St. Joseph's Falls To Roselle Catholic In T of C Final, 65-49

Note: Scroll down to read about GMC action on Tuesday night at the 2013 final at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton. With his 7 points in the loss to Roselle Catholic, sophomore Karl Towns scored his 1,000th career point. I believe that might be the fastest a St. Joe's player has ever reached that milestone. Marques Townes added 17 points to his career total, which now stands at 1,362 while Wade Baldwin added 13 to his total for 1,293 points on his career.

We ended up with quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. The Falcons of St. Joe's made a nice run for their fourth straight title, and actually finished tied in points with East Brunswick (only 2nd time that's happened), but the Bears had a better winning percentage, and won their first ever trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. With the two T of C finals I saw on Tuesday night, I've now seen 109 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. Thirteen of the schools I saw at least 5 times and 17 schools I saw 4 times.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, second seeded St. Joseph's was hoping to end the season on a winning note by becoming the first team ever from Middlesex County to capture the Tournament of Champions title. However, top seeded Roselle Catholic had other ideas.

Trailing 8-6 late in the first quarter, the Lions, the Non-Public B State Champs, went on a 15-2 run for nearly eight minutes to take a 21-10 lead as Malachi Richardson netted two of his five threes in the contest. St. Joe's did eventually get going again in the second, but still trailed at the half, 26-16.

After Roselle Catholic opened the second half with a bucket for a 28-16 lead, the Falcons put together their best run of the game with an 11-0 spurt that was capped by two highlight reel layups by Marques Townes including one that resulted in a three point play to close the gap to 28-27.

But the Lions didn't let the Falcons take the lead or tie after that. Instead, Roselle Catholic finished the third with 14 of the last 22 points including two more threes by Richardson to take a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth. In the final period, St. Joe's couldn't get any closer than six points as RC closed the game with a 21-11 surge for the 65-49 victory. The win gave the Lions their first ever T of C title.

Richardson ended up going 6 of 11 from the floor including five threes for a game high 22 points. Syracuse bound Tyler Roberson chipped in with 19 points as the RC duo combined to shoot 13 of 24 from the field. Hakim Saintil and Asante Gist added 8 points each for the winners, which had 7 different players score. St. Joe's had six different players score.

Townes led the Falcons in a losing cause with 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor while Wade Baldwin chipped in with 13. Kentucky bound sophomore Karl Towns, who had been averaging 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game entering the contest, didn't get his first basket until the 7:05 mark of the third, and ended up with only 7 points. Roselle Catholic's big three of Richardson, Roberson, and Saintil outscored St. Joe's big three of Towns, Baldwin, and Townes by a margin of 49-37. Read analysis as well as view the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts from the contest via GameChanger.io.

St. Joseph's Making GMC History at T of C; Has Date In Final With Roselle Catholic Tonight

Note: Scroll down to read about the GMC Hoops coverage for Wednesday night at the 2013 Tournament of Champions, which gets underway at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River with two quarterfinal games.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. St. Joseph's controls its own destiny. If the Falcons can win out the rest of the way, they will have their four consecutive GMC Hoops Trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 107 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

For the first time in the history of the Tournament of Champions, a team from the Greater Middlesex Conference will be playing in the final of the T of C. Playing in its second straight Tournament of Champions, St. Joe's became the first GMC team to win a game in the event since Piscataway defeated Middle Township in 1994 when it defeated third seeded Atlantic City in the semifinals at Monmouth University on Friday night.

Now, the Falcons, which are only the third school from the GMC to ever compete in the T of C (Perth Amboy Tech in 1993 and Piscataway in 1994), have a chance to become the first school from the conference to win the T of C title when it faces off against top seeded Roselle Catholic in the final at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton on Tuesday night. See preview of the game in the blog.

T of C Off To Rousing Start With Two Classic Quarterfinal Games

Note: Scroll down to read about the GMC Hoops coverage for Wednesday night at the 2013 Tournament of Champions, which gets underway at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River with two quarterfinal games.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. St. Joseph's controls its own destiny. If the Falcons can win out the rest of the way, they will have their four consecutive GMC Hoops Trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 105 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday night at Pine Belt Arena, the 2013 Tournament of Champions got off to a rousing start with two classic quarterfinal games involving the bottom four seeds of the six team field.

In the first contest, fourth seeded Newark East Side jumped out to a 13-5 first quarter lead, and led by 16 late in the second before Mustafa Lawrence hit his second three of the game to draw fifth seeded Newark Tech to within a baker's dozen at 28-15 going into the intermission.

Lawrence's triple sparked a 30-11 surge by the Terriers the rest of the way as they grabbed the lead midway through the fourth and led by six late before Akbar Hoffman scored four points for East Side to draw the Red Raiders within two with under a minute to play. However, Newark Tech survived a flurry of scoring chances by the Raiders in the closing seconds to come away with the dramatic come from behind, 42-39 victory. View the game notes from the contest.

The nightcap game was an amazing finish to the night. For the third time in 19 days, GMC Hoops was treated to a double overtime classic as sixth seeded Point Pleasant Beach gave third seeded Atlantic City all it could handle before falling, 80-73 in the second extra session. The Garnet Gulls jumped out to a 12-0 lead, and went into the locker room at the half up 34-20 behind 13 first half points by Matt Farrell.

Point Beach opened the second half with a 9-4 run as Farrell and Riley Calzonetti got baskets, and Dominique Uhl connected on a three for a 43-24 lead midway through the third. Atlantic City battled back like it has repeatedly during its playoff run with a 31-7 surge over the next eight minutes or so to take a 55-50 lead with under four minutes to play in regulation. Isaiah Graves gave the Vikings their first lead of the game on a triple from the left wing at the 4:15 mark.

The Gulls then fought back themselves with a 9-4 run the rest of regulation as Uhl scored on a two handed jam at the 2:54 mark, and then Farrell tied the game at 57-57 with a three from the top of the key at the 2:21 mark. After Ga'briel Chandler scored at the 2:05 mark for a 59-57 AC lead, Farrell helped Point Beach knot the game back up at 59-59 about a minute later with a layup. The Group I State Champs then almost pulled off the upset when P.J. Kinneavy got a good look on a three from the left side as time was running out, but just missed, which evoked a large collective roar from the crowd.

In the first overtime, Atlantic City jumped out to a six point lead on a couple of occasions including a 68-62 advantage with 1:08 to play. However, Point Beach rallied again with an 8-2 run the rest of the extra session including a layup by Uhl at the 1:01 mark, another layup by Calzonetti at the 45 second mark, a reverse layup by Calzonetti with 11.4 seconds left in overtime, and then two free throws by Calzonetti with three seconds left for a 70-70 tie. Finally, Atlantic City put the game away in the second overtime with a 10-3 showing for the 80-73 win.

The Vikings took advantage of Calzonetti picking up his fifth foul early in the final extra session, and the Garnet Gulls were unable to execute and made a couple bad turnovers. Atlantic City scored all ten of its points at the line by going 10 of 14 from the charity stripe. Point Beach didn't score in the second overtime until Kinneavy sank a three pointer from the top of the key with 3.9 seconds left to shape the final margin of victory for the Vikings. View the game notes from the contest.

Newark Tech and Atlantic City advance to the semifinals on Friday night at Monmouth University. The Vikings will take on second seeded St. Joseph's in the first semifinal at 6:00 PM while the Terriers will face off against top seeded Roselle Catholic in the nightcap at 8:00 PM.

Tournament of Champions Begins Tonight at Pine Belt Arena

Note: Scroll down to read about the GMC Hoops coverage for Wednesday night at the 2013 Tournament of Champions, which gets underway at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River with two quarterfinal games.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. St. Joseph's controls its own destiny. If the Falcons can win out the rest of the way, they will have their four consecutive GMC Hoops Trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 99 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday evening, GMC Hoops plans to be at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River to see the two quarterfinal or opening round contests in the Tournament of Champions starting at 6:00 PM.

The first matchup will be a battle for the Brick City of Newark as fifth seeded Newark Tech and fourth seeded Newark Eastside will square off for the third time this season. Both teams have each won a game with Eastside winning most recently by the score of 50-47 in the Essex County semifinals.

In the second game, sixth seeded Point Pleasant Beach will try to feed off the energy of a home crowd from Ocean County as it faces off against third seeded Atlantic City for the right to play the lone GMC representative, second seeded St. Joseph's on Friday night at Monmouth University. AC is making a return visit to the T of C while Point Beach is making its first ever appearance. View the preview and the GMC Hoops T of C section.

St. Joseph's Downs St. Peter's Prep For 2nd Straight State Title

Note: Scroll down to read about the Saturday action in the GMC. Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, but I got home late last night after being at Pine Belt Arena for both Non-Public state finals, and had to get video downloaded from my camera to the computer. Congratulations to the St. Joseph's Falcons for winning their second straight state title, and becoming the first Middlesex County school to repeat as state champs since Sayreville did in 1951 and 1952. Leading the way in victory for the Falcons in the state final against St. Peter's Prep, Wade Baldwin scored 17 points to increase his career point total to 1,265 while Marques Townes added 14 to his tally for 1,310 points.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. St. Joseph's controls its own destiny. If the Falcons can win out the rest of the way, they will have their four consecutive GMC Hoops Trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 99 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Saturday afternoon and evening, GMC Hoops traveled down to Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River North High School to see the two Non-Pubiic State Finals including the Non-Public A State Championship between St. Joseph's and St. Peter's Prep of Jersey City.

The Falcons, winnners of Non-Public A South for the second straight year, fell behind early as the Marauders took an 11-4 lead, but slowly and surely, Joes climbed back into the game as it trimmed the deficit to one at the end of the first, and then took the lead at 22-19 going into the intermission.

St. Joseph's pulled away in the second half by outscoring St. Peter's Prep by a score of 35-28 in the second half, but it wasn't easy. The Falcons only led 39-37 with 3:42 remaining, and had to close the game with a 18-10 run as Karl Towns, who was saddled with foul trouble, flushed home two dunks to seal the win.

The Falcons shot 50 percent from the field while the Marauders shot only 37 percent. St. Joseph's was 73 percent from the line while St. Peter's was 75 percent. Both teams shot 25 percent from three and had nine points from beyond the arc. St. Joe's had fewer fouls (15-18), and outrebounded St. Peter's Prep by a margin of 29-20. The big three of Wade Baldwin (17 points), Marques Townes (14 points), and Karl Towns (12 points) combined for 43 of the Falcons 57 points on 15 of 26 shooting.

Jimbo Long had some key contributions though including a three pointer en route to his 7 points while Raven Owen came off the bench to score 5 points. James Ziemba rounded out the Falcon scoring with two points on a key layin in the second half. Trevis Wyche led St. Peter's Prep with 16 points while backcourt mate, Austin White added 14. Vic Jusino chipped in with 9 points, but only had two in the second half before fouling out. With the win, St. Joe's became the first Middlesex County team to win back to back state titles since Sayreville in 1951-52. Read the article on this contest from our St. Joe's beat writer. View the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts at GameChanger.io as well as analysis and a preview of the game in the blog.

In the nightcap, there was a major upset. Roselle Catholic, ranked tenth in the Star-Ledger, faced off against defending Non-Public B and T of C Champion, St. Anthony's of Jersey City in the Non-Public B State Championship. The Lions, which were knocked off by then eighth seeded Union in the quarterfinal round of the Union County Tournament back in mid-February, stunned the Friars by the score of 48-44.

Roselle Catholic overcame a 9-4 St. Anthony's start that included seven points from Temple bound guard, Josh Brown with a 17-5 run over the last 11:05 of the first half to take a 22-14 lead at the intermission. The Lions had a lead no bigger than eight the rest of the game, led 29-21 and 33-25 before the Friars, led by Brown, stormed back to tie the game at 35-35 heading into the fourth.

In the final period, St. Anthony's took the lead on several occasions including 42-40 with 2:05 remaining after a three pointer from the left wing by Tim Coleman. However, Hakim Saintil got a basket as he was fouled with 1:26 to play, and then battled for the offensive rebound on the missed free throw, and put it back in as he was fouled for a three point play, and a 45-42 lead with 1:21 left. The Friars pulled within one on a basket by Cheddi Mosely with 21 seconds to go, but Saintil made one of two from the line with 16 seconds left, and then Matt Bullock sealed the win with two free throws with 7.6 seconds remaining to seal the win. View the game notes from this contest.

East Brunswick Falls To Atlantic City In Group IV Semis, 51-49

Note: Scroll down to read about the Wednesday night action in the GMC. Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, but I had personal things to take care of. GMC Hoops plans to be at Pine Belt Arena on Saturday to see St. Joseph's go for its second straight state title when it plays St. Peter's Prep in the Non-Public A State Championship. With his 16 points in the loss to Atlantic City, East Brunswick's Rob Ukawuba finished his career tied with Matt Van Leeuwen with 1,306 points.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. St. Joseph's controls its own destiny. If the Falcons can win out the rest of the way, they will have their four consecutive GMC Hoops Trophy. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 97 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday night, East Brunswick traveled down to Egg Harbor Township High School to take on Atlantic City in the Group IV State Semifinals. After jumping out to a 33-23 halftime lead, the Bears offense went cold in the second half and AC took advantage by outscoring EB 28-16 in the final two periods for a 51-49 victory.

Isaiah Graves went 4 of 6 from the floor including two threes for 10 of his game high 17 points. Jaleem Montague chipped in for the Vikings with 15 points including several important free throws down the stretch. Rob Ukawuba led EB with 16 points while Dan Leung added 10, Jake Krantz chipped in with 8, and both Amir Bell and Gary Baumer contributed with 7

Atlantic City advanced to the Group IV State Final on Sunday at Rutgers, where it will face Linden, the winner of North Jersey Section 2 Group IV, and of the other semifinal over Hackensack in overtime (83-78). East Brunswick ended its season at 26-4, the best record in school history.

St. Joseph's Defeats Paul VI For 2nd Straight Sectional Title

Note: Scroll down to read about the Tuesday night action in the GMC. Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, but I had personal things to take care of. You can listen live to East Brunswick's game versus Atlantic City on WCTC AM 1450 at http://www.wctcam.com/listen. With his 22 points in the win over Paul VI, St. Joseph's Wade Baldwin now has 1,248 points for his career while teammate Marques Townes added 20 to have 1,296 for his career.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. In the closest race ever for the award, East Brunswick increased its lead to three points over St. Joe's as the two teams appear headed for a race down to the wire. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 97 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, St. Joseph's claimed its second straight Non-Public A South Championship with a hard fought, and exciting 76-69 victory over Paul VI of Haddonfield. It was the second straight year Joes defeat Paul VI, and the first time since the 1998 and 1999 seasons that the Falcons have won back to back sectional titles.

