NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Tuesday night, the final week of regular season action continued in the 2008 Star-Ledger College Summer League over at the College Avenue Barn on the main campus of Rutgers University. Bignell Planning continued to stumble and tumble while the D’Annunzio & Sons Express came to a screeching halt. GMC Hoops was not in attendance on this day since it was over at both the Middlesex County College Summer League, and the Bound Brook College Summer League. However, Jay Gomes of NJ Hoops was nice enough to provide the results from the action on Tuesday.
In the first game, VP Builders ended a two game losing streak with a 101-95 victory over Bignell Planning, which has dropped four of its last five games after being in first place earlier in the season. St. Augustine Prep alum, Anthony Farmer, who now plays at Rutgers, came up with a team high 25 points for the victors while Colin Aldridge paced Bignell with a game high 31 points. In the rebounding department, Mark Tracy of VP, who currently plays at Middlesex County College, had a team high 8 rebounds while Eric Wilkins (26 points and 9 rebounds) of the University of Miami, pulled down a game high 9 rebounds for Bignell.
Farmer added to his scoring efforts by handing out 7 assists for the winners while former St. Benedicts and current NJIT standout, Jheryl Wilson (16 points and 5 rebounds) dished out seven as well to tie for the game high. Other notable performances including 23 points and 3 assists by Rashod Calloway of Tampa for VP Builders, and 18 points and 5 rebounds by Jonathan Jones of VP Builders. Meanwhile, in the nightcap game, AXA Advisors recorded a huge win in terms of momentum going into the playoffs, which begin on Sunday.
AXA, which entered the contest some two games behind D’Annunzio & Sons in the standings, and with no way of overcoming that, still managed to get a huge win under its belt by defeating D & S to end its eight game winning streak, 92-83. Despite a game high 32 points from Newark Eastside’s Corey Chandler, D’Annunzio gave way to an AXA team that is coming on strong entering the playoff round. Jonathan Mitchell came through again with yet another double-double of a game high 24 points and 14 rebounds. Hamady N’Diaye (13 points) did his best in the low blocks to help D & S with a team high 8 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough
Former St. Anthony’s standout, and future Rutgers hoops guard, Mike Rosario (also had 16 points and 11 rebounds) and teammate Mike Coburn of Mount Vernon handed out 4 assists each for AXA while Chandler (32 points and 5 rebounds) dished 5 in a losing cause for D & S. Earl Pettis chipped in for the winners with 19 points. With the victory, AXA Advisors clinched the second seed, and a first round bye in the playoffs.