clarke, Frank McGuire, and Evan Collier have contributed well.

South Plainfield, which looked to be one of the favorite’s in the division entering the season, conntinues to go through some growing pains under second year head coach, Justin Chiera. The Tigers have lost a ton of close games including to Perth Amboy (48-39 OT), Middlesex (60-53), J.F. Kennedy (57-52), Bishop Ahr (64-57), and Carteret (55-50). Claude Payne has been the bright spot for the Tigers with a solid consistent effort in the paint this season. Justin Glover has also had some solid games while youngsters Jordan Hankerson and Jason Lee have come up from the JV to make key contributions. SPHS has come up with some wins over Metuchen and Highland Park over the last week. Hopefully, they can use the recent successes to turn things around.

Finally, we have Highland Park, which has talent with the likes of football standouts, Nadre Hepburn, Jordan Long, and David Webb, but the Owls have not been able to get it to translate into more victories. HPHS does have a couple recent wins over neighborhood rival Metuchen and South Amboy to hang its hat on.

GMC-Skyland Challenge Set For January 19th

Proceeds from Games Will Go To Brayden Carr Foundation

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Among the array of boys basketball showcases this season is the upcoming showdown between GMC and Skyland Conference teams on January 19th.  According to a recent article from MyCentralJersey.com, there will be 20 games at 15 different locations.  Some key matchups include Bridgewater-Raritan at East Brunswick, South Brunswick vs. Hillsborough, Piscataway vs. Montgomery, Spotswood vs. Bernards, and Woodbridge vs. Immaculata. 

All proceeds from the games will go toward the “In Brayden’s Eyes, The Brayden Carr Foundation,”  Brayden Carr, was the son of former Rutgers assistant coach, Jim Carr and Natalie Zeno Carr, who was an athletic trainer at South Plainfield in the mid-90s.  Brayden died back in May 2011 at the age of 2.  In Brayden’s Eyes, The Brayden Carr Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that raises money for provide athletic, social, rehabilitative, and academic opportunities to children with seizure conditions, with or without motor delays from associated cerebral palsy, as well as to provide humanitarian support/relief to their parents.  The idea was brought up by South Plainfield Athletic Director Al Czech last year according to an article at nj.com.

Below is a schedule of the boys games on tap for January 19th

Bound Brook HS
Colonia vs. Warren Hills
Cardinal McCarrick vs. Bound Brook

East Brunswick HS
Piscataway vs. Montgomery
Timothy Christian vs. Voorhees
East Brunswick vs. Bridgewater-Raritan

Franklin HS
North Brunswick vs. Franklin
South Brunswick vs. Hillsborough

Immaculata HS
Bishop Ahr vs. Pingry
Woodbridge vs. Immaculata

J.P. Stevens HS
J.F. Kennedy vs. North Plainfield

Middlesex HS
Middlesex vs. South Hunterdon

Monroe HS
Monroe vs. Hunterdon Central

North Hunterdon HS
Edison vs. North Hunterdon

Perth Amboy HS
Perth Amboy vs. Delaware Valley

Phillipsburg HS
Old Bridge vs. Phillipsburg

Ridge HS
New Brunswick vs. Ridge

Somerville HS
Carteret vs. Somerville

South Amboy HS
South Amboy vs. Manville

Spotswood HS
Spotswood vs. Bernards

Watchung Hills HS
Sayreville vs. Watchung Hills

I’m still currently working out getting all the details including start times for the games.  Girls games may also be involved as well.  According to Al Czech in a recent e-mail, there will be games at South Plainfield 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:00 PM as well as at J.P. Stevens.  I’m planning to at least see the game between Cardinal McCarrick at Bound Brook.  We’ll have further details on GMC Hoops Coverage of this upcoming event soon.