In a game where both teams combined for 59 points in the fourth quarter alone on 24 of 30 shooting, the Falcons were able to prevail as Karl Towns scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth including a couple deep threes while Wade Baldwin led Joes with a team high 22 points and Marques Townes chipped in with 20.

St. Joe's Big Three of Towns, Townes, and Baldwin combined for 24 of 36 shooting as the Falcons shot 30 of 51 as a team from the floor. Jay Howard led Paul VI with 27 points on 12 of 15 shooting.

East Brunswick Wins First Sectional Title Since 1986

Note: Scroll down to read about the Monday night action in the GMC. Also check out action from Friday night and Saturday involving Spotswood, St. Joseph's, and Dunellen. In East Brunswick's win over Trenton in the Central Jersey Group IV final, Rob Ukawuba scored 22 points to raise his career total to 1,304 points, which is just two shy of the all time mark set by Matt Van Leeuwen in 1996.

Looks like we've got quite a race for the GMC Hoops Trophy. In the closest race ever for the award, East Brunswick increased its lead to three points over St. Joe's as the two teams appear headed for a race down to the wire. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 97 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was an historic night at East Brunswick High School as the top seeded Bears of EB won their first sectional championship since 1986.

In front of a packed house that was standing room only and overflowing, the Bears pulled away from a 35-30 edge late in the third period with a 17-6 tear over nearly eight minutes to take a commanding 52-36 lead en route to a 59-49 victory over seventh seeded Trenton in the Central Jersey Group IV Championship.

Rob Ukawuba, who scored a game high 22 points, sparked the key run with a basket at the 1:44 mark followed by a putback by Dan Leung (15 points) with 47 seconds left in the third to make the score 39-30. Then, Leung and Gary Baumer added threes in the fourth to help cap the run for a 16 point lead.

The Bears also got 9 points from Princeton bound point guard, Amir Bell while Baumer added 6 and Jake Krantz chipped in with 4 points and 7 rebounds. Adedamola Adedokun came off the bench to round out the EB scoring with 3 points and 5 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace led Trenton in a losing cause with 18 points while Shaquan Worthy added 17 for the Tornadoes.

The last time East Brunswick won a sectional championship was in 1986 over Franklin at Bridgewater East High School, which is now the middle school. Current EB athletic director, Frank Noppenberger was the head coach, and standout players were Keith Motusesky and Greg Berliner.

St. Joseph's Routs St. Augustine For 2nd Straight Sectional Finals Berth
Dunellen Falls To Dayton In North Jersey Section 2 Group I Semis

Note: Scroll down to read about the Saturday afternoon and evening action in the GMC. Dunellen's Dylan Hoski ended his storied career with 1,128 points after scoring six in the loss to Dayton in the North Jersey Section 2 Group I semifinals. With his 17 points in St. Joe's win over St. Augustine on Saturday night in the Non-Public A South semifinals, Wade Baldwin raised his point total to 1,226 while Marques Townes added 15 to raise his career tally to 1,276.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 96 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was a mixed day for GMC teams still alive in the state tournament on Saturday. Two teams from the conference played in sectional semifinals with one team winning and the other losing.

In the afternoon, GMC Hoops traveled up to Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield to see the top seeded Bulldogs matchup against fourth seeded Dunellen in the North Jersey Section 2 Group I semifinals.

Dunellen jumped out to a 10-2 lead over the first 5:54 of the game as both Casey Wenzel and Dylan Hoski scored four points while sophomore David Johnson added two. However, over the next 18:06, the Destroyers went into a cold spell, and Dayton took advantage with a 33-13 surge to take a 35-23 lead going into the fourth.

The Bulldogs then opened the final quarter with a 9-4 spurt to take a 44-27 lead with 4:43 left before Dunellen tried to show some fight with an 8-0 run that included a layup by Hoski, and back to back threes by Johnson to draw within nine at 44-35 with 3:52 remaining.

DHS wouldn't get any closer though as Dayton put the game out of reach with a 10-0 run for a 54-35 lead en route to a 59-41 victory. Jared Clayton led the Bulldogs with 17 points while Isaiah Rogers and Elijah Brown each added 10 and Joe Rogers chipped in with 9. Wenzel and Johnson led Dunellen in a losing cause with 12 each while Deon Brown chipped in with 9. View the game notes and analysis from the contest.

Later on Saturday evening, GMC Hoops headed over to St. Joe's to take in the semifinal matchup between the second seeded Falcons and third seeded St. Augustine of Richland in the Non-Public A South Semifinals. The Hermits gave a battle in the first half as they overcame an early 8-2 deficit with a 14-6 run capped by two threes from senior guard, Mike Greenman for a 16-14 lead midway through the second.

St. Joe's took over after that though with a 10-2 run to end the first half, and a 17-0 tear to open the second to take a commanding 41-18 lead en route to a surprisingly easy, 80-39 win and a berth in the sectional championship for the second straight year. Karl Towns led all scorers with 25 points while Wade Baldwin chipped in with 17, and Marques Townes added 15.

The Falcons will play fourth seeded Paul VI of Haddonfield again in the final on Tuesday at Jackson Liberty High School at 6:00 PM. See game notes from the contest.

Spotswood Falls To Lakewood In CJ Group II Semis, 53-36

Note: Scroll down to read about the Friday night action in the GMC. In East Brunswick's 60-37 victory over North Brunswick in the Central Jersey Group IV Semifinals, EB's Rob Ukawuba raised his career point total to 1,282.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 94 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday night, GMC Hoops traveled down to Lakewood High School in Ocean County to see the top seeded Piners host Spotswood in the Central Jersey Group II Semifinals.

The Chargers, which were making their third trip to the semis in the last five years, battled throughout, but fell victim to two key 9-0 runs in a 53-36 loss. Trailing by only three at the end of the first period, Spotswood gave way to the first run in the second as Lakewood got two threes from Eric Davis to take a 21-9 lead midway through the period. Tyrice Beverette, who ended up with a game high 24 points, then scored six in the last 2:31 of the half as the Piners went into the intermission ahead, 27-16.

Spotswood opened the third with an 8-2 run including two three pointers by junior Jake Dadika to pull within five at 29-24, but Lakewood answered with the second key 9-0 run that included two threes from the right side by Beverette, and a steal for a dunk, and a three point play by Davis with 1:57 to go in the frame for a 38-24 lead. The Chargers would only get as close as 10 points the rest of the way. Davis ended up with 10 points while Dadika finished with 13, and Dalonte Grant chipped in with 11 for the Chargers. View the game notes and analysis from the contest.

Woodbridge Falls To Middletown North In CJ Group III;
Dunellen Advances To Semifinals For First Time Since 2006

Note: Scroll down to read about the Thursday night action in the GMC. With his 14 points in St. Joe's win over Bishop Eustace, Marques Townes now has 1,261 points for his career. Tyler Harris finished his career with 1,209 points after scoring 13 in a loss to Bound Brook. Dylan Hoski scored 11 in Dunellen's win over Ridgefield, and now has 1,122 for his career. Piscataway Tech's Turell McClendon scored 8 points in a double overtime loss to Shore Regional to finish his career with 1,054.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 93 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday night, GMC Hoops once again did double duty by covering two state tournament games involving teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference.

The first contest was at Woodbridge High School, where the second seeded Barrons were looking to build on their first playoff victory in 24 years when it took on 10th seeded Middletown North in Central Jersey Group III Quarterfinal round action.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the Barrons night as Middletown North jumped out to a 23-8 lead and never looked back in a 79-69 victory. The Lions outscored the Barrons by a margin of 33-15 from long distance, and shot a blistering 60 percent form the field while limiting Woodbridge to just 41 percent.

Five different Middletown North players scored in double figures led by Cody Thompson, who scored a game high 22 points. Mike Barber chipped in with 18 points. Will Boman added 13 points while reserve Ian Wyckoff and John Dini contributed with 12 and 10 points respectively. Woodbridge had four players score double figures led by Zahneer Shuler with 21 points. Duquan Bailey chipped in with 17 while Jared Pearson and Jaheem Jackson added 13 and 11 respectively.

Middletown North shot 65 percent alone in the first half while Woodbridge was limited to just 36 percent. The Lions were 11 of 18 from beyond the arc in the contest while Woodbridge was only 5 of 23. The loss by the Barrons ended what had been an historic season with the school reaching the semifinals of the GMCT for the first time since reaching the MCT Championship and losing to Perth Amboy in 1975. The Barrons also ended up with the second winningest season in school history. Prior to this season, the Barrons had not had a winning season since the 1988-89 campaign. See the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Afterwards, the site rambled down Route 1 South to Interstate 287 North, and eventually Dunellen and The Faber to see the fourth seeded Destroyers take on fifth seeded Ridgefield Memorial of Bergen County in the quarterfinal round of the 2013 North Jersey Section 2 Group I State Tournament. Leading by only three at 53-50 with 3:56 remaining, Dunellen pulled away by scoring 14 of the final 15 points on a 14 of 16 effort from the foul line. The bulk of that effort came from sophomore David Johnson, who netted 11 of 12 from the charity stripe en route to a game high 29 points.

Johnson scored 12 points in the first half including two threes as Dunellen jumped out to a 31-24 halftime lead. Then, he scored 17 in the second half. The Destroyers had a couple of eight point leads in the first period, but couldn't really put Ridgefield away until the fourth. The Royals were game for about the first 28 minutes of the game by getting the lead down to three on several occasions, but each time, Dunellen would find a way to get a key score to keep the visitors at arm's length before putting the game away in the final four minutes. Dylan Hoski chipped in with 11 points while Deon Brown added 10 for the winners.

With the victory, Dunellen advances to the North Jersey Section 2 Group I semifinals to face top seeded Jonathan Dayton of Springfield on Saturday. It is the first time since 2006 that the Destroyers have reached the sectional semifinals. It is also the first time since the 1990-91 season that DHS has won 19 games. View the game notes from the contest.

Spotswood Edges Carteret To Advance In CJ Group II;
EB and North Brunswick To Face Off In CJ Group IV Semis

Note: Scroll down to read about the Tuesday night action in the GMC. After finding out he scored 11 points against Wall Township over the weekend, South River's Tyler Harris is now fourth place on the Ram's all time scoring list with 1,196 points. Rob Ukawuba now has 1,266 points after scoring 10 for EB in its win over Hunterdon Central while North Brunswick's Iverson Fleming scored 12 against Jackson Memorial to increase his total to 1,214.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 91 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops traveled up and down the Route 18 corridor to take in action from a couple of state tournament games.

The first game featured a rematch between Carteret and Spotswood in the quarterfinal round of the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament. Carteret had won the previous two meetings this year, by a combined total of less than ten points en route to its second straight Blue Division crown.

However, tonight would be different. Despite fighting an uphill battle throughout the contest, fourth seeded Spotswood would prevail thanks to a 6-1 spurt to finish the game for a 60-56 win. Jamal Lewis got the go ahead basket with a minute to play, and then Jake Dadika and Marlon Hart sealed the win with two free throws each down the stretch.

The game was fairly even from a statistical standpoint. Carteret shot 46 percent while Spotswood shot 45 percent. The Ramblers actually fared a bit better from three with 29 percent versus only 26 percent for the Chargers. Spotswood held a slight edge on two point field goals with 58 percent versus 53 percent for Carteret. The Blue Division champs fared slightly better from the line with 71 percent versus 69 percent for the Chargers.

Spotswood had a 15-12 edge in points scored from beyond the arc, and enjoyed an 18-16 edge in two point field goals made. Carteret scored more points at the line (12-9). Both teams had 14 team fouls. Spotswood had 7 different players score while Carteret had 6. Jamal Lewis led Spotswood with 22 points while Jake Dadika chipped in with 19. Tyrell Lockley and Jaquan Robertson each led Carteret with 15 points. See the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Afterwards, the site traveled over to East Brunswick High School to see the remainder of the contest between the top seeded Bears and ninth seeded Hunterdon Central. EB was comfortably in front by the time GMC Hoops arrived. Gary Baumer (17 points including 4 threes) had just hit a three at the 4:34 mark for a 42-21 advantage. The Red Devils put together a decent run to close within 45-28, but the Bears ended the third with five of the last six points, and opened the fourth with the first six points for a 56-29 lead en route to a 68-38 victory.

Jake Krantz added 12 points while Dan Leung and Rob Ukawuba each chipped in with 10 points. View the game notes from the final 12:34 of the game. In other state tourney action involving GMC teams, fourth seeded North Brunswick advanced to play EB in the CJ Group IV semifinals on Friday with a 50-43 victory over Jackson Memorial while Timothy Christian fell to Doane Academy of Burlington County in the Non-Public B South State Tourney, 60-48.

Dunellen Holds Off New Providence In North 2 Group I, 62-52

Note: Scroll down to read about the Tuesday night action in the GMC. With his 15 points last night in St. Joe's win over Immaculata, Wade Baldwin moved into sixth place on the all time Falcons scoring list with 1,207 points. East Brunswick's Rob Ukawuba moved into second place on the all time scoring list with 1,256 points. Iverson Fleming now has over 1,200 points for his career at North Brunswick while Dunellen's Dylan Hoski moved over the 1,100 point barrier. South River's Tyler Harris is now just a point out of fourth place on the Ram's all time scoring list.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 89 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

In the opening round of the North Jersey Section 2 Group I State Tournament on Tuesday night, fourth seeded Dunellen squared off against 13th seeded New Providence at The Faber. After giving up the opening basket, Dunellen took control with an 11-2 run as Deon Brown had two steals for layups and Dave Johnson added a steal for a basket as well.

New Providence, which defeated the Destroyers in the opening round of last year's tournament, battled throughout, and pulled within two at 46-44 with a little more than five minutes remaining, but Tony McGuane gave Dunellen some much needed breathing room with a three pointer from the right side of the key for a 49-44 lead. The Pioneers kept pecking away, and drew within three with 3:11 to go, but the Destroyers closed the game with another 11-2 spurt to pull out the 62-52 victory.

Brown led Dunellen with 19 points while Dylan Hoski chipped in with 15, and McGuane added 13 including three treys. New Providence outscored Dunellen, 21-12 in points from beyond the arc, but the Destroyers enjoyed an 18-9 edge from the foul line as well as a 16-11 edge in field goals. See game notes from the contest.

