GMC Hoops Blogosphere

2010 Rahway Summer League–Playoff Results–Championship–July 30th

RAHWAY, NJ–On Friday evening, GMC Hoops was able to get out to Rahway High School for the Championship Game from the inaugural Rahway Summer League. The matchups involved a team from the Greater Middlesex Conference. Below is the result of the contest.

Rahway Summer League–Results–Playoffs–Championship–July 30, 2010

• #2 Rahway 49–#4 Piscataway 38

GMC Hoops thanks Dunellen coach Bernie Buniak for his assistance during the season.

2010 Linden Summer League–Analysis

LINDEN, NJ–On Thursday afternoon, play in the 2010 Linden Summer League wrapped up with St. Patrick’s defeating St. Joseph’s in the Championship Game. It was the second straight year that a GMC team reached the final. Last year, Colonia defeated Hillsborough in the semifinals, but fell to the host school, Linden Tigers in the title game. This year, the GMC had two teams in the Final Four with East Brunswick losing to St. Pat’s in the semis.

This year, there were 14 teams that competed across two divisions that played on two different nights of the week at Linden. Six teams played in the Monday/Wednesday Division while eight played in the Tuesday/Thursday Division. The Greater Middlesex Conference was well represented this year with the most teams ever at LHS since GMC Hoops started covering this league back in the summer of 2003. Five teams including: Cardinal McCarrick, Colonia, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, and St. Joseph’s competed in the league. Colonia and New Brunswick played in the Monday/Wednesday Division while Cardinal McCarrick, East Brunswick, and St. Joseph’s played in the Tuesday/Thursday Division. McCarrick and St. Joe’s also did extra work by putting teams in other Union County Summer Leagues with the Eagles playing in Rahway while St. Joseph’s played in Elizabeth.

Other teams that competed in this league were three from the Skyland Conference in Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, and Immaculata, two from the Union County Conference in Linden and St. Patrick’s, one from the Shore Conference in Point Pleasant Beach, one from the PSAL in New York, and one from the North Jersey Tri-County League. GMC Hoops didn’t get up to Linden as much as it would have liked, but still managed to come up five times, and saw six games involving GMC teams.

The site saw St. Joseph’s three times against great competition in Hillsborough, Linden, and St. Patrick’s. The Falcons were 2-1 in those games including a victory over Linden in the semifinals (61-58). Quenton DeCosey led the way for the Falcons with an average of 15.7 points per game along with 9.7 rebounds per contest. He also averaged 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals per contest. DeCosey shot 15 of 35 overall in the three games for 43 percent including 6 of 14 from beyond the arc for the same percentage. He also was 11 of 19 from the free throw line for 58 percent. Jimbo Long chipped in with 10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.0 spg. Long shot 13 of 16 from the line for 81 percent. Kevin Mayce played in two of the games that were covered, and averaged 11.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 1.0 apg. Mayce shot 9 of 18 from the floor and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.

As a team, St. Joe’s averaged 52.3 points per game in the three contests they played while giving up 55.7 per contest. The Falcons shot 52 of 130 from the field for 40 percent including 16 of 46 from three point range for 35 percent. St. Joseph’s also went 37 of 55 from the charity stripe for 67 percent. Meanwhile, Falcon opponents were limited to 67 of 164 for 41 percent including 14 of 47 from three for 30 percent. Colonia and New Brunswick both went 1-1 in the two games covered by GMC Hoops with the Patriots defeating the Zebras back on July 21st while losing to Linden on July 7th. NBHS defeated Point Pleasant Beach the same day. GMC Hoops only saw East Brunswick once, and that was in the semifinals of the post-season tournament while it didn’t see McCarrick at all.

Colonia averaged 43 points per game while giving up 47 points per game. The Patriots shot 35 of 97 from the floor for 36 percent including 8 of 25 from three point range for 32 percent while making only 7 of 11 from the foul line. The Pats limited their opponents to 39 of 102 shooting for 38 percent including 5 of 27 from long distance for 19 percent. Jordan McDaniel and Dashon Johnson stood out for CHS with Johnson averaging 14 points per game in the two games covered by the site. Johnson made 13 of 24 shots for 54 percent. Meanwhile, the Zebras averaged 41 points per game, and yielded only 43 per contest. New Brunswick shot 39 of 90 from the floor overall for 43 percent, but only went 2 of 15 from beyond the arc while making one of seven from the free throw line. NBHS did, however, limit its foes to just 35 of 90 from the floor for 39 percent including 8 of 27 from beyond the arc.

