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).

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

First Quarter

Sayreville jumped out to a 15-12 lead thanks to 7 field goals including a three by Brian Rubio. Donald Johnson led six different players in the scorebook for the Bombers in the period with 4 points. Meanwhile, Monroe had 9 first quarter points from senior forward, Nick Isola, who made four field goals and one of two from the line in the frame. Senior guard, Zach Gorham accounted for the only other Falcon points with a 3 of 4 effort from the foul line. Monroe had 4 field goals and made 4 of 6 from the foul line.

Second Quarter

Monroe closed the gap two just a field goal at the half with a more balanced attack as four different players broke into the scoring column in the period led by junior guard Chris Germano, who scored 9 points including two threes while Isola added 5 points. The Falcons had 7 field goals including two threes while making only 2 of 5 from the line. Meanwhile, Sayreville, which had no free throw attempts in the first half, had five different players score in the period led by Jason Saldiveri with 6 points. The Bombers had 8 field goals including a three.

Halftime Totals

Monroe–11 field goals including 2 3s and 6 of 11 from the foul line.
Sayreville–15 field goals including 2 3s.

Monroe First Half Scoring

Nick Isola–6 FGs and 2 of 4 FTs for 14 points
Chris Germano–3 FGs including 2 3s and 1 of 3 FTs for 9 points
Zach Gorham–FG and 3 of 4 FTs for 5 points
Andrew Ha–FG–2 points

Sayreville First Half Scoring

Jason Saldiveri–4 FGs for 8 points
Donald Johnson–3 FGs for 6 points
Corey Taite–2 FGs including a three for 5 points
Brian Rubio–2 FGs including a three for 5 points
Justin Luna–2 FGs for 4 points
Jon Bracero–FG for 2 points
Anthony Manning–FG for 2 points

Third Quarter

Monroe asserted itself in the third with a 19-7 showing to take a 49-39 lead into the fourth. Four different players did all of the scoring for the Falcons led by Matt Siemons, who scored all six of his points in the quarter during the final 3:48 of the frame when MTHS went on an 11-5 spurt. Nick Isola also had 6 points for Monroe while Ryan Stolte, who scored all seven of his points in the 2nd half, had 5 in the frame. Sayreville could only manage three field goals and one of two from the foul line. The Bombers were led by Corey Taite, who had two field goals for four points in the stanza. Below are notes from the final 3:48 of the period.

3:48–arrive–MON leads 38-34.

2:34–SAY–timeout after a layup by Matt Siemons on Monroe–Falcons on an 6-2 run since arriving with Siemons scoring four points and Ryan Stolte putting in a layup for a 44-36 lead.

2:00–MON–Chris Germano drives in and scores on a runner for a 46-36 lead.

1:25–SAY–Anthony Manning fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 46-37 MON lead.

0:35–SAY–Corey Taite hits jumper from right elbow on the follow for a 47-39 lead.

0:05–MON– Siemons scores on a follow of a blocked shot by SAY’s Jason Saldiveri.

0:00–SAY–heave from three quarters court is off the mark.

Monroe Third Quarter Scoring

Matt Siemons–3 FG for 6 points
Nick Isola–2 FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 6 points
Ryan Stolte–2 FG and 1 of 1 FTs for 5 points
Zach Gorham–FG for 2 points

Sayreville Third Quarter Scoring

Corey Taite–2 FG for 4 points
Justin Luna–FG for 2 points
Anthony Manning–1 of 2 FTs for 1 point

Fourth Quarter

Thanks mostly to a 13-4 tear over a span of 6:37, and four threes in the quarter, Sayreville was able to make a game of it after Matt Siemons hit a three for Monroe to make the score 52-39 with 7:31 left. Corey Taite, Malik Pressley, and Anthony Manning all had treys in the period as the Bombers pulled within four at 56-52 with 54 seconds to go. However, Monroe was able to pull out the 59-53 win thanks to two free throws by Siemons and another by Germano over the last 53 seconds of the game. Sayreville had five field goals including those three treys along with one of two from the line for its 14 points. Monroe had only two field goals in the entire quarter including a three while going 5 of 12 from the charity stripe. Below is play-by-play from the period.

7:31–MON–Siemons–three pointer for a 52-39 lead.

6:54–SAY–Manning drives in from left side, and dishes left to Brian Rubio for jumper and a 52-41 MON lead.

6:20–SAY–Jon Bracero feeds Saldiveri with entry pass from left side for a scoop shot and a 52-43 MON lead.

6:15–MON–timeout

6:03–SAY–Manning draws charge.

5:45–MON–Stolte deflects pass for a steal that leads to his layup and a 54-43 lead.

4:30–SAY–Rubio draws charge on Nick Isola.

3:55–SAY–Malik Pressley connects on three from right wing for a 54-46 MON lead.

2:52–SAY–Jason Saldiveri goes down clutching his knee, but eventually gets up and goes off the floor with some assistance.

2:02–MON–Nick Isola fouled–makes one of two FTs for a 56-46 lead.

1:47–SAY–calls timeout after Taite passes to Manning for a three from the left corner for a 56-49 MON lead.

1:41–MON–turnover.