In other action, Woodbridge improved to 22-4, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Central Jersey Group III State Tournament with a 65-59 win over Allentown at WHS. The win for the Barrons was the first in the state tournament since the 1988-89 season. Another Woodbridge Township team, Colonia, pulled off the shocker of the day by knocking off fourth seeded Summit in the opening round of the North Jersey Section 2 Group III State Tournament in Summit. Other winners included St. Joseph's, South River, and Piscataway Tech.

Carteret Defeats Weequahic To Advance In CJ Group II;
North Brunswick Downs Old Bridge In 2OT In CJ Group IV

Note: Scroll down to read about the Monday afternoon and evening action in the GMC. With 16 points and 21 rebounds in the loss to North Brunswick on Monday night, Old Bridge's Sultan Aminu finished his career with 1,225 points.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 88 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Monday afternoon and evening, GMC Hoops saw all or part of two games as State Tournament play got underway with matchups in the Central Jersey Group II, Central Jersey Group IV, and North Jersey Section 2 Group IV tourneys.

First, the site traveled over to Carteret to see a game between the fifth seeded Ramblers, and 12th seeded Weequahic of Newark in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament.

The Weequahic Indians jumped out to a 14-7 lead late in the first period, but Carteret took control with a 28-10 surge to end the half including 17 of the last 20 points of the second quarter for a 35-24 halftime lead.

The Ramblers stayed in command throughout the second half although Weequahic put together a 17-5 tear over a span of 6:03 to pull within two at 49-47 with less than six and a half minutes to go in the game. Carteret kept the Indians at arm's length though with a 14-9 run over the next 5:41 to take a 63-56 lead with 43.7 seconds to go.

Things would get interesting down the stretch though as Weequahic rallied with the next five points including a three pointer from the left wing with 11 seconds left for a 63-61 Carteret lead. The Ramblers then got one of two from the line by sophomore Brandon Gilder with 8.6 seconds left for a 64-61 lead, and Weequahic's last shot attempt was off the mark as time expired. Andrew Stam led Carteret with 17 points while Joe McRae chipped in with 13, and Gilder added 11 in the win. See game notes from the contest.

Carteret advanced to play Spotswood in the quarterfinal round of the CJ Group II tourney on Wednesday. Afterward, GMC Hoops traveled over to North Brunswick to see the remainder of the game between the fourth seeded Raiders and 13th seeded Old Bridge in a rematch of a GMCT Quarterfinal game won by the Knights.

Old Bridge led 40-30 when we arrived late in the third quarter, and then increased that edge to 44-31 early in the fourth before NBTHS responded. North Brunswick rallied with a 19-6 tear over a span of about five minutes to tie the game up on a steal and three pointer by Iverson Fleming with 2:29 remaining in regulation.

The Knights then got two scores by Tyler Drews for a 54-50 lead with 1:35 left, but Fleming was at it again with a steal for a layup at the 1:04 mark, and Virgil Boykin tied it with a layin off an inbounds play underneath with 20.5 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team would score after that as we went to overtime.

In the extra session, Old Bridge looked to be in control with an 8-2 run to open the period including scores by Drews and Jordan Marrero for a 62-56 lead with 44.4 seconds remaining. However, North Brunswick never gave up as Boykin converted a three point play at the 37.1 second mark, and then Jordan Gonzalez knocked in a three ponter from the left corner with 28.6 seconds left to tie the game again at 62-62, and force a second overtime.

In the final extra session, North Brunswick took command for good with a 10-5 showing including four points from Dennis Ford, Jr., four points from Fleming, and two points from Boykin for the 72-67 win. Fleming ended up with 32 points while Boykin chipped in with 17, and Ford added 14. Sultan Aminu collected 16 points and 21 rebounds in the loss for Old Bridge while Tyler Drews scored 20 and Chris Conrad chipped in with 13. See the game notes from the contest.

St. Joseph's Rallies Past EB In Double OT For 4th Straight Title

Note: Scroll down to read about the Friday night action at the RAC. Congratulations to South River for notching a huge non-conference win over Group I powerhouse, Burlington City. The Rams edged the South Jersey school, 63-62 on a basket by senior Tyler Harris with six seconds left. The GMC was 6-2 against non-conference opponents on Friday.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 86 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was a great night of GMC basketball at the RAC on Friday. Both the Girls and Boys GMCT Championships went down to the wire with both top seeded teams falling.

In the Girls final, Kiki Bynes hit an off-balanced shot with 19 seconds to go to lift seventh seeded Piscataway past top seeded, and previously undefeated, J.F. Kennedy, 43-41. Bynes, who was selected tournament MVP, ended up with 13 points on the night.

Kennedy battled throughout, especially in the second half. Trailing 30-20 midway through the third period, the Lady Mustangs embarked on an 11-0 run over a span of six minutes to take a 31-30 lead. Brittany Washington led JFK with 6 points during the run.

There would be four lead changes and a tie over the final 6:19 of the contest. Kennedy had a couple chances to win in the final 6.7 seconds, but committed a turnover with 3.3 seconds left, and then after getting a steal, the Lady Mustangs came up short on a three attempt from the right wing as time ran out. View the game notes from the contest.

In the nightcap, second seeded St. Joseph's and top seeded East Brunswick put together a classic GMCT final. Perhaps the best ever. It was the first final that went to overtime in 20 years, and the first ever MCT/GMCT Championship ever to be decided in double overtime. If you thought nothing could top the first two matchups between these two fierce rivals, think again.

East Brunswick trailed 29-20 late in the first half, but rallied with a 16-8 surge over the next eight plus minutes to pull within one heading into the fourth. Then, the Bears got a huge three late in regulation by senior guard, Danny Leung to tie the game, and force overtime at 51-51. Both teams scored seven points to force a second overtime.

In the final extra session, EB led 61-58 with about a minute to go when the Falcons put together the decisive 8-2 run to win the contest. Marques Townes sparked the key rally with a steal for a layup, and then the Falcons went to the line to put the game away. St. Joe's found a way to win without having the services of Kentucky bound big man, Karl Towns, who fouled out of the game.

For the game, St. Joe's shot 49 percent versus 38 percent for EB. The Bears shot 33 percent from three, and outscored the Falcons by a 21-3 margin in points scored from beyond the arc. East Brunswick shot 82 percent from the line while Joes was 74 percent, but the four time defending champs outscored the Bears by a 23-14 margin in points from the charity stripe.

Leung led all scorers with 24 points on 6 of 11 shooting overall including 5 of 8 from three while also making 7 of 8 from the line. Rob Ukawuba chipped in for the Bears with 20 points. Towns, who earned tournament MVP honors, finished with 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor and 7 of 10 from the line. Wade Baldwin also finished with 21 points including 11 of 14 from the line. Townes ended up with 6 of 12 shooting from the floor and 5 of 7 from the free throw stripe.

With the victory, St. Joseph's became the first school since Perth Amboy in the early to mid 1970s (1972-75) to win four consecutive conference/county crowns. See details as well as view the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts from the contest courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Championship Friday At The RAC

Note: Scroll down to read about the Championship night in store for the GMC at the RAC. Listen live to WCTC's broadcast of the Girls and Boys GMCT Championship Doubleheader at wctcam.com. With 14 points in a 56-54 loss to J.F. Kennedy on Thursday afternoon, North Brunswick's Iverson Fleming passed 2005 graduate Derek Scott into fourth place on the all time Raiders scoring list with 1,170 points.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 84 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday night, the Greater Middlesex Conference will be hosting its GMCT Girls and Boys finals at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway. The Girls Final will be held at 6:00 PM with the Boys Final following up at 8:00 PM. In the Girls Championship, top seeded and undefeated J.F. Kennedy of Iselin (25-0) will be taking on seventh seeded Piscataway, which defeated Red Division rivals, Perth Amboy (2nd seed) and Woodbridge (sixth seed) to get to the finals. Then, in the Boys Final, a highly anticipated matchup between top seeded and 8th ranked in NJ, East Brunswick, and second seeded and 9th ranked in NJ, St. Joseph's. See a preview of the boys final.

Old Bridge Defeats North Brunswick For Frosh Title;
East Brunswick To Play Hillsborough For JV Championship

Note: Scroll down to read about action in both the Freshmen and JV Tournaments on Thursday. With 14 points in a 56-54 loss to J.F. Kennedy on Thursday afternoon, North Brunswick's Iverson Fleming passed 2005 graduate Derek Scott into fourth place on the all time Raiders scoring list with 1,170 points.

I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 84 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday, GMC Hoops saw action from both the Perth Amboy Freshmen and East Brunswick JV Tournaments. The bulk of the action covered was at Perth Amboy as the site took in both the consolation game and the championship.

In the consolation, fourth seeded J.F. Kennedy and third seeded St. Joseph's-Green swapped leads 9 times and had 9 ties in a contest where neither team had a lead bigger than five points. The Little Mustangs forced the extra session with one of three from the foul line by Nick Keane with four seconds remaining.

Then, in the extra session, JFK outscored St. Joe's-Green by a 9-5 margin to come away with the hard fought 58-54 win. Kush Patel opened the scoring with a layup and Keane and Josh Buchholz followed with scores down the stretch to seal the win for Kennedy. Bryce Layne, John Walton, Jose Medina, and Joseph Mayers stood tall for Joes in defeat.

In the championship, Old Bridge trailed by as many as eight in the first half, and was behind by four at 35-31 with less than five minutes to play when the Knights closed the contest with a 12-5 run to win the title over top seeded North Brunswick, 43-40. Steve Strom sparked the rally with a three at the 4:34 mark to pull the Little Knights within one at 35-34. Then, after a North Brunswick basket, Connor Romano drained a triple from the left wing at the 3:24 mark for a 37-37 tie.

The game went back and forth with North Brunswick clinging to a one point lead late, but Zach Attianese gave Old Bridge the lead for good with a steal for a layup at the 1:16 mark. Attianese then sealed the win with two free throws at the 32 second mark. North Brunswick, which was playing in its second consecutive final, had a chance to tie in the waning seconds, but failed to connect on a three point attempt. Basit Khan and Bryon Smith played well in a losing cause for NBTHS.

After the festivities concluded at the Perth Amboy Freshmen Tourney, GMC Hoops traveled over to East Brunswick High School to capture the remainder of the second semifinal of the 2013 EB JV Tourney between 9th seeded Immaculata and 4th seeded East Brunswick. Immaculata, which defeated 8th seeded South Brunswick in the Round of 16, and then Piscataway in the quarterfinals, trailed 29-13 before ending the first half with a 5-2 run including a three point play at the 48 second mark for a 31-18 EB lead at the break.

However, the Junior Spartans were unable to get any closer in the second half as East Brunswick started the third quarter with an 18-7 tear that included 10 points by freshman Matt Ross, and three pointers by John McHenry and Nick Gudali for a 49-25 lead. Immaculata finished the quarter with a 7-0 run, and opened the fourth with a basket to pull within 15, but EB then closed the game with a 16-8 spurt for a 65-42 win. The victory gave the Junior Bears their third straight appearance in the JV Tourney Championship. View the game notes from the final 17:23 of the game.

East Brunswick will be playing a familiar foe on Saturday as Hillsborough defeated North Brunswick in the other semifinal. The Junior Raiders, which defeated NBTHS in the 2011 semis, will be playing in its third final in four years. Hillsborough has reached the final four in 4 out of the last 5 years. North Brunswick made its third straight semifinal appearance.

Top Seeded EB and 2nd Seeded Joes Both Roll Into GMCT Final

Note: Scroll down to read about action at the GMCT Final Four in South Brunswick on Wednesday. Congratulations to Piscataway Tech's Turell McClendon, who not only scored his 1,000th point on Monday night, but is now fourth on the all time Raiders scoring list.

Meanwhile, Marques Townes recently passed 2012 St. Joe's graduate, Danny Brix into fifth place on the all time scoring list at St. Joseph's with 1,214 points. Teammate Wade Baldwin is currently seventh, and also moving up on that list with 1,171 points. North Brunswick's Iverson Fleming is just nine points shy of fourth place on the NBTHS scoring list with 1,156 points. Sultan Aminu of Old Bridge is just six points shy of 1,200 points for his career.

With his 23 points in the win over fourth seeded Woodbridge in the semifinals, Rob Ukawuba has over 1,200 points, and is just 15 shy of third place on the all time scoring list at EB. On Wednesday, Dunellen's Dylan Hoski added 12 more points to his career scoring total, and now has 1,075 for his career. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 81 games, 27 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

In perhaps two of the most lopsided Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinals ever, top seeded East Brunswick and second seeded St. Joseph's advanced to the Championship Game on Friday night at Rutgers.

In the first semifinal, St. Joseph's shot a scorching 60 percent from the field for the game, and jumped out to a 23-6 first quarter lead en route to a 75-50 win over 11th seeded Old Bridge. The Falcons defeated the Knights for the third time this year including a recent 75-34 win at the Bird Cage on February 7th.

Karl Towns pumped in 26 points while Wade Baldwin chipped in with 20, and Marques Townes added 11 in the win. Sultan Aminu led Old Bridge in a losing cause with 18 points. The Falcons shot 39 percent from three, and 8 of 11 from the line while limiting OBHS to just 42 percent shooting from the floor. See play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts from the contest.

In the nightcap, top seeded East Brunswick jumped out to a 35-16 halftime lead, and then opened the third with a 13-0 run en route to a 76-31 win over fourth seeded Woodbridge. The Bears were led by Rob Ukawuba, who was a perfect 7 of 7 from the floor, and 8 of 8 from the line for 23 points while Gary Baumer connected on five threes for 17 points, and Jake Krantz added 10.

Woodbridge was led by Jared Pearson with 12 points while Duquan Bailey chipped in with 10. East Brunswick had some early struggles, but ended up shooting 29 of 54 from the field for a blistering 54 percent while limiting Woodbridge to just 12 of 41 shooting for 29 percent. The Bears also shut down Barrons standout player, Eddie Harris, who fouled out early in the third quarter with no points. EB was 7 of 21 from three while WHS was only 1 of 8. The Bears were also 10 of 17 from the foul line while the Barrons were just 6 of 10. See play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io.

GMCT Final Four At South Brunswick On Wednesday Night

Note: Scroll down to read about the big day ahead with the GMCT Final Four at South Brunswick High School. If you have results from the Freshmen and JV tournaments, please e-mail them to me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, or msg me on facebook or twitter. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 72 games, 26 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

GMC Hoops will be at South Brunswick High School on Wednesday night to cover both of the GMCT Final Four games. Three of the top four seeds are in the contests today with all four teams having at least 15 wins on the season coming in. The GMC Hoops Trophy race will also be decided by both of the games being played today. See the annual GMCT Final Four outlook.