Jaquan Cook averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 1.5 bpg in the two New Brunswick contests covered by GMC Hoops. Cook shot 14 of 27 from the floor over the two games for 52 percent. Teammate Fuquan Rogers chipped in for the Zebras by averaging 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, and 1.5 spg. Rogers shot 9 of 16 from the floor for NBHS in the two contests. Milton Pittman played in one of the two games covered by the site with 6 of 10 shooting against Point Beach for 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and a block. All five teams that played in this league will be tough this coming winter. Even though Colonia is moving up to the GMC Red, expect the Pats to still play well. St. Joe’s and EB will be fighting it out with Piscataway and CHS for division honors while McCarrick and New Brunswick will be competing with the likes of Monroe, Sayreville, and North Brunswick in the GMC White.

2010 Summer Prime Time Shootout–Teams

ALLENTOWN, NJ–On Friday, GMC Hoops received information from Jeff Hewiston of the Prime Time Shootout on the upcoming Summer Prime Time Shootout scheduled to take place next weekend at Allentown High School. Over a span of three days, there will be 72 games played between 36 different teams from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Two teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference, Piscataway and St. Joseph’s, will be participating in the event. GMC Hoops plans to be down in Allentown for some of the action on all three days. Below are the 36 schools competing in the event.

• Allentown
• Piscataway
• St. Joseph’s
• Ridge
• Plainfield
• Rutgers Prep
• Franklin
• St. Patrick’s
• Shabazz
• Middletown North
• Point Pleasant Beach
• New Egypt
• Pennsbury
• Coatesville
• Trenton Catholic
• West Windsor-Plainsboro North
• Roselle Catholic
• Robbinsville
• Burlington Township
• Notre Dame
• Lakewood
• Rancocas Valley
• Paul VI
• Ewing
• Princeton
• Cherry Hill East
• Cherry Hill West
• Hun
• Middle Township
• Cherokee
• Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA)
• Hyde (CT)
• William Allen (PA)
• Baltimore City College (MD)
• Monsignor McClancy (NY)
• Nazareth (NY)

GMC Hoops thanks Jeff Hewitson, and his staff of the Prime Time Shootout for providing the site with this information.

2010 Summer Prime Time Shootout Coming Next Week

ALLENTOWN, NJ–The end of the summer league season is upon us with the annual Summer Prime Time Shootout scheduled to be held next week at Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold District of Monmouth County. Teams from not only all over New Jersey, but from other parts of the Eastern United States including: Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. Some of the best teams in the area will be competing including: Piscataway, St. Joseph’s, Franklin Township, Ridge, Rutgers Prep, Lakewood, Plainfield, New Egypt, Point Pleasant Beach, Roselle Catholic, and St. Patrick’s.

Overall, there are total of 36 teams playing in the event, which spans three days from Friday afternoon, August 6th to Sunday night, August 8th. Two gyms will be used for the event, which will have a total of 72 games will be played. GMC Hoops plans to cover this event by traveling down to Allentown on Friday for the full day of coverage, and then head back on Saturday and Sunday evenings for the final set of games each night. This will be the third straight summer that GMC Hoops has covered this event, and the fourth time ever.

2010 Playoff Bracket Update–July 30th

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–With the playoff results in from several different leagues including the Bound Brook and Rahway Summer Leagues, GMC Hoops has just updated the brackets from leagues or events that took place this summer. Rahway is having its Championship Game on Friday night while the Colonia JV Summer League resumes its playoffs on Monday. Below are all the brackets that we have from the leagues we’ve covered:

• Bound Brook Summer League–Playoffs
• Colonia JV Summer League–Playoff Brackets
• Kean Ironman Challenge II–AM Session
• Kean Ironman Challenge II–PM Session
• Middlesex County College Summer League–Playoff Brackets
• Rahway Summer League–Playoff Brackets

GMC Hoops thanks coaches Anthony Melesurgo of Bound Brook, Bernie Buniak of Dunellen, Brian O’Lone of Colonia, Chris Tarver of Middlesex County College, and Tom Wagenblast of Kean for getting us these results.

2010 Colonia JV Summer League–All Playoff Results–Opening Round–July 29th

COLONIA, NJ–On Thursday night, the opening round of playoff action took place at the 2010 Colonia JV Summer League at Colonia High School. There were four games on the schedule. GMC Hoops was in attendance, and got the results of the final game of the evening. In addition, the site obtained the rest of the results from Colonia JV and assistant coach, Brian O’Lone. Below are the results from the four games.

Colonia JV Summer League–Playoff Results–Opening Round July 29th

• #10 Cardinal McCarrick 2–#7 J.P. Stevens 0 (forfeit)
• #9 St. Mary’s 41–#8 Roselle 37
• #6 Perth Amboy 29–#11 Colonia I 17
• #5 Colonia II 33–#12 Cardinal McCarrick II 5

GMC Hoops plans to be out at Colonia on Monday for more playoff action.

