Solid Start In States Features 8-4 Showing On Tuesday
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Every year, GMC Hoops goes to great lengths to point out the Greater Middlesex Conference’s play against teams from outside the conference. Â Many times, the discussions and analysis hasn’t been good. Â However, this year, teams in the GMC have held their own against foes from other conferences.
After Tuesday night’s performance in the state tournament, the GMC is 91-75 overall on the season against opponents outside the conference including an 11-9 mark in state tourney play. Â The solid effort against non-conference foes is not just limited to the smaller school divisions. Â Teams in the GMC Red have also done very well. Â Led by St. Joseph’s with a 7-1 mark including wins over Seton Hall Prep, St. Patrick’s, Our Savior New American, Academy New Church, and Marist, the Red Division has compiled a 27-17 mark against foes outside the GMC.
Thanks to wins by Monroe over West Windsor-Plainsboro South and North Brunswick’s win over defending CJ Group IV champion, Rancocas Valley, the GMC White went 3-1 on Tuesday night, and is 18-17 on the season against teams outside of Middlesex County. Â The Blue Division is the only division that has struggled against non-conference foes this season with a sub .500 record after Tuesday night’s action, but Carteret and Spotswood advance in the CJ Group II state tourney with wins over non-conference foes from the Skyland Conference and the Burlington County Scholastic League.
The GMC Gold still has several teams alive in the states after play on Tuesday night. Â Piscataway Tech and Timothy Christian have a chance to reach the Final Fours of their brackets while Amboy Tech have their work cut out for them against a second seeded Florence team that soundly defeated Highland Park in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group I tournament. Â If you recall, the Owls knocked off Amboy Tech in overtime in the GMCT Play-In round. Â Coming into the states and after the first night of play in the various tournaments on Monday, the GMC had taken some lumps against non-conference foes.
However, winning 8 of 12 matchups in four different state tourneys on Tuesday puts the GMC in a good spot. Â There are still 14 GMC teams still alive in eight different state tourneys. Â After losing ten straight games to the Burlington County Scholastic League last year, the GMC has gone 4-2 versus teams from the BCSL. Â The GMC has also gone 6-4 against teams from the Super Essex Conference despite a Columbia win over J.P. Stevens in the first round of the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV state tourney on Tuesday. Â After taking some lumps this season versus the Skyland Conference, GMC teams have put together some recent wins to even up at 12-12.
Piscataway’s win over Dickinson of Jersey City on Tuesday gave the GMC a 5-5 record against teams from the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association. Â However, teams in the conference continue to struggle against squads from the Shore Conference (13-20), Union County Conference (8-12), and the Colonial Valley Conference (3-5). Â The conference resumes play in the state tourney on Wednesday with five more games against non-conference foes.