Old Bridge and Woodbridge Both Reach First GMCT Final Four;
East Brunswick and St. Joseph's Also Advance To SBHS

Note: Scroll down to read about all the action at 2013 GMCT Elite Eight at Middlesex County College. If you have results from the Freshmen and JV tournaments, please e-mail them to me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, or msg me on facebook or twitter. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Sunday, I've now seen 78 games, 26 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was an historic day for Old Bridge basketball. The 11th seeded Knights pulled off the big upset of the day at the 2013 GMCT Elite Eight at Middlesex County College with a 58-53 victory over third seeded North Brunswick on Sunday afternoon.

OBHS got another monster performance from Sultan Aminu, who connected on 11 of 13 shots from the floor for a game high 25 points while Billy Andrews and Tyler Drews each added 11 points in the win. The Knights shot 45 percent from the floor overall while limiting North Brunswick to just 34 percent shooting.

One key to Old Bridge's win was holding North Brunswick's potent three point shooting to just 22 percent including 1 of 11 from long range by Iverson Fleming. The Hofstra bound Fleming still managed to grind out a team high 20 points thanks to 5 of 10 shooting inside the arc, and 7 of 9 from the line. Nick Sidotti and Dennis Ford Jr. each chipped in with 12 points.

With the victory, Old Bridge punched its first ever ticket to the GMCT Final Four since the school opened in the 1994-95 school year. Prior to that, the last time a team from Old Bridge Township reached the semifinals was in 1988 when 12th seeded Cedar Ridge led by 1,500 point scorer, Tim Klag faced top seeded St. Peter's at the RAC. See the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts at GameChanger.io.

The Knights will be facing a familiar opponent in second seeded St. Joseph's, a team that beat them twice during the regular season. The Falcons earned their 14th semifinal berth in the last 17 years with an 85-43 victory over seventh seeded Spotswood. St. Joe's took a 16-8 lead toward the end of the first period before the Chargers rallied with a 10-3 spurt that ended the first, and began the second for a 19-18 Falcons lead.

However, the Falcons put together an 18-0 clinic that was chock full of highlight reel material. As Marques Townes and Wade Baldwin threw down several dunks en route to a 37-18 lead. St. Joe's eventually led at the half, 43-24. Karl Towns then took over in the third with a monster dunk of his own along with a number of other powerful moves down low to show that he was in top form for Kentucky head coach, John Calipari, who was in attendance.

Towns ended up with 34 points on 14 of 21 shooting from the floor including one of three from downtown, and a perfect 5 of 5 at the foul line. Marques Townes chipped in with 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the floor including 2 of 4 from the foul line, and 3 of 5 from the charity stripe. Baldwin, who was shaken up in the third, eventually came back into the game, and finished with 13 points on 5 of 11 from the floor including a three, and 2 of 2 from the foul line.

Dalonte Grant was a bright spot for Spotswood with a team high 22 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the floor including 4 of 5 from three, and 2 of 3 from the foul line. Jake Dadika chipped in with 10 points. St. Joseph's shot a blistering 33 of 59 from the floor for 56 percent while limiting Spotswood to only 15 of 42 for 35 percent. The Falcons also shot 14 of 17 for 82 percent from the foul line while the Chargers shot only 5 of 7 for 71 percent. See the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts at GameChanger.io.

The third contest was probably the most entertaining, and almost as suspenseful as the first contest. Fourth seeded Woodbridge got quite a challenge from fifth seeded Carteret, but was able to hang on for a 76-69 victory to make its first ever appearance in the GMCT Semifinals. Woodbridge shot 52 percent from the floor while Carteret made 47 percent of its shots. Seven players scored in double figures for both teams including four for Carteret.

However, Woodbridge had two players score at least 20 points while Carteret just had one. The Barrons were led by Eddie Harris with 23 points while Jared Pearson chipped in with 21. Zahneer Shuler added 12 for the winners. Andrew Stam scored 20 for Carteret while Joe McRae added 13, and Brandon Gilder had 11 while Tyrell Lockley had 10 points. Carteret jumped out to a 19-15 first quarter lead, but Woodbridge went on a 31-13 surge over the next quarter and a half to take a 46-32 advantage midway through the third.

The Ramblers didn't give up though. Instead the Blue Division champion battled back with a 15-3 tear to finish the third, and begin the fourth to pull within two at 49-47. Woodbridge would hold on though as they got clutch plays from Harris, Pearson, and Shuler, and dunks from Pearson and Harris to pull away for the victory. See the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Woodbridge will face top seeded East Brunswick, which had some first half struggles offensively, but played solid defense, especially in the second quarter to take control of the game with a 17-4 tear for a 26-13 halftime lead. The Bears continued to pull away in the second half by outscoring ninth seeded Sayreville by a margin of 43-24 to come up with the 69-37 win. Both teams shot 20 percent from beyond the arc, but EB made 59 percent of its two point field goals versus only 34 percent for Sayreville. The Bears also sank 71 percent of their free throws while Sayreville only made 56 percent.

Rob Ukawuba led East Brunswick with a game high 21 points while Danny Leung scrapped his way to double figures with 11. Ten different players scored for the Bears. Meanwhile, Sayreville was led by Rob Seraji, who scored 14 points. The Bombers had seven different players get into the scorebook. EB is in the semifinals for the second straight year. See play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts at GameChanger.io.

GMCT Super Sunday Is Here!

Note: Scroll down to read about the big day ahead with the GMCT Elite Eight at Middlesex County College. If you have results from the Freshmen and JV tournaments, please e-mail them to me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, or msg me on facebook or twitter. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 72 games, 26 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

GMC Hoops will be at Middlesex County College all day on Sunday covering the four GMCT Elite Eight games. Six of the top eight seeds are in the contests today with all eight teams having at least 14 wins on the season coming in. The GMC Hoops Trophy race will also be decided by many of the games being played today. See the annual GMCT Elite Eight outlook.

Old Bridge, Sayreville, and Carteret Win To Make Historic Trips To GMCT Elite Eight

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday's GMCT Round of 16 action. If you have results from the Freshmen and JV tournaments, please e-mail them to me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, or msg me on facebook or twitter. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 72 games, 26 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 21 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday night, the 2013 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament resumed play with seven Round of 16 games at the higher seeded teams. Top seeds East Brunswick and St. Joseph's advanced easily while Spotswood edged Piscataway Tech in a low scoring game, and Woodbridge defeated Monroe. EB, Spotswood, and Woodbridge defeated their opponents (Perth Amboy, P-Way Tech, and Monroe) for the third time this season.

There were three other games in the Round of 16 that had historic significance, at least in terms of recent history. Ninth seeded Sayreville got a late basket by Donald Johnson with 36 seconds left and hung on to defeat eighth seeded Dunellen at the Faber, 59-58 to advance to the GMCT Elite Eight for the first time since reaching the GMCT Semifinals in 2010.

Over in Carteret, the fifth seeded Ramblers matched up against 12th seeded Piscataway for the second straight year, and this time, the Ramblers came through with a 61-54 victory over the Chiefs to earn their first visit to the GMCT Elite Eight since 2008 when Robert "Double-Double" Jackson led the Ramblers to Middlesex County College.

Finally, in South Brunswick, 11th seeded Old Bridge got 67 of its 71 points from the trio of Sultan Aminu (25 points), Tyler Drews (23 points), and Chris Conrad (19 points) to defeat 6th seeded South Brunswick for the second time this season by the score of 71-62. The win gave OB its first berth in the GMCT Elite Eight since 2007. The Knights shot 28 of 53 from the floor for 53 percent while the Vikings were just 28 of 64 for 44 percent. Despite being outscored 9-3 from beyond the arc, OBHS went 14 of 24 from the line for 58 percent while SBHS was only 3 of 9 for 33 percent.

The trio of Aminu, Drews, and Conrad combined to shoot 27 of 40 from the field for 68 percent. Aminu alone was 12 of 14 from the floor. The contest was a game of runs. Old Bridge started the game with a 10-3 spurt as Drews scored 8 of his points. South Brunswick responded with a 15-7 rally to take an 18-17 lead. The third quarter had the most pivotal run. Trailing 33-31 early in the period, the Knights scored 11 straight points, and 15 of 17 to take a 46-35 lead.

South Brunswick battled back though behind the efforts of junior guard, Corey Lumpkin, who scored 13 points. Lumpkin had a torrid fourth quarter as he helped the Vikes pull within three at 57-54. Unfortunately, South Brunswick couldn't get any closer. Unofficially, Chris Bourne led the Vikings with 19 points while Dion Hooper chipped in with 11. View analysis as well as the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts from the contest courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Bishop Ahr And Colonia Advance In GMCT Preliminary Round Games

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday and Wednesday's GMCT Preliminary Round action. If you have results from the Freshmen and JV tournaments, please e-mail them to me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, or msg me on facebook or twitter. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 71 games, 26 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the GMCT Preliminary round took place with eight games all played at the higher seeded team. GMC Hoops took in one game on Tuesday night, and the only preliminary round game on Wednesday night.

In the game on Tuesday, eighteenth seeded South Amboy took on 15th seeded Bishop Ahr for the right to face second seeded St. Joseph's on Thursday in the Round of 16. The Guvs only trailed 28-25 at the half, and 34-31 with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter, but couldn't get any closer than that as BGA closed the game with a 37-15 surge including 19 of the final 21 points of the contest.

Sophomore Tom Weiler led the charge for the Trojans with a game high 26 points inlcuding six three pointers. Weiler had 16 of those points, and four threes in the second half. Senior Mike Jensen chipped in with 16 points including two threes. Jensen scored 8 of his points in the second half including two three point plays. Owen McLeod added 8 points and 7 rebounds while Greg Patuto contributed with all 6 of his points on two threes in the third.

Ahr outscored South Amboy by a 33-6 margin from beyond the arc. Joe Fruncillo led the Guvs in defeat with a team high 24 points while Steve Herdman chipped in with 9. View the game notes, analysis, and video highlights from the contest. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 14th seeded Colonia hosted 30th seeded Wardlaw, which pulled off one of the big surprises in the play-in round on Monday by defeating 19th seeded Timothy Christian at the buzzer. For much of the first half, the Rams had some of that magic carry over as it jumped out to a 9-6 lead after a 5-0 run that included a three point play by Justen Davis and a steal for a layup by Mike Newman.

However, after a Colonia timeout, the Pats ended the first quarter with the last four points, and outscored Wardlaw by a 13-6 margin in the second to take a 23-15 halftime lead. Then, the Patriots broke the game open in the third with a 24-4 showing to take a 49-19 lead en route to a 56-32 victory. Freshman guard, Chase Barneys led the way with 14 points while Jodrell Thompson chipped in with 12, and senior Trent Barneys added 11. Davis led Wardlaw in a losing cause with 14 points while Newman chipped in with 8. View analysis, photos and slideshow as well as the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts from the contest courtesy of GameChanger.io.

South River Advances While Wardlaw Jolts Timothy Christian

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday's GMCT Play-In Round action. Check out capsules on action from last Saturday, Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments as well as highlights from St. Joe's win over Old Bridge and South Brunswick's win over Piscataway. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 68 games, 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was a big night for the Rams as both South River and Wardlaw came away with victories over division rivals in the GMCT Play-In round action on Monday night. South River got a stat stuffer's delight of a performance from Tyler Harris with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds along with 5 assists and 5 steals in a 71-68 victory over Perth Amboy Tech.

Matt Martinez chipped in with 13 points while Bobby Applegate added 10. South River will take on Monroe on Tuesday afternoon at 5:00 PM. Meanwhile, Wardlaw, the 30th seed in the tourney, pulled off the biggest shocker of the night by defeating Timothy Christian on a baseline jumper from Ish Menns with four seconds remaining. Justen Davis led Wardlaw with 25 points while Brandon Summers led TCS with 20. Take a look at last night's scores, today's schedule, and the upcoming GMC Hoops schedule.

The Road To The RAC Begins Today With Play-In Round Games

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday's GMCT Play-In Round schedule. Check out capsules on action from last Saturday, Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments as well as highlights from St. Joe's win over Old Bridge and South Brunswick's win over Piscataway. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 68 games, 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Monday, the road to the Rutgers Athletic Center, and the 2013 Greater Middlesex Conference Boys Tournament Championship begins with GMCT Play-In Round games at the higher seeded teams. GMC Hoops plans to be in South River for the first time in a couple seasons to see the 20th seeded Rams in their new gym take on 29th seeded Perth Amboy Tech in the third meeting between the two schools. Take a look at today's schedule, and the upcoming GMC Hoops schedule.

GMCT Seeding Done; Snowstorm Wipes Out Saturday Schedule

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday and Saturday action around the GMC. Check out capsules on action from last Saturday, Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday. I've put together a number of brackets for the various conference and state tournaments as well as highlights from St. Joe's win over Old Bridge and South Brunswick's win over Piscataway. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 68 games, 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday, East Brunswick was awarded the top seed for the upcoming 2013 Greater Middlesex Conference Boys Basketball Tournament. St. Joseph's received the second seed while North Brunswick and Woodbridge received the third and fourth seeds.

In the GMCT Girls Tournament, J.F. Kennedy, with its 22-0 record, received the top seed for the tourney while Perth Amboy received the second seed, South Brunswick received the third, and Bishop Ahr was seeded fourth. Meanwhile, in the Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tourney, North Brunswick was awarded the top seed while Old Bridge was seeded 2nd, J.F. Kennedy was seeded third, and St. Joseph's-Green and St. Joe's-White were seeded fourth and fifth respectively.

GMCT Play-In Round games were scheduled for both Girls and Boys tourneys, but they along with Saturday's slate of games scheduled at the 2013 Prime Time Shootout at Roselle Catholic were wiped out by the blizzard that rolled through the Northeast on Friday and early Saturday. Sunday's schedule of Prime Time Shootout games were altered as well. East Brunswick, which was scheduled to play Plainfield at the Prime Time on Saturday, will now face Roselle Catholic on Sunday at 3:00 PM.

St. Joe's High Flying Act Rolls Past Old Bridge On Senior Night, 75-34

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday evening action around the GMC. Check out capsules on action from last Saturday, Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday. I'm in the process of putting together the brackets for the Perth Amboy Freshmen Tournament as well as some video highlights from recent games. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 68 games, 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least 3 times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to St. Joseph's High School on Senior Night to see the Falcons take on Old Bridge. St. Joe's honored seniors Jimbo Long, James Ziemba, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Cicalese, Mike Brunson, and Matt Greene before the game, and Long, Ziemba, Fitzpatrick, Cicalese, and Brunson all started, and played the entire first quarter.