2010 Raritan Bay Summer League–Day Thirty-Six–Results–July 29th

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ–On Thursday night, GMC Hoops wasn’t able to get out to South Amboy Middle/High School to take in action from the thirty-sixth night of action at the Raritan Bay Summer League. However, the site did obtain the results from league co-director, Tom Reilly. There were three contests on the schedule. Below are all the results from all three games.

Day Thirty-Six Results–July 29, 2010

• 6:00 PM–High School Division–South Amboy 36–Old Bridge Knights 33
• 7:00 PM–5th and 6th Grade Division–We Run 47–St. Matthew’s 35
• 8:00 PM–5th and 6th Grade Division–Shore Blazers 33–Sayreville 23

GMC Hoops plans to be back out at Raritan Bay next week.

Raritan Bay Summer League–July 28, 2010

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ–On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops took a trip to South Amboy Middle/High School after work to take in the nightcap game from the thirty-fifth day of action at the 2010 Raritan Bay Summer League. The matchup covered by the site involved two teams from the 5th and 6th Grade Division as Franklin Park, which has been rolling lately, took on We Run. We Run, which is based in Roselle, and has recently competed in a national tournament in Florida, rolled by Franklin Park in this one.

We Run Rambles Past Franklin Park, 45-16

This was the first time all summer that GMC Hoops got a look at the We Run basketball team that competes in the 5th and 6th Grade Division at Raritan Bay. The team, which is based in Roselle, was a late entry into the league, but has created quite a stir. League directors, Tom Reilly and Gary Lange spoke highly of the squad. Lange stated that they’re the best shooting team in the league. Reilly added that they competed in a tournament down in Florida recently. Both were impressed with the skill level and talent these youngsters have. Reilly stated that we’ll be hearing a lot from these youngsters in the years ahead.

Roselle has had teams compete in this league in the past. As a matter of fact, some of the talent currently playing at Roselle High School played in the Raritan Summer League just a few years ago. We Run was taking on a Franklin Park team that had recently rolled past the Shore Blazers in a game covered by the web site on July 12th. This game saw We Run give Franklin Park a dose of its own medicine. The Roselle team jumped out to an 8-1 lead with 12:41 to go in the first half, and never looked back in a 45-16 rout. We Run outscored Franklin Park by a margin of 18-9 in the first half and 27-7 in the second half.

Despite a couple time outs early in the second half, Franklin Park was unable to stem the tide of momentum in the favor of We Run. Although they had a size disadvantage, the players from We Run weren’t intimidated, and took the ball to the basket without fear. On the defensive side of things, We Run played swarming defense that frustrated the Franklin Park squad, and took some of its players out of their games. The kids from we run also had a nice shooting touch with several jumpers from the foul line as well as even some three pointers. In the first half, We Run made two threes, five field goals, and two of four from the line in the first half while Franklin Park made just three field goals, and three of eight from the charity stripe.

We Run opened the scoring with a foul line jumper within the first two minutes of the game for a 2-0 lead. Both teams then exchanged free throws including a one of two showing from the line by We Run at the 14 minute mark. The Roselle squad then added a field goal at the 13:09 mark for a 5-1 lead, and a three pointer with 12:41 to go in the first half for an 8-1 advantage. Franklin Park didn’t get its first field goal of the game until the 11:49 mark when it scored on a layup underneath. We Run then connected on a foul line jumper for a 10-3 lead with 10:49 to go in the first half. We Run added a one of two showing from the foul line for an 11-3 lead before Franklin Park called for time with 8:57 to go in the first half.

The timeout wasn’t the tonic as We Run went right back to work after the stoppage. The team scored four of the next six points including an offensive rebound and follow at the 8:21 mark for a 13-3 lead, and after a layup by Franklin Park made it 13-5 with 7:30 to play in the half, We Run connected on a jumper from the left side for a 15-5 lead at the 5:52 mark. Franklin Park tried to chip away at the deficit with two one of two showings from the foul line at the 5:14 and 2:53 marks respectively, but We Run connected on its second three pointer of the half from the left corner for an 18-7 lead with 2:23 to go in the period.

Franklin Park got a nice drive for a layin with under 30 seconds to go in the half for an 18-9 We Run lead at the intermission. However, Franklin Park wouldn’t get closer after making a floater just seconds into the second half for an 18-11 score. We Run began to pull away with a three pointer at the 19:10 mark, and a layin at the 18:27 mark prompting Franklin Park to call for a timeout trailing 23-11. Again the timeout wasn’t the tonic that was needed as We Run proceeded to score seven of the next nine points including a three pointer before Franklin Park called time again with 14:49 to play, and the score now reading 28-13 in favor of We Run.

Following the timeout, things went from bad to even worse for Franklin Park as they scored on their own basket with 14:22 to play. From there, We Run ended the game with a 15-3 run including a steal for a layup at the 10:54 mark, a nice drive for a left handed layup at the 8:19 mark, and a nice drive for a layup among three Franklin Park defenders to cap the 45-16 victory.

