Enigmatic Rams Leave Its Fans Bewildered In Loss To Previously Winless Henry Hudson, 48-37
SOUTH AMBOY, NJ–Will the real South River Rams please stand up! The same team that had won three straight games after losing its season opener to Middlesex, and caused problems for a Metuchen team that won their holiday tournament at Roselle Park by defeating previously unbeaten Secaucus in the Championship, failed to win a game here at the South Amboy Christmas Tournament. Perhaps deflated by the heartbreaking loss to Keansburg in the opening round on Thursday, 56-55, the South River Rams dropped a 48-37 decision to a Henry Hudson team that won its first game of 2007-08 after making the state tournament three straight year.
For the die-hard loyal fans that traveled to South Amboy on Thursday afternoon with the full expectation to see an easy win for the Rams against the previously winless Admirals of Henry Hudson, the performance by their hometown team left them disappointed and bewildered. Shooting consistently from the perimeter, and consistently getting the same result most of the time, South River shot approximately 4 of 30 from long distance for 13.3 percent. Consequently, the Rams, which were still without standout player Eddie Dumas, who was injured in the loss to Metuchen on Decmeber 22, only managed to get 12 points in the entire first half as it trailed 22-12 at the break.
Perhaps the Grinch didn’t steal Christmas. Maybe it was determined to deny the Rams any wins in this holiday tournament. Take for instance, a sequence of plays at the end of the third quarter. After South River had managed to claw its way back into the contest with a 15-8 spurt over the first to pull within three at 30-27 with 1:05 left in the third, senior Eric Seawright swiped a steal at mid-court on the sideline opposite the two teams benches, and went in for a layup, but missed. Shawn Fenton was there to grab the rare offensive rebound (the Rams were usually one and done on each offensive possession), but failed to put in the follow as the period ended with the Rams still trailing by three.Â
Perhaps it was the arrival of GMC Hoops at the game that gave South River bad karma. After the web site arrived at the very end of the third, Seawright and Fenton failed to score, and then Henry Hudson outscored the Rams by an 18-10 margin in the fourth for the 48-37 victory. Things do not get easier for South River when the regular season resumes on January 4th – they face McCarrick away that night, Perth Amboy Tech on January 5th, and then Bishop Ahr at home on January 7th.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Hudson (1-4) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 48 |
| South River (3-4) | 6 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 37 |