Old Bridge, which was without the services of Tyler Drews and Billy Andrews, fell behind 19-5 in the first period, and then gave way to the highlight reel act of 1,000 point scorers Wade Baldwin and Marques Townes, who both put together some dunks in a 15-8 second quarter run for a 34-13 halftime lead. The Falcons went on to coast from there to a 75-34 victory.

St. Joe's shot 65 percent from the floor as Townes led the way with 13 points while Baldwin and Long each chipped in with 11 points. Townes, Baldwin, Ziemba, and Brunson, were a combined 17 of 19 from the floor. Eleven different players scored for the Falcons while 10 different players scored for Old Bridge led by Sultan Aminu with 6 points. See play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io

Fourth Quarter Spree By Brown Leads Dunellen To Gold Title, 52-42

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 67 games, 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice, and 20 of those teams at least three times. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops took in three contests. Two of them involved Dunellen and Timothy Christian as the Destroyers and Tigers clashed for the Gold Division Championship.

In the opener, the two JV squads went at it, and for the first 22 minutes of the game, it was a tight one as Timothy Christian held a tenuous 30-29 lead late in the third. However, the Junior Tigers went on a 19-7 spurt over the next 6:30 to take a 49-36 lead, and went on to win from there, 55-43. See game notes and video highlights.

In the nightcap of the JV and Varsity Doubleheader, Dunellen took a 9-4 lead early as Timothy Christian struggled to get going offensively. The Tigers would turn it around with a 7-0 spurt to end the first for an 11-9 lead as Jeff Parker and Brandon Summers got scores.

Dunellen would battle back with an 11-9 showing in the second including a 9-5 run to end the first half to tie the score at 20-20. The third was even steven as both teams scored 13 points to remain tied at 33-33 heading into the fourth. In the final period, Dunellen senior guard, Deon Brown, stepped up to lead his team to the division title.

Brown netted back to back three pointers to give the Destroyers a 39-33 lead, and then added a layup and 5 of 6 from the foul line for 13 of his 18 points in the fourth for the 52-42 victory. Dylan Hoski chipped in with 12 points while Dave Johnson added 9 points. Brandon Summers and Jeff Parker each had 12 in a losing cause for TCS. See slideshow, play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io. Video highlights coming soon.

Finally, GMC Hoops hustled over to South Plainfield Middle School to see a nice barnburner between neighborhood rivals, Bishop Ahr and South Plainfield. Both teams entered the game playing well with the Tigers winners of four straight while the Trojans were coming off a Monday night upset of Piscataway Tech at home following two close losses to Carteret and Spotswood.

The Tigers were leading 51-45 with 2:05 remaining when the BGA embarked on an 11-5 spurt that included threes by Greg Patuto, Tom Weiler, and Mike Jensen (at the buzzer) as well as a layup by Casey Damour to tie the game at 56-56, and force overtime. In the extra session, Jensen sank another three to open the period for a 59-56 lead, and Ahr went on to lead by as many as six before winning by two, 66-64. See video highlights from the last six minutes of action.

Bourne Three Point Play Lifts South Brunswick Past Piscataway In OT

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 64 games and 25 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to Piscataway High School after work to see the Chiefs, winners of four straight, in action against South Brunswick in a Red Division tilt.

Leading 25-21 at the half, South Brunswick began the second half with a 5-2 run to take a 30-23 lead. However, Piscataway battled back with an 8-0 run capped by a layup from David Claybrook to take a 31-30 lead. SBHS would go back in front though as Sean Keenan hit a three pointer to key a 6-0 run, and the Vikings eventually went into the fourth quarter ahead, 38-35.

Trailing 42-38, and 46-41 in the fourth, Piscataway bounced back to tie the contest as Marcus Freeney and Elijah Murray-Tucker hit threes, and Claybrook scored on a putback to tie the game at 48-48 with under a minute to go in regulation to force overtime. In the overtime though, South Brunswick would come away victorious.

After Claybrook helped P-Way draw first blood with a layup at the 3:29 mark, and then Rachid Schimou netted two free throws at the 2:11 mark for a 52-51 lead, Chris Bourne, who had 20 points in the contest, converted a traditional three point play for a 54-52 lead, and then Antonio Ross, who added 17 in the 59-55 win, scored on a layup for a 56-52 lead.

Following a three pointer by Schimou to pull the Chiefs within one, Jordan Porch and Ross sealed the four point win with 3 of 4 from the line in the waning moments. See game notes as well as video highlights from the contest.

Second Half Surge Helps Timothy Christian Top New Brunswick

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Monday, I've now seen 63 games and 24 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Monday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to Timothy Christian to see the Tigers in a crossover game against New Brunswick in a Coaches vs. Cancer matchup on Senior Night.

After TCS went on a 6-1 spurt that included buckets by Brandon Summers and Jeff Parker for an 8-6 lead, New Brunswick finished the period with an 8-2 spurt that included free throws by Paul McKenzie, a layup by Tre'jon Wilson, and a three pointer by James Sullen for a 14-10 lead entering the second. The Zebras then put together a 16-8 showing in the second to take a 30-18 halftime lead.

However, in the third quarter, TCS rallied back to not only tie the game at 37-37 on a three pointer from the left wing by Jarret Locker at the 1:31 mark, but also take the lead at 40-39 on a conventional three point play by Summers at the 26.3 mark after McKenzie had put New Brunswick in front at the 40.3 second mark. Zach Coyle then added a three pointer to start the fourth for a 43-39 advantage.

From there, the Tigers were able to hang on as Parker, who had a game high 19 points including 13 of 14 from the foul line, went 9 of 10 from the charity stripe in the final frame to seal the 56-49 victory. Summers ended up with 13 points while Matt DiLeo came up with several huge baskets during the third quarter rally. McKenzie led the Zebras with a team high 12 points. See game notes as well as video highlights from the contest.

St. Joe's Falls To Patrick School Despite Baldwin Heroics, 72-65

Note: Scroll down to read about Saturday afternoon action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 62 games and 23 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Playing without the services of Karl Towns, who was suffering from tendonitis in his knee, St. Joseph's took on the Patrick School in a clash of Top Ten heavyweights in the State of New Jersey in the finale of the Butch Kowal Scholarship Games at Rahway High School.

The Patrick School, formerly St. Patrick's of Elizabeth, jumped out to a 9-1 lead thanks to pressure defense that took St. Joe's out of its rhythm early on. The Falcons did manage to battle back with a 14-7 spurt to pull within one late in the first, but the Celtics managed to stay in front with a 19-10 showing the rest of the half, and a 15-11 effort in the third for a 50-36 lead heading into the fourth.

Wade Baldwin took over in the fourth for the Falcons making 7 of 8 shots and scoring 18 of his game high 30 points in the frame while Raven Owen added 6, and Marques Townes added 5 to help the Falcons put together a 29-22 showing, but couldn't get closer as the Patrick School won, 72-65. At one point in the fourth, Baldwin scored 13 of 15 points for Joes.

The Celtics shot 60 percent from the field while the Falcons were only 44 percent. The Patrick School also shot 43 percent from three, but St. Joe's outscored the Celtics by an 18-9 margin in points scored from long distance. The Falcons were 69 percent from the foul line while the Celtics shot 65 percent. See details as well as the play-by-play, game stats, and shot charts.

South Plainfield Wins 3rd Straight; Carteret Rolls In GMC Blue Action

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Congratulations to Dunellen's Dylan Hoski for reaching 1,000 points in the Destroyers win over North Plainfield. I have uploaded video highlights from both JV and varsity games between Piscataway Tech and Spotswood. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 61 games and 23 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted all 31 of the GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday afternoon and evening, GMC Hoops took in action from at least part of two games including the nightcap between South Plainfield and Middlesex. The Tigers and Blue Jays went at it in a low scoring defensive struggle that came down to the final seconds.

South Plainfield took a 12-4 first quarter lead behind 7 points from Justin Glover (8 points), and then went up 18-7 in the middle of the second after a three point play by Malik Cisson (8 points), but Middlesex battled back with a 20-6 tear to end the first half, and start the third quarter for a 27-24 lead. The Jays held that tenuous advantage heading into the fourth.

In the final period, SPHS outscored Middlesex by an 11-6 margin as Ray Perez scored all 9 of his points in the frame including a three to tie the score at 34-34, another trey to give the Tigers the lead for good at 39-36, and then 3 of 4 from the foul line to help seal the 42-40 win. The Blue Jays had a chance to tie, but missed the first of two free throws with no time left.

Claude Payne led all scorers with 13 for the Tigers while Jarret Bogus and Kayshawn Wilson led Middlesex with 9 points each. Sean Sarnoski added 5 while three others scored four in a losing cause for the Jays. The win capped the best week in several years for South Plainfield boys basketball with the team's third straight win. View the play-by-play, game stats, shot charts, and analysis.

Earlier in the day, the site traveled over to Carteret to take in the Blue Division contest between the Ramblers and Highland Park. CHS jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 2:19 of the game as it took advantage of 7 Owls turnovers. Then, the Ramblers got two threes by Tyrell Lockley, who had 10 first quarter points, and a couple scores by Jaquan Robertson to take a 22-4 lead.

Although Highland Park would rally with an 8-4 spurt to finish the first quarter to pull within 26-12, the Owls would not get any closer as Carteret put the game away with a 25-3 showing in the second for a 51-15 halftime lead. The Ramblers then outscored HPHS by a 41-18 margin in the second half for a 92-33 win. Lockley led five different players in double figures with 18 points while Robertson chipped in with 16. Jordan Long led Highland Park with a team high 11 points including 9 in the first half. See game notes, video highlights, and analysis.

Spotswood Cruises Past P-Way Tech In GMC Blue Showdown

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. I have a couple videos from recent action being uploaded. Should have links to them posted soon. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 59 games and 23 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday night, GMC Hoops got back on the road with a trip to the Spotswood Athletic Center on the campus of Spotswood High School to see the Chargers in action against Piscataway Tech in a Blue Division Showdown.

Spotswood went right to work with three treys and three foul shots after being fouled on another three attempt to take a 14-6 first quarter lead. The Chargers forced six turnovers in the frame. The home team then went up by as many as 16 late in the second period before going into the locker room at the half up 30-16.

In the third quarter, Spotswood gave up the first points of the second half, but then reeled off five in a row including a three by Dalonte Grant for a 35-18 lead. The Chargers then put together a 12-8 run including four points by both Jamal Lewis and Corey Brown to take its biggest lead of the game at 47-26.

From there, the Raiders, which were saddled with foul trouble throughout much of the game, especially in the first half, couldn't get any closer than 18 as the Chargers, which went a perfect 16 of 16 from the line, and outscored P-Way Tech by a margin of 21-9 from beyond the arc, led by 21 on two more occasions before coming away with the 57-37 victory.

Jake Dadika led all scorers with 17 points including a 10 of 10 showing from the foul line while Dalonte Grant chipped in with 16. Turell McClendon led P-Way Tech with 13 points while Aziz Austin added 10 in defeat. Spotswood shot 17 of 46 from the floor including 7 of 20 from beyond the arc while P-Way Tech shot 13 of 32 including 3 of 11 from three point range. The Raiders were also 8 of 12 from the foul line.

View the game stats, play-by-play and shot charts courtesy of GameChanger.io. Also take a look at photos, slideshow, video highlights, and analysis on the varsity game as well as highlights and some brief game notes from Spotswood's JV victory over P-Way Tech earlier in the evening.

P-Way Tech Win Streak Reaches 10; Monroe Downs McCarrick

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Sorry for the lack of posts and updates over the past several days. Unfortunately, I had personal things to deal with. I plan to be back in action on Thursday night when Spotswood hosts Piscataway Tech in GMC Blue action. Check the GMC Hoops Upcoming Schedule. As of the end of play on Monday, I've now seen 57 games and 22 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

The Blue Division Showdown is set for Thursday night in Spotswood as Piscataway Tech won its 10th straight with a 43-29 decision over Middlesex in a Blue Division clash at PVT on Wednesday night. Jordan Lackey led the way for the Raiders with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while Aziz Austin chipped in with 14 points including four threes and Turell McClendon added 11 points.

Jarret Bogus and Kayshawn Wilson led Middlesex in a losing cause with 10 each. Meanwhile, Dunellen is one step closer to a Gold Division Championship thanks to a 59-36 decision over E.B. Tech in East Brunswick on Wednesday afternoon. David Johnson led the way for the Destroyers with 16 points while Dylan Hoski chipped in with 14 and Deon Brown added 13. Hoski is just a few points away from getting 1,000 for his career.

In a rare GMC White game on Wednesday, Ryan Stolte led Monroe to its second striaght win in as many nights with 19 points in a 50-44 victory over Cardinal McCarrick in South Amboy. Nick Isola chipped in with 12 points while Matt Siemons added 9 for the winners. Jaquantee Madden and Sky Harris each led McCarrick with 13 points.

EB Falls To St. Anthony's; Old Bridge Edges Colonia

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Monday, I've now seen 57 games and 22 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops took the night off, but there was still plenty of action going on in the GMC. The marquee matchup of the night occurred in Jersey City where top ranked East Brunswick took on state number one, St. Anthony's in a battle of unbeatens. The Bears hung tough throughout, but the powerhouse Friars found a way to win, 46-37.

With the score tied at 9-9 after one period, St. Anthony's put together a decisive 17-6 showing in the second for a 26-15 halftime lead. After East Brunswick trimmed the deficit to seven with a 13-9 effort in the third, the Friars wouldn't let the Bears get any closer with an 11-9 showing in the fourth. Hallice Cooke drained six threes to notch a game high 18 points for the winners. Gary Baumer led EB in a losing cause with 15.

In other action, Old Bridge had to go to overtime before defeating Colonia 54-50 at CHS. Sultan Aminu, who scored a game high 20 points, scored on a putback late in regulation to force overtime, and then the Knights outscored the Patriots in the extra session by a 9-5 margin including a 7-1 sput over the final 2:30 to pull out the win. Kola Adeleye chipped in for the winners with 11 while Chris Conrad added 9 including four foul shots down the stretch in overtime. Bleriot Thompson led three Colonia players in double figures with 16 in a losing cause.

Carteret Pulls Away From Middlesex, 66-47

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Monday, I've now seen 57 games and 22 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Monday night, GMC Hoops stopped over at Middlesex High School after work to see the last 9:32 of the contest between the Blue Jays and Carteret in a Blue Division clash. Leading 44-32 with 1:32 left in the third, Carteret put the game out of reach with an 18-5 tear for a 62-37 lead en route to a 66-47 victory.