GMC Hoops plans to be back out to Raritan Bay next week.

Linden Summer League–July 28, 2010

LINDEN, NJ–On Wednesday afternoon, GMC Hoops traveled over to Linden High School to catch the two semifinal games from the playoffs in the 2010 Linden Summer League. Both games involved teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference as St. Joseph’s took on the host school, Linden in the 4:30 PM game while St. Patrick’s faced East Brunswick in the 5:30 PM game. It was the second time that GMC Hoops saw St. Joseph’s and the first time that the site saw East Brunswick in action this summer at Linden.

St. Joseph’s Overcomes Tough Start To Knock Off Linden To Reach Final, 61-58

In the first semifinal of the day, the host school, Linden took on St. Joseph’s. The Falcons had a tough start as they fell behind 18-7 in the first quarter. The Tigers scored 12 points off of nine St. Joe’s turnovers, and made 9 of 20 shots en route to the early lead. However, the Metuchen school chipped away at the lead over the next two periods with identical 15-9 showings to take a 37-36 lead heading into the fourth, and then in the final period, it outscored Linden by a 24-22 margin to hang on for the 61-58 victory. St. Joseph’s outscored LHS by a margin of 54-40 over the final three periods for the victory.

Jimbo Long led the way for the winners with a team high 17 points on 4 of 8 shooting from the floor including two of four from three point range while making 7 of 8 from the line. Long also collected 6 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a blocked shot. Quenton DeCosey, who arrived just as the game was starting, also made 4 of 8 shots from the floor including 4 of 6 from three point range to chip in with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot. Kevin Mayce also contributed with 8 points on 4 of 6 shooting while pulling down 8 rebounds, handing out 2 assists, and picking up a steal. Albert Myers III (2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist) and Jordan Tapia (3 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist) helped round out the scoring for the Falcons. Matthew Greene (2 assists) also played, but didn’t score.

The Falcons, which only had seven turnovers over the final 30 minutes of the game, made 21 of 44 shots from the field for 48 percent including a scorching 11 of 22 from beyond the arc while making 8 of 14 from the line. Meanwhile, the Tigers made 23 of 64 shots for 37 percent including 4 of 20 from beyond the arc. Linden was only 14 of 44 from the floor over the final three periods of the contest. LHS was also 8 of 12 from the foul line. In other statistical departments, Linden won the turnover battle (10-16), and had more points off of turnovers (17-9). On the glass, St. Joseph’s had a slight overall edge in rebounding (32-31), but Linden had more offensive rebounds (13-9) and second chance points (17-8).

The Falcons had more assists (16-10), but the Tigers had more steals (11-6) and blocks (3-2). St. Joe’s outscored Linden in three of the four periods played. LHS jumped out to an early lead with a 4-2 run over the first 3:15 including a basket and a foul at the 6:45 mark. The Green Birds took the lead back at 5-4 with a three pointer from the left side at the six minute mark. Linden went back out in front at 6-5 at the 5:35 mark with a jumper by 6′8″, 285 pound forward, Quadri Moore, who is already heralded as one of the top underclassmen in the state. Linden then made it a 4-0 run with a steal for a layup, and an 8-5 lead. Following a St. Joe’s score, the Tigers finished the period with a 10-0 run including three straight steals for layups in a span of just 1:03 for an 18-7 lead heading into the second period.

The second quarter saw St. Joseph’s make some headway in the second period even though it only shot 5 of 13 from the floor in the period. The Falcons made up for that with a 4 of 7 effort from beyond the arc in the frame while limiting Linden to just 3 of 10 shooting. St. Joe’s also took care of the basketball better with only three miscues in the quarter. Long got the Falcons going with a three pointer from the right wing off an assist by Greene at the 8:13 mark for an 18-10 LHS lead. DeCosey then followed with a three of his own on a shot from the left wing off another assist by Green to close the gap to 18-13 with 7:30 remaining in the first half. Long made it an 8-0 run with a layup off a pass from Mayce at the 6:21 mark for a 18-15 Tiger lead. Linden didn’t get its first points of the second quarter until the 3:33 mark when it connected for a three pointer from the left wing at the 3:33 mark to make the score 21-15.

Tapia replied with his only points of the game on a trey from the right wing off a pass from DeCosey to pull the Falcons within three again at 21-18 with 3:15 to go in the half. Linden made one of two from the line for a four point lead before DeCosey hit a three from the right wing to trim the deficit to one at 22-21 with 1:18 to go before halftime. Linden got an offensive rebound and follow at the 48 second mark before Long made one of two at the line for a 24-22 Tiger lead at the 48 second mark. Moore then connected on a three pointer from the left side as time was running out in the first half for a 27-22 lead going into the break. LHS only had three points off of St. Joe’s turnovers in the quarter, but had 15 for the half. The Falcons made it close though with a 15-6 edge in points off of threes.