1:02–MON–offensive foul.

0:55–SAY–Taite connects on three from left corner for a 56-52 MON lead.

0:54–SAY–timeout.

0:53–MON–Siemons fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 57-52 lead.

0:32–MON–Siemons fouled–makes 1 of 2FTs fora 58-52 lead.

0:19–SAY–Manning–fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 58-53 MON lead.

0:17–MON–Germano fouled–makes 1 of 2 FTs for a 59-53 lead.

0:07–MON–Siemons fouled after Justin Luna’s three point attempt went in and out–misses both FTs.

0:03–MON–gets offensive rebound, and backs it out to run out the clock for a 59-53 win.

Monore Fourth Quarter Scoring

Matt Siemons–3 PTR and 3 of 8 FTs for 6 points
Ryan Stolte–FG for 2 points
Nick Isola–1 of 2 FTs for 1 point
Chris Germano–1 of 2 FTs for 1 point

Sayreville Fourth Quarter Scoring

Anthony Manning–3 PTR and 1 of 2 FTs for 4 points
Corey Taite–3 PTR for 3 points
Malik Pressley–3 PTR for 3 points
Jason Saldiveri–FG for 2 points
Brian Rubio–FG for 2 points

Game Totals

Monroe

Nick Isola–8 FGs and 5 of 8 FTs for 21 points
Matt Siemons–4 FGs including a 3 PTR and 3 of 8 FTs for 12 points
Chris Germano–3 FGs including 2 3s and 2 of 5 FTs for 10 points
Ryan Stolte–3 FGs and 1 of 1 FTs for 7 points
Zach Gorham–2 FGs and 3 of 4 FTs for 7 points
Andrew Ha–FG for 2 points

Totals–21 FGs including 3 3s and 14 of 26 FTs for 59 points

Sayreville

Corey Taite–5 FGs including 2 3s for 12 points
Jason Saldiveri–5 FGs for 10 points
Brian Rubio–3 FGs including a three for 7 points
Anthony Manning–2 FGs including a three and 2 of 4 FTs for 7 points
Justin Luna–3 FGs for 6 points
Donald Johnson–3 FGs for 6 points
Malik Pressley–3 PTR for 3 points
Jon Bracero–FG for 2 points

Totals–23 FGs including 5 3s and 2 of 4 FTs for 53 points

GMC Boys Basketball Schedule–Tuesday, January 15, 2012

• St. Joseph’s @ Old Bridge, 5:30 PM
• Perth Amboy @ Colonia, 6:00 PM
• Monroe @ Sayreville, 7:00 PM
• East Brunswick @ Piscataway, 7:00 PM
• J.P. Stevens @ New Brunswick, 7:00 PM
• Cardinal McCarrick @ Woodbridge, 7:00 PM
• Edison @ Scotch Plains, 7:00 PM
• New Egypt @ Metuchen, 7:00 PM

GMC Hoops plans to cover Monroe at Sayreville on Tuesday night, a JV/Varsity Doubleheader between St. Joe’s and EB on Thursday, and some of the contests from the GMC-Skyland Challenge on Saturday.

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.

Pre-Game Notes

Monroe enters this game at 3-4 after defeating Edison in a GMC White Division matchup by the score of 48-38. The Falcons started off the season with losses in four of their first five games with three of those defeats coming by six points or less: Woodbridge (53-47), North Brunswick (48-47), and Southern Regional (54-53). MTHS is 2-2 in divisional play with both wins coming against Edison Township teams (beat Stevens before Christmas).

Second Quarter

6:05–arrive–EHS leading 23-6.
5:39–EHS–#11–three pointer from left corner for a 26-6 lead.
4:00–MON–on a 4-1 run including a transition layup by Ryan Stolte for a 27-10 EHS lead.
3:24–EHS–#10–three point play for a 30-10 lead.
2:57–EHS–30 sec timeout after scoring layup for a 32-10 lead.
2:16–EHS–draws charge on Nick Isola on a drive for layup.
1:47–EHS–layup for a 34-10 lead.
1:32–EHS–steal leads to another layup and a 36-10 lead.
3.9–MON–Isola drives in from right side for layup, and a 36-12 lead.
0.0–EHS–three pointer from well beyond the arc as time expired for a 39-12 lead at the half.

Third Quarter

4:05–EHS–after Stolte opened up the second half with a basket off the opening inbounds, the Minutemen have reeled off five straight points for a 44-14 lead.

3:24–EHS–now up 48-14 after a transition layup, and then a steal for another score.

1:59–EHS–three pointer for a 51-14 lead.

1:31–EHS–another three for a 56-14 lead.

12.8–EHS–fouled–makes both FTs for a 58-14 lead

0.0–EHS–blocks MON shot at the buzzer, still leads 58-14.

Fourth Quarter

7:45–EHS–three pointer for a 61-14 lead.

7:30–MON–three pointer from left wing for a 61-17 lead.

7:02–EHS–layup off steal for a 63-17 lead.

5:39–MON–Chuka Onukwugha scores on a putback for a 63-19 EHS lead.

0:00–EHS–wins the game by a score of 66-23 after MON finished the game on a 6-3 run in the last 5:39.