Anthony Spinnelli sparked the run with a steal for a layup and then a three pointer to end the third for a 49-32 lead. Jaquan Robertson and Brandon Gilder then added scores to open the fourth while Andrew Stam helped cap the run with a three pointer and two free throws.

Middlesex ended the game on a 10-4 run including a couple late scores by Jarret Bogus to close out the game. Stam ended up a game high 24 points while Robertson chipped in with 14. Bogus finished with a team high 17 points while Austin Bardaji chipped in with 14 in a losing cause. Video highlights and game notes coming.

East Brunswick And St. Joe's Win
Non-Conference Games In Weekend Action

Note: Scroll down to read about Saturday and Sunday action around the GMC. GMC Hoops wasn't able to see any games this past weekend, but there were a number of Greater Middlesex Conference teams in action. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 56 games and 22 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Over the weekend, teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference played in eight contests against schools outside Middlesex County. In those eight contests, the GMC went a combined 5-3 with East Brunswick and St. Joe's leading the way. The Bears defeated the Hun school for the second year in a row on Saturday afternoon while the Falcons defeated the Phelps School at the FamJuice City Classic at Ben Franklin HS in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Defense played a big part in EB's win as they held Hun to a season low 33 points in a 49-33 victory. Rob Ukawuba led the Bears in a winning cause with 16 points while Jake Krantz chipped in with 10, Gary Baumer added 8, and Amir Bell contributed with 7. Hun entered the contest at 13-4, and competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League against the likes of Blair Academy, Peddie, and Lawrenceville Prep. Hun was led by Fergus Duke and Gran Mackay, who each had 12 points.

St. Joe's showed more offensive firepower in their win. Karl Towns led five different Falcon players in double figures with 22 points as the Falcons rolled past Phelps School by the score of 78-50. Marques Townes chipped in with 19 points while Raven Owen added 12 points, Jimbo Long had 11, and Wade Baldwin contributed with 10. Trailing 15-12 after one period, St. Joseph's embarked on a decisive 25-8 tear in the second to go up 37-23 at the intermission. The Falcons connected on 9 three pointers in the game and outscored Phelps 27-6 from beyond the arc.

In other action over the weekend, Woodbridge held back Spotswood in a key GMC crossover game by the score of 60-54. Jared Pearson led the way with 20 points while Eddie Harris chipped in with 19. Duquan Bailey added 10 for the winners while Jake Dadika (17 points) and Dalonte Grant (16 points) led Spotswood in a losing cause.

Dunellen Turns Away South River In Key GMC Gold Clash, 52-50

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Congratulations to Old Bridge's Sultan Aminu and South River's Tyler Harris for scoring their 1,000th career point on Friday. I've completed video highlights from nine recent games, and posted them online. I've also added several photo galleries as well. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 56 games and 22 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 30 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was another key matchup in the GMC Gold Division on Friday night as South River traveled to The Faber in Dunellen to take on the first place Destroyers. After losing their first three division contests, the Rams had won five straight GMC Gold contests entering the matchup with the Destroyers.

Dunellen, the pre-season division favorite, led throughout including a 48-39 lead early in the fourth. However, South River went on an 11-4 tear over nearly seven minutes to pull within a basket with less than 45 seconds remaining. The Rams also had several opportunties to tie or take the lead in the final 45 seconds, but couldn't take advantage of two pairs of missed free throws by DHS.

South River was unable to score on a layup attempt as time ran out with Dunellen hanging on for a 52-50 victory. Dylan Hoski led the winners with 18 points while Casey Wenzel chipped in with 12 all coming from the foul line in a 12 of 14 effort. Dave Johnson added 9 first half points for the Destroyers. Tyler Harris led all scorers with 22 points including a short jumper from the right side in the early third quarter to go over 1,000 for his career.

Tim Darrar chipped in with 10 points for the Rams while Matt Martinez added 8. Both teams struggled from the floor with Dunellen shooting 15 of 44 overall while South River shot 19 of 51 including 4 of 22 from three point range. The Destroyers had a big edge at the foul line by shooting 20 of 32 while the Rams were only 8 of 15. See the play-by-play and game stats courtesy of GameChanger.io.

Earlier in the day, GMC Hoops was hoping to catch another milestone when it traveled to Old Bridge High School to see the Knights take on J.P. Stevens. However, the start time of the game was pushed up to 4:00 PM due to the weather and a power outage at the school. The school was running on generator power when we arrived. It didn't stop senior forward, OBHS's Sultan Aminu, who scored 14 points to become the school's first 1,000 point scorer in a 54-31 victory over J.P. Stevens.

North Brunswick Defeats Woodbridge In GMC White Showdown

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday evening action around the GMC. I'm still working on video highlights from the past several days. I have seven of them done, and putting together some more. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 55 games and 21 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Thursday night was GMC White Showdown night at Woodbridge High School as the Barrons were playing their biggest game in three decades. Woodbridge, which had entered the game at 12-1, and won 10 straight, was shooting for its first winning season since the days of Buck Jenkins and Adam McLaughlin in 1988-89.

The Barrons were also playing for a share of the White Division lead, something the school has not done since the 1981-82 season in the old Middlesex County Athletic Conference. In their way was Iverson Fleming and the third ranked North Brunswick Raiders, which were still undefeated in division play, and the only team that had defeated Woodbridge this season.

Fleming struggled from the field going 10 of 29 overall, but still managed to register a game high 27 points to lead the Raiders to a 70-63 victory. Nick Sidotti and Dennis Ford each chipped in with 15 points while Virgil Boykin added 7. Woodbridge had four different players score in double figures including Jaheem Jackson (15 points including three treys), Jared Pearson (15 points), Eddie Harris (14 points), and Zahneer Shuler (14 points).

Trailing 39-23 early in the third quarter, Woodbridge went on a 39-19 surge over a span of about 12 minutes to take a 62-58 lead with 2:13 left. However, the Raiders responded with 12 of the last 13 points sparked by a three by Fleming to come away with the seven point victory. Both teams came out firing as Woodbridge jumped out to a 12-9 first quarter lead, but North Brunswick closed with a 7-2 spurt for a 16-14 first quarter lead. Then, in the second the Raiders closed the first half with an 8-0 run for a 34-23 halftime lead.

North Brunswick made it a 13-0 run with a three and another score in the first minute and a half of the third for their biggest lead of the game. Unofficially, Woodbridge was 21 of 58 from the floor including 4 of 16 from three while the Raiders were 26 of 63 from the field including 7 of 26 from beyond the arc. The Barrons were 17 of 23 from the charity stripe while North Brunswick was only 11 of 21. Fouls were essentially even with Woodbridge having 17 while NBTHS had 16. Barrons had one player foul out while two others had four.

See the game stats, shot chart, and play-by-play from the contest at GameChanger.io. In earlier action, Woodbridge's JV defeated North Brunswick 58-53. The Junior Barrons had a 40-25 lead with under three minutes to go in the third, but had to hang on as the Junior Raiders rallied to pull within a single possession late in the fourth. Woodbridge went 7 of 8 at the line down the stretch to pull away from a 51-49 edge for the win.

South River JV And Varsity Both Win In OT Over South Amboy

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday evening action around the GMC. I'm still working on video highlights from the past several days. I have five of them done, and putting together some more. As of the end of play on Wednesday, I've now seen 53 games and 21 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops took in some Gold Division action with a trip over to South Amboy Middle/High School to see both the Junior Guvs and Varsity Guvs in action against South River.

Both games went to overtime with South River winning each. In the first game between the two JV squads. South River got a three to end the third, and a couple free throws to start the fourth for a 34-28 lead before South Amboy went on an 11-2 spurt over a span of about three and a half minutes to take a 39-36 lead.

South River battled back though with a layup at the 4:01 mark, and another one at the 2:38 mark for a 40-39 lead. Then, after the Junior Guvs tied the game with one of two from the line at the 2:05 mark, the Rams got another score for a 42-40 lead with 1:52 remaining in regulation.

The Junior Rams had a couple opportunities to put the game away, but couldn't capitalize, and South Amboy managed to tie it at 42-42. on two free throws by Riley Rone with 30 seconds left. The Junior Guvs had a chance to win in regulation, but missed both free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining. In the extra session, South River drew first blood with a layup from the right low block at the 2:48 mark, and a three point play at the 2:13 mark for a 47-42 lead.

South Amboy drew within two on a three point play at the 2:02 mark, but couldn't get closer as South River made one of two from the line with 35 seconds left, and then both ends of the bonus with 1.0 seconds left for the 50-45 victory. Both teams struggled at the free throw line, which added to the drama. Still, it was a great game. View the video highlights.

Then, in the varsity contest, both teams went back and forth with the lead before South River turned a 66-64 deficit into a 73-66 lead with 36.7 seconds remaining. Steve Herdman (19 points including five threes) then knocked in a three and the Guvs called for time. Head coach, Lenny Reyes put in a number of substitutions to pick up fouls, and put the Rams on the line. The strategy worked as South River missed four free throws in the final 36.7 seconds.

South Amboy then took advantage as Joe Fruncillo (18 points) first scored on a layup, and then reserve Kiere Ford (5 points) knocked in a triple from just to the right of the top of the key with several seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra session though, the Rams took control as junior point guard, Matt Martinez scored 9 of his game high 20 points including 7 of 9 from the foul line while Tim Darrar (15 points) and William Simmons (19 points) added scores in a 13-6 showing for the 87-80 victory.

Tyler Harris, who needed 26 points to reach 1,000 for his career, chipped in with 13 points for the Rams while Nick Kales chipped in with 15 for the Guvs. With the win, South River improves to 9-6 overall, and 5-3 in divisional play with a showdown against Dunellen coming at the Faber on Friday night. Play-by-play, stats, shot charts, photos, slideshow, and video highlights.

White Division Showdown Is Set As Woodbridge And North Brunswick Win

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday evening action around the GMC. Congraulations to Old Bridge's Sultan Aminu, who became the all time leading scorer at Old Bridge with 18 points in a 60-53 win over South Brunswick on Tuesday night. I'm currently putting together the highlights from the past several days. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 51 games and 21 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to Sayreville War Memorial High School to see the Bombers in White Division action against Woodbridge. Behind 14 second quarter points by senior point guard, Duquan Bailey, the Barrons took a 38-33 lead at the half. Then, in the third quarter, Woodbridge opened up with an 8-2 run for a 46-35 lead.

Sayreville battled back with a 19-11 surge to end the period to pull within three at 57-54 as Brian Gay scored all 9 of his points in the frame. However, in the final period, Woodbridge pulled away as Jared Pearson converted a traditional three point play at the 6:39 mark, and Eddie Harris came up with a jumper at the 5:45 mark for a 64-56 lead. Harris then added a three point play of his own at the 1:41 mark, and almost another as he scored again while being fouled at the 49 second mark for a 72-61 lead en route to the 74-63 victory.

Pearson ended up with a game high 24 points while Bailey added 22 and Harris chipped in with 11 in the second half for the win. Jason Saldiveri led the Bombers in defeat with 16 points while Jon Bracero chipped in with 15 and Corey Taite added 10. Read the game notes and view photos and video highlights from the contest. Woodbridge continued to improve on their best start in over three decades with the win as its record was raised to 12-1 overall on the year including an 8-1 mark in the White Division. The Barrons win sets up a showdown with North Brunswick in Barrons Country on Thursday night.

North Brunswick did their part in setting up the GMC White Showdown by defeating Monroe, 59-47 despite a 32 point performance from Falcon senior forward, Nick Isola. Iverson Fleming led the Raiders with 29 points as he inches toward 1,000 for his career. Nick Sidotti added 9 points on three treys for the winners while Matt Siemons scored 8 in a losing cause for Monroe.

In other GMC action, Old Bridge climbed into a third place tie with South Brunswick in the GMC Red thanks to a 60-53 victory over the Vikings at SBHS. Tyler Drews scored a game high 23 points including 10 in the fourth quarter while Sultan Aminu added a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to put him about a game away from becoming the first OBHS player with 1,000 points for his career. Chris Bourne led South Brunswick in a losing cause with 19 points.

Colonia Cruises Past Ahr In Crossover, 48-29

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. I'm currently putting together the highlights from Friday night and Saturday action. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 50 games and 21 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Monday night, GMC Hoops traveled over to North Edison and Bishop Ahr High School to see the Trojans in a GMC Crossover game against Colonia. The Patriots, led by Bleriot Thompson with a game high 16 points while Chase Barneys chipped in with 10 points.

Colonia jumped out to a 17-6 lead in the first 12:36 of the contest, and never let BGA get closer than 9 points the rest of the way while leading by as many as 21 late in the fourth. Greg Patuto led Ahr in a losing cause with 9 points while Tom Weiler chipped in with 8.

The win was the second in a row, and third in the last four games for the Patriots, which began the year at 1-9. Meanwhile, Bishop Ahr had a two game winning streak snapped. See game notes, photos, and video highlights from the contest.

In other action, there were two great games played over at the MLK Roundball Jamboree at New Brunswick HS.

In the first game, Piscataway defeated Monroe by the score of 61-56 as big man, Marinus Tavernier collected 15 points and 4 rebounds while Marcus Freeney led the way with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ryan Stolte had game high for the Falcons with 21.

Then, after Ewing defeated Roselle (54-42) in the middle game, New Brunswick gave 9-4 West Windsor-Plainsboro South all it could handle before falling, 52-51. Paul McKenzie led the Zebras with a team high 11 points.

GMC And Skyland Play To A Draw In Saturday's Challenge

Note: Scroll down to read about Saturday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. I'm currently putting together the highlights from Friday night and Saturday action. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 49 games and 21 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was a great day for basketball, and all for a great cause as proceeds from the GMC-Skyland Challenge went to the Braden Carr Foundation. In Saturday afternoon and evening action, the GMC and Skyland Conference played to a draw in the 20 boys contests that were played. The Skyland did have an 11-6 edge in contests played on the Girls side including Immaculata's 64-63 overtime win over Bishop Ahr.

The Lady Trojans, led by Erica Guketlov, who scored a game high 25 points and Brianna Strahm, who chipped in with 13, took a 43-34 lead after three periods only to be outscored by a 28-13 margin over a ten minute span that included a 22-13 showing in the fourth period by Immaculata to tie the game at 56-56, and the first six points of overtime for a 62-56 Lady Spartans lead.

BGA battled back though with a 7-0 spurt including two free throws by Strahm with 15.7 seconds left to take a 64-63 lead. Kat Papalski (9 points) gave Immaculata the lead for good though with 6.8 seconds left as she made two free throws for the one point win. Jessica Suk had a team high 19 points while Kylie Blanck chipped in with 16. View the Bishop Ahr highlights and photos from the contest.