The third quarter started out much like the second period did as Long connected for a three to open the scoring and pull the Green Birds within two at 27-25 with 9:45 remaining in the period. St. Joe’s closed within one on an offensive rebound and follow by Mayce, and then two foul shots by Long that made the score, 32-31 at the 5:45 mark. The Falcons then took the lead as they scored six of the next eight points including a three pointer from the left side off an assist by Long at the 2:01 mark that made the score 37-34. Moore came up with an tip-in on the follow at the 1:15 mark for a 37-36 St. Joseph’s lead after three periods. The Tigers opened the fourth with an offensive rebound and follow while being fouled, and then on the missed bonus free throw, got the board and put in the follow for a 40-37 lead with nine minutes to go.

The Falcons hung tough though as Mayce got an offensive rebound off a missed three and put in the follow for a 40-39 score at the 8:44 mark. Linden appeared to take control with a nice run for a 49-41 lead, but DeCosey made two threes to pull his team within two again at 49-47 with 5:59 left. The Falcon reserves made key contributions as well including a three pointer from the left side at the 3:50 mark for a 50-49 lead. Linden promptly responded with a trey of its own at the 3:42 mark for a 52-50 edge. Undaunted, the Falcons came back down on its next possession, and got another three to fall for a 53-52 lead with 3:15 to play. The Green Birds got the next score on a drive for a layup, and a 55-52 lead with 1:59 left. St. Joe’s then put Linden on the ropes with another drive for a layup at the 50 second mark for a 57-52 lead.

The Tigers wouldn’t give up easily though. They swiped a steal for a layup with 39 seconds to go for a 57-54 St. Joe’s lead. Long made two key foul shots at the 25 second mark for a 59-54 edge, but Linden wouldn’t go away. LHS got an offensive rebound and follow to pull within three again before calling for time at the 17 second mark. Fouling right away out of the timeout, the Tigers forced DeCosey to the line, and he missed both free throws. Linden got the ball, and drew a foul that produced two free throws, and a 59-58 lead with 13 seconds left. However, St. Joseph’s wouldn’t let the Tigers get any closer as Long made two more foul shots with 10 seconds left, and Myers got a steal in the waning moments to seal the victory. With the win, St. Joe’s advanced to the Championship Game on Thursday afternoon against St. Patrick’s, which defeated East Brunswick in the other semi.

Fourth Quarter Effort Helps St. Pat’s Advance Past EB, 53-42

In the second semifinal, another GMC team was going up against another state powerhouse. This time, it was the Bears of East Brunswick taking on St. Patrick’s for the right to play St. Joseph’s, a winner over Linden in the other semifinal. EB got off to a decent start with an 11-10 lead after one, and then put together a 20-16 showing in the third period to trail by only three at 39-36. However, in the fourth quarter, the Bears were outscored 14-6, and lost by a score of 53-42. The Celtics won the second and final periods by a combined margin of 27-11, and that was the difference in the game. St. Pat’s also forced 18 East Brunswick turnovers, and scored 13 points off of those miscues.

For the game, the Celtics shot 16 of 37 from the floor overall for 43 percent including 4 of 14 from long distance while making 17 of 30 from the foul line for 57 percent. Meanwhile, East Brunswick made 15 of 32 from the field for 48 percent including one of three from beyond the arc while making 11 of 18 from the line for 61 percent. St. Patrick’s won the turnover battle (11-18) and had more points of turnovers (13-6). The Elizabeth school had a 27-15 edge on the boards overall including an 11-3 advantage on the offensive glass. The Celtics also had more second chance points (6-2) and blocks (3-1). St. Pat’s had more steals (11-5), but EB had more charges (1-0). Both teams had ten assists.

Soon to be junior Mike Summerer led the way in a losing cause for EB as he made 4 of 10 shots from the floor, and 2 of 2 from the line for 10 points along with 3 rebounds. Rob Ukawuba chipped in with 7 points on 2 of 5 shots, and 3 of 6 from the foul line while also picking up 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Abu Bestawros contributed with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist while Dan Sclafani added 3 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds. Bobby Fullem also helped round out the scoring for EB with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Amir Bell and other reserves pitched in by going 5 of 8 from the floor, and 4 of 6 from the foul line for 13 points along with two assists, two steals, and a charge. East Brunswick had seven players compete in the contest.