In the next game at Immaculata, Woodbridge got 21 points from Jared Pearson and 19 points including 9 of 12 at the foul line by Eddie Harris in a 66-62 come from behind victory over Immaculata. The Spartans led 52-45 with about five minutes left in the game before the Barrons closed out the contest with a 21-10 surge including a perfect 6 of 6 at the line from Harris. Duquan Bailey also scored in double figures for Woodbridge with 13 points while Shane Stevens scored a team high 19 for Immaculata.

Finally, at Bound Brook, the Crusaders jumped out to a 16-3 lead in the first 4:23 of the game, and never looked back as they led by 42 on a couple of occasions in the fourth before Cardinal McCarrick closed the game with a 16-5 run including the final 10 points for an 88-57 Bound Brook victory. Earlier in the day, Bishop Ahr defeated Pingry in boys action, 63-47.

See stats as well as shot charts and play-by-play from Woodbridge's win over Immaculata on Saturday courtesy of GameChanger, and view game notes and video highlights from Bound Brook's win over Cardinal McCarrick.

Bishop Ahr Gets Back On Winning Track With Win Over Middlesex, 60-44

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. I'm currently putting together the highlights from Friday. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 46 games and 20 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

After losing three straight, the Bishop Ahr Trojans got back to their winning ways on Friday night by defeating Middlesex in Blue Division action. Senior Mike Jensen led the way with a game high 17 points while reserve Chris Bader added 10 and sophomore Tom Weiler chipped in with 9. Jarret Bogus led Middlesex in a losing cause with 14 points while Rutgers Prep transfer Austin Bardaji chipped in with 10 for the Jays.

The BGA jumped out to an 11-4 lead midway through the first period, and then outscored Middlesex 16-9 in the second period to take a 35-19 halftime lead. Ahr led by as many as 23 points in the second half before the Blue Jays finished with an 11-4 tear including six points from Bogus. See photos, video highlights, game stats, shot charts, and play-by-play from the contest.

Prior to the varsity game, both schools went at it in a very competitive JV game that went to overtime before a winner was determined. Middlesex sank two free throws with 14 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 51-51, and force the extra session. However, Bishop Ahr opened the overtime with the first nine points, and outscored the Junior Jays by an 11-2 margin for the 62-53 victory. View floor cam highlights from the overtime.

In other action, only one game out of all seven was decided by single digits as Carteret defeated Kennedy at JFK by the score of 49-41. Sophomore Brandon Gilder led the Ramblers with 13 points while fellow soph Jaquan Robertson chipped in with 10 and Elijah Torres and Tyrell Lockley each added 8. South Amboy claimed a share of first place with a 58-41 win over Timothy Christian in Gold Division action. Joe Fruncillo had game high for the fourth straight game with 25 points while Matt Lavan added 10. Brandon Summers had 13 in a losing cause for TCS.

Perth Amboy Tech avenged an early season loss by defeating East Brunswick Tech, 69-39 in Perth Amboy on Friday afternoon. Kelvin Perez knocked in 25 points for the winners while Jordan Little had a monster double-double with 20 points and 24 rebounds. Mark Alston led EB Tech with 13 points. Dunellen kept pace with South Amboy in the Gold thanks to a 48-25 win over Wardlaw. Dylan Hoski continued to inch toward 1,000 points as he scored a game high 21 while Casey Wenzel chipped in with 11.

Spotswood and Piscataway Tech kept pace with Carteret in the Blue with victories over Highland Park (79-36) and Metuchen respectively. Dalonte Grant scored a game high 17 points in the win for Spotswood. Five players scored in double figures for the Chargers including senior Jamal Lewis, junior Jake Dadika, and freshman Marlon Hart with a team high 12 points. Jordan Long led Highland Park with 15.

East Brunswick Downs St. Joe's Again, 52-45

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. I'm currently putting together the highlights from yesterday's game between EB and St. Joseph's. As of the end of play on Thursday, I've now seen 44 games and 19 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was Showdown Thursday in the GMC Red Division as second ranked St. Joseph's took on top ranked East Brunswick in the marquee matchup of the day in the Greater Middlesex Conference. Despite a long delay to the start of the game, these two teams put on another classic for the standing room only crowd at EBHS.

Neither team had a lead bigger than seven points throughout the entire contest while there were four lead changes and four ties. EB emerged victorious by breaking away from the final tie of the game with a 7-0 spurt over the final 1:37 to defeat Joes for the second time this season, 52-45.

The decisive run was sparked by a layup down low by Jake Krantz (5 points and 3 rebounds) off a lob pass by Rob Ukawuba (13 points and 9 rebounds) with 1:37 to play for a 47-45 lead. Then, after Ukawuba got a steal and the Bears called for time with 34 seconds remaining, Amir Bell (8 points and 3 rebounds) inbounded the ball downcourt to a cutting Danny Leung (11 points and 4 rebounds), who was able to score as he was fouled for a three point play with 31 seconds left, and a 50-45 lead. Krantz then capped the run with a layup off a dish in transition by Ukawuba for the 52-45 final.

The Bears limited the Falcons to a final tally that was 24 points below their season average. East Brunswick got two of the Big Three in early foul trouble as both Wade Baldwin (9 points) and Marques Townes (2 points) could never really get into a rhythm. Karl Towns was also off balanced, but still managed to compile 17 points including a perfect 9 of 9 from the foul line along with 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Gary Baumer (8 points and 3 rebounds) had a couple threes to boost EB while Raven Owen (8 points) helped St. Joe's keep close with a couple treys of his own.

Earlier in the day, East Brunswick's JV overcame a 32-27 deficit with over six minutes to go in the fourth by putting together a 21-8 run as John McHenry connected on a couple threes and sank 5 of 6 from the line to give the Junior Bears a 48-40 win over St. Joe's in the GMC Hoops JV Game of the Week.

See details as well as game notes, analysis, photos, slideshow, JV Game of the Week highlights courtesy of the GMC Hoops bleacher cam, pre-game highlights, and video highlights from the contest.

Spotswood Falls To Carteret; South River Prevails In OT

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Congratulations to Rob Ukawuba of East Brunswick, who scored his 1,000th point in a 72-45 win over Piscataway on Tuesday night. Ukawuba is the first player since 1996 to reach that milestone at EB. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 42 games and 18 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Races in both the Blue and Gold Divisions tightened up considerably on Thursday afternoon and evening as Spotswood fell to Carteret while South River defeated Timothy Christian in overtime and Dunellen defeated South Amboy.

Still smarting from its first conference loss of the season on Monday to North Brunswick of the White Division, sixth ranked Spotswood took another jolt on Thursday as Carteret came to town, and left with a 75-72 victory.

Sophomore Jaquan Robertson scored 16 of his 21 points over the final two periods as the Ramblers overcame a 53-48 third quarter deficit with a 27-19 showing in the fourth for the upset win. Tyrell Lockley added 20 points for the winners while Elijah Torres chipped in with 13 and Brandon Gilder contributed with 11 as Carteret had four players score in double figures.

Spotswood also had four players score in double figures as Jake Dadika had a team high 19 points while senior Corey Brown added a double-double of 18 points and 10 boards. Dalonte Grant chipped in with 14 points and Jamal Lewis contributed with 12 points and 8 rebounds. The Chargers had 6 threes in the game and outscored the Ramblers by a margin of 18-12 from beyond the arc.

However, Carteret outscored Spotswood 16-14 at the line while also having more two point field goals (24-20). The Ramblers are now in sole possession of first place in the GMC Blue with a record of 8-1 while Spotswood falls in a tie for second with Piscataway Tech at 7-1. The race in the Gold also got wilder as South River defeated Timothy Christian in overtime, 72-62 while Dunellen downed South Amboy, 50-42.

Matt Martinez led four players in double figures for the Rams with 27 points including five three pointers as the home team broke away from a 57-57 tie at the end of regulation with a 15-5 showing in the extra session. Tim Darrar added 15 points while Tyler Harris (11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Bobby Applegate (11 points and 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles. TCS also had four players score in double figures led by Jarret Locke (18 points).

Over at the Faber in Dunellen, Deon Brown led the Destroyers with 18 points including 9 in the fourth quarter as DHS handed South Amboy its third straight loss. Trailing 34-33 after three periods, Dunellen closed the game with a 17-8 run. Casey Wenzel chipped in with 12 points and 8 boards while David Johnson added 12 points as well. Joe Fruncillo was the only player to score in double figures for the Guvs with a game high 20 points.

With those two results in the GMC Gold now in, there is a three way tie in the division with Dunellen, South Amboy, and Timothy Christian all at 5-2 while South River has won four straight division games after an 0-3 start to pull within a game of the lead at 4-3. Wednesday's games were probably some of the closest all year throughout the GMC. Of the seven games that were played, five were decided by single digits, and six were decided by ten points or less with one going to overtime. See yesterday's scores, latest standings, and conference standings.

Isola And Siemons Help Monroe Hang On, 59-53

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Tuesday, I've now seen 42 games and 18 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 29 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops headed over to Sayreville War Memorial High School after work to take in the final 11:48 of the White Division contest between the 10th ranked Bombers and Monroe. Leading 38-34 at the 3:48 mark of the third, the Purple Birds finished the period strong with an 11-5 flurry as Matt Siemons, who scored all 12 of his points in the second half, keyed the run with six points.

Siemons then opened the fourth quarter with a three from the right side of the key for a 52-39 lead with 7:31 remaining. Over the next 6:47 though, Sayreville battled back to within four at 56-52 thanks to a 13-4 tear that included three point baskets by Malik Pressley, Anthony Manning, and Corey Taite. Sayreville couldn't get any closer than that as Siemons and Chris Germano combined for three free throws over the final 53 seconds for the 59-53 win. See game notes, photos, slideshow, and video highlights from the last 11:48 of the game.

In other action, Rob Ukawuba scored 11 points to go over 1,000 for his career as East Brunswick had four players score in double figures in a 72-45 win over Piscataway in a game broadcasted on WCTC. Four of the eight games were decided by nine points or less on Tuesday as New Brunswick defeated J.P. Stevens in overtime (70-68) behind a 27 point performance from Paul McKenzie, Woodbridge edged a game Cardinal McCarrick (71-69), and South Brunswick won a non-conference game over Shabazz of Newark, 67-58.

Hepburn's Buzzer Beater Lifts Highland Park Past South Amboy;
North Brunswick Hands Spotswood First Conference Loss, 74-59

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 41 games and 16 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 28 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

There were only six games on the schedule around the GMC on Monday, and only two were decided by five points or less. One of those contests was in Highland Park as the Owls handed South Amboy its second crossover game loss in 48 hours.

Senior guard, Nadre Hepburn knocked in a three pointer at the buzzer to give Highland Park a 53-50 victory over the Guvs. David Webb led three Highland Park players in double figures with 16 points. Jordan Long chipped in with 14 while Hepburn added 11. Joe Fruncillo led South Amboy with 16 points while Steve Herdman and Dan Murphy each chipped in with 11 and Nick Kales added 10.

The contest was close throughout as the score was tied at the end of the first quarter and the intermission before South Amboy took a two point, 37-35 lead heading into the fourth. Meanwhile, over in Carteret, the Ramblers won the other close contest by holding off a pesky South Plainfield team, 55-50 in Blue Division action. Joe McRae led three different players in double figures with 12 points. Claude Payne had game high for the Tigers with 18.

In the marquee matchup of the night, Spotswood hosted North Brunswick in a clash of two top ten teams in the conference. The Raiders, led by Iverson Fleming's double-double of 28 points and 10 assists along with 6 rebounds, handed the Chargers their first loss of the year in the GMC by the score of 74-59. Dennis Ford, Jr. chipped in with 17 points while Nick Sidotti added 16. North Brunswick had 10 threes in the contest and outscored Spotswood by a margin of 30-24 from beyond the arc.

Jake Dadika led three Charger players in double figures with 20 points while Dalonte Grant chipped in with 15 and Jamal Lewis added 12. See the scores, standings, and conference standings.

Taite Helps Sayreville Overcome South Amboy, 54-46

Note: Scroll down to read about Saturday afternoon action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Saturday, I've now seen 41 games and 16 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 28 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Saturday afternoon, GMC Hoops took in the Battle of Raritan Bay between Sayreville of the GMC White and South Amboy of the GMC Gold. The Bombers jumped out to a 14-2 lead late in the first quarter, and had a 33-17 advantage late in the first half before South Amboy rallied with a 27-10 surge over a 12:47 span to take its only lead of the game at 44-43 with 4:02 remaining.

However, Sayreville was able to pull out the 54-46 win thanks to an 11-2 surge sparked by a three pointer from junior guard, Corey Taite at the 3:28 mark of the fourth, and then capped by Taite's perfect 6 of 6 effort at the foul line over the final 1:17 of the contest. Taite ended up with 23 points including four threes and 9 of 10 from the foul line while Justin Luna chpped in with 15 points. Joe Fruncillo led the Guvs in a losing cause with 23 while Steve Herdman added 15.. Read the game notes as well as the scores, standings, and conference standings.

In other action, St. Joseph's got 23 points from Karl Towns, 18 from Wade Baldwin, and 17 from Marques Townes to roll past Neptune, 82-41 at the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase in Long Branch. East Brunswick improved to 9-0 with a 55-36 win over Montgomery in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout at MTHS. South River improved to 4-1 against non-conference teams, and 7-5 overall with its second win over Keansburg in two weeks, 79-77. The Rams defeated the Titans, 73-71 in overtime the Genevieve Hawley Tournament Championship at Henry Hudson Regional on December 28th.

The GMC went 4-1 in non-conference games yesterday as Perth Amboy defeated Voorhees of Hunterdon County by the score of 63-49. Woodbridge got a tip in from Jaheem Jackson at the buzzer to defeat crosstown rival, Colonia, 43-41. The Barrons, which have not had a winning season since 1988-89, are having one of their best starts ever at 8-1. In another crossover game, Edison defeated Wardlaw on the road, 64-44 as White Division teams went 3-0 in crossovers to improve to 6-6 on the season.

Spotswood Surges Past Ahr Behind Dadika and Lewis, 61-42

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. In JV action, South Plainfield cruised past Metuchen. As of the end of play on Friday, I've now seen 40 games and 15 of the 31 GMC teams at least twice. I also have posted 28 of the 31 GMC team rosters.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday night, GMC Hoops got back on the trail with a trip up to Metuchen and then to Bishop Ahr for Blue Division action. A scheduling snafu prevented the site from seeing the Bulldogs of MHS take on South Plainfield, but we still were able to see Spotswood take on the BGA in a key GMC Blue matchup.