East Brunswick, which made 4 of 6 shots in the first period, got off to a fast start in this game by scoring the first nine points in a span of 3:50. Soon to be sophomore Ukawuba opened the scoring with two free throws at the 8:30 mark for a 2-0 lead. Sclafani netted a three pointer with 7:15 to go in the period after another EB score for a 7-0 lead. The Bears then capped the run when Sclafani dished to Ukawuba for a basket, and a 9-0 lead before St. Patrick’s got on the board by making one of two from the line at the 6:10 mark. From that point on, East Brunswick only got two points in the quarter while the Celtics rallied with a 10-2 quarter ending spurt. St. Pat’s, which made 3 of 7 from the floor, connected on two threes during the run with one coming at about the two minute mark, and the other coming with 38 seconds to go in the period on a jumper from the right side to make the score 11-10 heading into the second. The only points the Bears got during the stretch was on a bucket by Summerer off an assist by Sclafani at the 54 second mark.

The Celtics opened the second quarter with a nifty spin move for a layup to take their first lead of the game at 12-11 with 9:02 left in the first half. Fullem tied the game by making one of two from the line at the 8:13 mark. Bestawros then gave the Bears a 14-12 lead with a field goal as he was fouled at the 6:11 mark. St. Pat’s went back in front with a three pointer that made the score 15-14, but Ukawuba tied the game at 15-15 by making one of two from the line at the four minute mark. Following a timeout at the 2:51 mark, East Brunswick went back out in front at 16-15 as Bell made one of two from the line with 2:16, but St. Patrick’s then closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 23-16 lead at halftime. The Bears were only one of six from the floor in the second while St. Pat’s went 3 of 10 from the field, but made 6 of 10 from the line. The Elizabeth school, only went 6 of 17 from the floor in the first half, but made 3 of 7 shots from beyond the arc.

The third quarter started with EB making a bit of inroads on the St. Patrick’s lead. The Bears scored five of the first nine points, and trailed 27-21 with a chance to get closer, but Ukawuba missed two free throws at the 6:16 mark. St. Pat’s got a score to go back up by eight, but East Brunswick came right back down for a basket as Sclafani dished a bounce pass to Summerer for a layup, and a 29-23 lead with 5:21 remaining in the quarter. Summerer then added a jumper that got the benefit of a kind bounce to pull EB within four at 29-25 with 4:35 left in the third. The Celtics came down a short time later for a three pointer to go up by seven before Fullem went to the line, and made one of two from the charity stripe for a 32-26 St. Pat’s lead with 3:36 to play in the period. The free throw sparked a 9-2 run capped by a steal for a layup by Bell as he was fouled for a three point play that tied the score at 34-34 with 1:15 left in the third.

The Celtics scored the next five points including a three point play at the 33 second mark, and two free throws with eight seconds left in the third for a 39-34 lead before Bestawros found Summerer for a basket as time ran out in the period for a 39-36 St. Pat’s lead heading into the fourth. The Elizabeth school opened the fourth with a 4-0 run that included a lob pass for a layup, and an offensive rebound and follow off a missed three pointer for a 43-36 lead with 8:41 left as EB called for time. Following the timeout, East Brunswick crept within five on an offensive rebound and follow by Ukawuba that made the score 43-38 with 6:46 to go in the game. After a St. Pat’s timeout, the Celtics went back up by seven on a drive for a layup, but Summerer got the Bears back within five on two free throws for a 45-40 Celts lead at the 5:09 mark. St. Patrick’s wouldn’t let the Bears get any closer though with an 8-2 finish to seal the win.

The Celtics started the run with one of two from the line at the 4:12 mark. Two minutes later, St. Pat’s was back at the line again, but missed both free throws. However, the Celts got the offensive rebound, and that led eventually to a dunk for a 48-40 advantage with 2:12 to go. East Brunswick got its final points of the game on a layup off a Sclafani pass before calling timeout with 1:37 left for a 48-42 St. Patrick’s lead. The Celtics then closed the game with the final five points including two free throws at the 1:21 mark for a 53-42 win. With the victory, St. Patrick’s advanced to play St. Joe’s in the final on Thursday.

GMC Hoops plans to be back out at Linden on Thursday for the Championship.

Rahway Summer League–July 27, 2010

RAHWAY, NJ–On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops traveled out to Rahway High School to catch two of the quarterfinal games from playoff action at the 2010 Rahway Summer League. Both games involved teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference. In the first game, the host school, and second seeded Rahway and tenth seeded J.F. Kennedy went at it in a rematch of the regular season finale played on Friday. Then, in the nightcap, top seeded Cardinal McCarrick faced off against eighth seeded St. Joseph’s. Winners of both games advanced to play Piscataway and Woodbridge in the semifinals on Thursday.

Kennedy Falls Short In Upset Bid Against Rahway, 41-39

This game turned out to be a rematch of the regular season finale between these two schools that was played on Friday night. Rahway won the game easily 53-38, but this time, the Mustangs were determined to make a game of it. GMC Hoops arrived late to this game after getting out of work at 7:30 PM. By the time the site arrived to pick up the action, Rahway was already up 13-3 with nine minutes to go in the first half. Seconds later though, A.J. Pichalski started the Mustangs on the comeback trail with an offensive rebound and follow at the 8:56 mark for a 13-5 Rahway lead. The Indians got a basket for a ten point advantage again before Nick Spoganetz lobbed to Pichalski for a layup for a 15-7 score at the 7:39 mark. Dashion Robinson then followed that up with a score as he was fouled, and after a Rahway timeout at the 7:03 mark, Robinson completed the traditional three point play for a 15-10 Indians lead.

Over the next 3:38, Rahway went back up by double digits, and actually took its biggest lead of the game on a 6-0 run including a follow off of two offensive rebounds at the 5:33 mark, a steal and a drive for a layup with 5:14 to play in the half, and then two free throws at the 3:25 mark for a 21-10 lead. Kennedy fought back with a 9-0 rally over the next 2:55 to close within two points with just over a half minute to play in the half. Robinson sparked the rally with an offensive rebound and follow off a miss on a floater by Spoganetz for a 21-12 Rahway lead with 2:46 to go in the half. Robinson then scrapped for a loose ball on the next Indian possession, and alertly called timeout with 2:28 to play in the half. Following the stoppage, JFK took advantage of the turnover as Josh Kamenas drove to the basket and banked a shot in for a 21-14 Rahway lead with 2:15 to go in the half.

Kamenas followed that up with a turn around jumper from the left low block for a 21-16 Indians lead at the 1:32 mark. Robinson added one of two from the line with 1:01 to go in the half, and then Kamenas got an offensive rebound and follow off a miss by Pichalski for a 21-19 RHS lead with 30.7 seconds left before intermission. Kennedy then got a bad break when Rahway set up for a final play of the first half. An Indians player lost control of an offensive rebound, but the ball fell through the hoop for a 23-19 lead at the break. Rahway started the second half with a field goal before Kamenas made one of two free throws at the 18:27 mark for a 25-20 Indians lead.

Rahway then went up by seven at 27-20 on an offensive rebound and follow with 17:51 to play in the first half. Over the next 4:29, the Mustangs scored eight unanswered points to take their first lead of the game. Jordan Toczynski started the rally with an offensive rebound and follow off a missed jumper by Pichalski at the 17:20 mark for a 27-22 Rahway lead. JFK got a basket and a foul, and then on the missed bonus free throw, Robinson got the offensive board and put in the follow for a 27-26 Rahway lead at the 15:50 mark. Over a lull in the scoring for almost two and a half minutes, J.F. Kennedy took the lead as Kamenas dribbled and dish to Pichalski for a layup, and a 28-27 score with 13:22 remaining. The lead didn’t last long though as Rahway came right back down and nailed a three pointer for a 30-28 lead with 13:11 to play.

A little less than a minute and a half later, Rahway struck again for a three pointer to take a 33-28 lead with 11:49 to play, but Kennedy fought back with an 8-1 spurt to take a two point lead with just over six and a half minutes to go. Kamenas started the rally with a field goal at the 11:22 mark for a 33-30 Rahway lead. Robinson followed that up with two free throws at the 10:48 mark for a 33-32 RHS lead. The Indians made one of two from the line for a 34-32 edge with 9:26 to go, but Kennedy then scored the next four including a bank shot by Robinson at the 7:43 mark, and an offensive rebound and follow of a Spoganetz miss by Vik Pawar for a 36-34 edge with 6:34 to play.

Once again, the Indians responded quickly with a baseline jumper on its next possession to tie the game up at 36-36 with 6:20 left. Rahway then had a chance to take the lead, but Pawar drew a charge with 5:32 to go. Nevertheless, Rahway did take the lead after getting an offensive rebound and drawing a foul that resulted in a one of two showing from the line for a 37-36 edge at the 4:57 mark. Kennedy had a chance to get the go ahead score, but missed a layup underneath with 3:49 to go. Following a Mustangs timeout with 3:11 to go, Rahway went up by three with two free throws that made the score, 39-36. On the next JFK possession, Robinson got an offensive rebound of a Kamenas miss, drew a foul, and made one of two from the line for a 39-37 Rahway lead with 2:43 left.

Kennedy then had a chance to tie, but committed a backcourt violation with 1:28 left. Rahway got a big score on a drive for a layup that made the score, 41-37 with 1:16 to go. The Indians had a chance to put the game away, but missed the front end of a one and one with 41 seconds left. Spoganetz made two foul shots with 28.7 seconds to play to close the gap to two at 41-39. The Mustangs then got a break as Kamenas picked up a steal and Kennedy called for time with 21.1 seconds left. Following the timeout, JFK set up for a tying score, but Rahway forced a turnover in the closing seconds, and came away with the hard fought, 41-39 win. With the victory, Rahway improved to 10-1 on the summer, and advanced to the semifinals to play sixth seeded Woodbridge, which upset third seeded Perth Amboy in an earlier quarterfinal. J.F. Kennedy finished its summer at 3-8.

Gorman And Townes Help McCarrick Cruise Past St. Joseph’s, 48-36

In the nightcap game, top seeded Cardinal McCarrick, which got a first round bye, took on eighth seeded St. Joseph’s, which defeated Edison in its opening round game on Monday. Charlie Gorman and Marques Townes, who combined for 10 of 46 shooting in a double overtime victory over Perth Amboy in the regular season finale on Friday, played much better in this game, and as a result, the Eagles breezed. Cardy Mac jumped out to a 17-6 lead with 9:16 to go in the first half, and led 30-12 at halftime as Gorman and Townes combined to go 8 of 12 from the floor for 20 points. McCarrick, which went 11 of 16 from the floor in the game’s first 20 minutes, began the second half with a 6-1 burst for a 36-13 lead. St. Joe’s finished the game with a 23-12 surge, but couldn’t overcome the huge deficit in a 48-36 loss.

For the game Gorman scored 16 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the floor including two of four from the foul line along with one of two from the line. Gorman also collected two rebounds, two charges, and a steal. Townes ended up with 9 points along with four rebounds, and two steals. John Appiah and Chris Peralta chipped in with six points each. Appiah went one of two from the floor and four of six from the line while grabbing six boards. Peralta made two of five from the field as well as both his free throws while picking up three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Mike Lewis helped round out the scoring with a point, three rebounds, and a steal. On the other side of the ledger, Salman Hasan led the fight in a losing cause with 10 points on 4 of 8 shooting from the floor including two of four from beyond the arc.

Cardinal McCarrick went 16 of 35 from the floor for 46 percent including 2 of 6 from long distance while making 14 of 20 from the foul line. St. Joseph’s went 15 of 43 from the field including 3 of 13 from downtown, but only went one of two from the foul line. In other statistical areas, the Eagles won the turnover battle with 10-16 edge while scoring 15 points off St. Joe’s turnovers. Cardy Mac also had the edge in overall rebounding (23-20), but the Falcons drew even on the offensive boards (10-10) and had more second chance points (11-2). McCarrick had more assists (9-7), steals (9-5), blocks (3-0), and charges (2-0). The Eagles started the game by scoring the first six points including a drive for a layup by Gorman at the 17:51 mark.

St. Joe’s pulled within two on a couple of scores before Townes made one of two from the line at the 15:31 mark for a 7-4 lead. Mike Lewis got his only point of the contest when he swiped a steal, drove to the basket, and drew a foul on a layup attempt with 14:32 left in the first half that produced one of two from the line for an 8-4 lead. On the next St. Joe’s possession, Gorman picked up a steal and drove in for a layup that made the score, 10-4 at the 14:15 mark. Appiah followed up by going to the line for one of two, and an 11-4 lead. Over the next 3:38, McCarrick scored six of the next eight points including a score by Peralta, who dribbled in, spun, and hit a turnaround jumper at the 9:16 mark for a 17-6 lead. A little over a minute later, Albert Myers III put the Falcons on the board with a score underneath for a 17-8 Eagles lead at the 7:59 mark.

The next 3:43 saw Cardinal McCarrick increase its lead to 23-10 with 4:16 to go in the first half as Gorman made a three pointer, and one of two from the line in a 6-2 run. After a St. Joe’s score, Gorman made another three on a shot from the left wing for a 26-12 advantage at the 1:45 mark. McCarrick then closed the half with the final four points as Townes connected on a bank shot, and then picked up a steal for a layup that gave the Eagles a 30-12 lead at the intermission. The South Amboy school limited St. Joe’s to just 6 of 15 from the floor, and forced 12 turnovers, which they converted into 12 points. The first 4:53 of the second half brought more of the same as McCarrick scored six of the first seven points for a 36-13 lead with a little over fifteen minutes remaining. Peralta highlighted the run with two free throws.

St. Joseph’s, which also got contributions from Jalen Gilmore, Tom Cicalese, Mike Cintron, and Jake Dadika among others, made things more respectable with a 23-12 finish, but McCarrick advanced with the 48-36 win. With the victory, the Eagles improved to 10-1 on the summer, and will take on fourth seeded Piscataway in the semifinals. The Chiefs moved on after defeating fifth seeded Roselle in the quarterfinals. St. Joe’s finished its summer at Rahway with a 4-7 mark.

GMC Hoops plans to be back out at Rahway on Thursday for the semifinals.