Coming off a tough overtime loss at Metuchen a couple days ago, Bishop Ahr came out strong by scoring 11 of the first 13 points over the initial 5:12 of the game, and led 15-11 after a quarter. However, Spotswood rallied in the second period with a 19-7 showing as Jake Dadika scored 8 points to put the Chargers up 30-22 at half.

In the third, Bishop Ahr opened the second half with two free throws by Tom Duffy, and a basket by Mike Jensen to pull within four at the 6:32 mark, but couldn't get closer as the visitors went on a 31-11 surge over a span of 12:32 as the Chargers sank five of their 7 threes on the game while Jamal Lewis scored 12 points on six field goals for a 61-37 lead en route to a 61-42 win.

Both Dadika and Lewis scored 18 points while Dalonte Grant, who sank a three at the buzzer to end the third, and put Spotswood up 45-31, chipped in with 11. Kevin Fox connected on two early fourth quarter threes for 6 points and freshman Marlon Hart had 3 FGs for 6 points. Jensen ended up with a team high 11 points including 8 in the first quarter for the Trojans while Owen McLeod and Tom Duffy each added 8 points in a losing cause for Ahr. Check out the game notes, photos, and slideshow as well the scores, standings, and conference standings.

Big Three Put Up Big Numbers As St. Joe's Rolls Again, 69-48

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. It will be a game time decision on whether or not I see a game today. If everything works out right, I could see all or part of two contests. We'll see. I now have posted 28 of the 31 GMC team rosters. If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

GMC Hoops took the day off on Thursday, but 14 teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference were in action including top ranked East Brunswick and second ranked St. Joseph's. The Falcons had a bit of a battle with Colonia at the Bird Cage on Thursday night.

Led by senior Trent Barneys (15 points), the Patriots trailed by three late in the first quarter after falling behind 8-0. Colonia then only trailed by six at the half, after three, and early in the fourth before succumbing to a 16-2 tear by St. Joe's for a 62-42 advantage. The Falcons went on to win from there by the score of 69-48.

The big three of Karl Towns (23 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 blocks), Wade Baldwin (22 points and 7 assists), and Marques Townes (15 points and 6 rebounds) combined for 60 of St. Joe's 69 points in the game, and each had a highlight reel dunk. Bleriot Thompson scored 12 for Colonia while Chase Barneys chipped in with 9 points in a losing cause.

In other action around the GMC, there were a couple of close games as South Brunswick rallied from a seven point deficit with a 10-2 tear in the final minute and a half to defeat Piscataway, 64-63 at SBHS. Dion Hooper scored five of his eight points during the decisive stretch while Sean Keenan (18 points) fired in a three with 30 seconds left to give the Vikes the win. Chris Bourne tallied a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds while Corey Lumpkin chipped in with 11.

The other close game was in South Amboy as Cardinal McCarrick battled back from a 12 point first quarter deficit to pull within one after three before losing to Sayreville, 49-44. Justin Luna led the Bombers with 12 points while Corey Taite added 9 and Jon Bracero chipped in with 7. The Eagles had three players score in double figures including Jaquantee Madden (13 points), Sky Harris (11 points), and Tavian Chukwuani (10 points). The rest of the games on Thursday's schedule were decided by 18 points or more. See the scores, standings, and conference standings.

Timothy Christian Rallies To Beat Amboy Tech In OT, 54-51
South River And South Amboy Roll In Gold Division Contests

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. As of the end of play on Wednesday night, I've seen 38 games so far this season, and every team in the GMC at least once. The site is planning to do one or two more games the rest of this week. When I decide what games I'm going to see, I will post them on the upcoming schedule page.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday afternoon and evening, GMC Hoops took in all or part of three different games from the Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division. First, the site headed over to The Maze at East Brunswick Tech High School to take in the matinee between the Tigers and Gold Division and neighborhood rival, South River.

E.B. Tech didn't come ready to play from the get go, and it cost them. The Tigers were assessed a technical foul before the start of the game for dunking during pre-game warm-ups. Tyler Harris, who had 14 first quarter points, and 22 in the first half, made both technical free throws, and then added two scores for a 6-0 lead before the Tigers called for time. After E.B. Tech got on the board at the 7:00 mark, Harris drained the first of two opening period triples from the right corner at the 6:51 mark for a 9-2 lead.

Matt Martinez and Bobby Applegate also netted threes for five by the Rams in a first period explosion by the Rams for a 28-6 lead en route to a 41-19 halftime advantage, and ultimately a 78-44 win. Harris ended up with a stat stuffers delight with a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds along with 5 assists and 4 steals. Sean Darrar ended up with 11 points including 9 in the second half while Applegate finished with 8. A total of 11 different South River players got into the scorebook.

Mark Alston led East Brunswick Tech with 12 points while Brett Carmen added 10 and Eugene Campbell chipped in with 8. The Tigers had only six different players get into the scorebook. View photos, slideshow, and video highlights from the contest. Following the contest between the Rams and the Tigers, GMC Hoops headed over to Perth Amboy to see the first home game at Amboy Tech since 2010 as the Patriots hosted Timothy Christian.

The contest between the Pats and the Tigers was the best of the three contests seen on Wednesday, and one of two overtime games in the GMC on the day. Leading 13-12 after one period, Amboy Tech opened the second with 6 of the first 8 points for a 19-14 lead, and then went on an 8-2 spurt for a 27-20 advantage before TCS scored three of the last five points to close the gap to 29-23 at the half. The third quarter saw Timothy Christian not only get back into the game, but take the lead.

Jeff Parker (19 points) connected on two threes during an 8-0 run that put the Tigers in front with a 31-29 lead. The lead went back and forth a couple times before TCS took a 36-32 advantage heading into the fourth. In the final period of regulation, Perth Amboy Tech battled back from a three point deficit, and a four point deficit to tie the game at 44-44 as Jonathan Sosa (14 points) connected on a three while Jordan Little (16 points) scored six points.

In the extra session, Kelvin Perez (12 points) connected on a three pointer from the left corner with 3:26 to go for a 47-44 lead. Little than added four more points on a bucket at the 2:24 mark, and two free throws at the 1:42 mark for a 51-47 lead. Brandon Summers (18 points) would not be denied though as he came up with two scores of his own including a game tying score with a minute to play, and then Parker drained a three from the left wing with 31.8 seconds to go for the 54-51 win. View photos and slideshow.

Finally, GMC Hoops rounded out the night by heading over to South Amboy to see the Guvs in action against Gold Division rival, Wardlaw-Hartridge. Led by four threes from junior guard, Steve Herdman (22 points), South Amboy jumped out to a 21-9 lead by the 5:23 mark of the second. Justen Davis, who had 10 points on the night, scored 8 in the second period including two three point plays to narrow the gap to 26-19 at the half.

However, Wardlaw was unable to get any closer as the Guvs opened the second half with a 9-2 run that included a basket by Joe Fruncillo (6 points), a jumper from the left wing by Nick Kales (13 points including 9 in the third), and a three by Herdman to take a 35-21 lead. From there, South Amboy coasted to a 60-38 victory to gain a half game lead on Dunellen and Timothy Christian in the GMC Gold with a 5-1 record in divisional play. Tim Kales chipped in for the winners with 8 points including five in the second half while Noah Ganz had 9 including six in the fourth period in a losing cause for the Rams. View photos, slideshow, and video highlights.

Aminu And Drews Lead Old Bridge Past Piscataway, 55-43

Note: Scroll down to read about Tuesday night action around the GMC. The site plans to cover three Gold Division Games on Wednesday. So far this season, GMC Hoops has covered 35 games and 27 different GMC teams. I now have rosters for 25 of the 31 teams in the GMC.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops returned to action by traveling over to Piscataway to see the ninth ranked Chiefs in action against sixth ranked Old Bridge in a key matchup in the GMC Red Division.

Led by the combo of senior forward Sultan Aminu (21 points) and Tyler Drews (19 points), which accounted for 73 percent of the Knights scoring, Old Bridge got a huge road win by defeating Piscataway, 55-43. Aminu had 9 field goals and 3 of 5 from the line while Drews added 6 field goals and 7 of 7 from the foul line. The Knights were 13 of 16 from the charity stripe for the game including an 11 of 14 showing in the fourth quarter.

Old Bridge led by as many as 13 points on a couple of occasions in the second half including with 3:47 remaining in the contest before P-Way put together a 12-4 spurt over a 2:06 span highlighted by a three pointer at the 3:16 mark followed by a steal for a layup by Elijah Murray Tucker (10 points) to help close the gap to five at 48-43 with 1:41 left. However, Aminu got a huge basket off a side out of bounds by taking a lob pass and scoring on a layup as he was fouled with 1:20 to go.

Drews and Jordan Marrero (5 points) closed the Knights victory out by going a combined 5 of 6 from the line in the final 53.4 seconds. Old Bridge had 6 different players get into the scorebook while Piscataway also had 6. Both teams had two players score in double figures and hit two threes, but the Knights had more overall field goals (20-16) while outscoring the Chiefs in each quarter. OBHS also limited P-Way senior guard Marcus Freeney to just 5 points. View the game notes and video highlights from the last 10:11 contest.

Spotswood Hangs On To Beat South River While EB, E.B. Tech, and Ahr Roll

Note: Scroll down to read about Monday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. GMC Hoops plans to be back in action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was a relatively quiet afternoon and evening around the Greater Middlesex Conference with only four games including one non-conference matchup, two crossovers, and one division game. In the two crossovers, the Blue Division teams, Spotswood and Bishop Ahr got the better of their Gold Division foes as the seventh ranked Chargers defeated South River, 73-68 while BGA rolled past Timothy Christian 60-30.

Spotswood led by as many as 24 points before South River rallied to trim the deficit to three points late. Jake Dadika (16 points) sealed the win with two late free throws. Dalone Grant also helped the Charger cause with 16 while Jamal Lewis added 14, and Corey Brown chipped in with 12. Tyler Harris led the Rams in a losing cause with a game high 18 points while Tim Darrar and William Simmons each chipped in with 16.

Mike Jensen led the way with 24 points including four three pointers as Ahr broke away from a 25-18 halftime lead with a 23-7 surge in the third quarter. Tom Weiler added 10 points while Tom Duffy chipped in with 6 points and 6 assists. Brandon Summers led TCS in a losing cause with 14 points. Both Ahr and TCS are now 6-2 on the season as the Trojans have won five of their last six since losing their season opener to Carteret and the Tigers had a four game winning streak snapped.

In non-conference action, East Brunswick Tech ended a four game losing streak as it rolled past Warren Tech, 65-28. The Tigers had nine different players break into the scoring column led by Mark Alston and Brett Carmen, who each had a game high 15 points. E.B. Tech put the game away early with a 26-4 showing in the first period. Meanwhile, in the lone division game in the conference, East Brunswick cruised past Colonia, 65-32 as NJIT bound Rob Ukawuba scored a game high 18 points including 15 in the first half to lead 10 different EB players in the scoring column. Beruche Archille led Colonia in a losing cause with 9 points.

St. Joe's Downs St. Peter's As Townes Scores 1,000th

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Check out the action from Saturday. Congratulations to Marques Townes of St. Joe's, who scored his 1,000th point in the win over St. Peter's Prep at the SFIC Festival on Sunday. Townes scored 874 of those points at Cardinal McCarrick. I've seen all or part of 34 games and 27 different teams in the GMC so far this season as of the end of play on Friday. I now have rosters from 24 of the 31 schools in the GMC. View them all from an article I've posted in the blog. GMC Hoops will be returning to the basketball beat with three games on Friday.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Junior Marques Townes poured in 31 points including an alleyoop in the fourth quarter to reach 1,000 points for his career as St. Joseph's defeated St. Peter's Prep on the final day of action from the 2013 SFIC Festival at Kean University. Wade Baldwin added 24 points and 9 assists while Karl Towns chipped in with a double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds. See details.

East Brunswick Crushes Roselle Behind Baumer, 80-47

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. GMC Hoops plans to be in action next on Tuesday night.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Saturday, GMC Hoops took the day off, but there was still a good deal of action involving GMC teams. Top ranked East Brunswick played their first game of the new year in a non-conference tilt against Roselle of the Union County Conference. Led by Gary Baumer's 19 points including 4 of 5 from three in the second quarter, the Bears rolled past the Rams by the score of 80-47. Rob Ukawuba added 15 points while Danny Leung chipped in with 14 points. The GMC was 3-3 in non-conference games as Metuchen defeated Howell and Dunellen defeated Johnson Regional of Clark. The conference is now 34-36 overall against teams outside of Middlesex County.

Austin Lifts P-Way Tech Past Carteret, 54-52

Note: Scroll down to read about Friday afternoon and evening action around the GMC. Check out the holiday tourney action from last Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I've seen all or part of 34 games and 27 different teams in the GMC so far this season as of the end of play on Friday. I now have rosters from 23 of the 31 schools in the GMC. View them all from an article I've posted in the blog. GMC Hoops will be returning to the basketball beat with three games on Friday.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday, GMC Hoops got back on the basketball beat with four contests including three that involved GMC teams. First, the site took a trip up to the Dunn Center in Elizabeth in the afternoon to take in a matinee between Monroe and the hometown Minutemen.

Elizabeth was off and running with a 23-6 lead at the 6:05 mark of the second period, and never looked back as it finished the first half with a 16-6 run including a three pointer from well beyond the arc on the right wing at the buzzer for a 39-12 first half lead. Then, after giving up the first points of the second half, the Minutement scored 19 unanswered points including a couple threes for a 58-14 lead after three en route to a 66-23 victory. Read the game notes and view video highlights and floor cam highlights from the final 22:05 of the game.

Next, the site traveled over to Carteret High School to see the Ramblers play the Piscataway Tech Raiders in a key Blue Division matchup. In a game that saw 9 lead changes and 5 ties throughout, both teams went back and forth in the fourth period with 8 of those lead changes and all five ties before Piscataway Tech emerged victorious, 54-52. Aziz Austin (9 points) buried a three pointer from the right side with 43.2 seconds left to give P-Way Tech the lead for good. Turell McClendon led the Raiders with 21 points while Brandon Gilder, who capped a 14-6 tear by the Ramblers with a three late in the third to tie the game at 38-38, led Carteret with 14 points. View the game notes, video highlights, and floor cam highlights from the final 22:18 of the contest.

Wrapping up the busy day, GMC Hoops headed up the Garden State Parkway to Kean University to see the final two contests from the first day of action at the 2013 SFIC Festival. In the first game, St. Benedict's routed Life Center by the score of 104-47. The Grey Bees had a 79-39 lead after three quarters, and continued to pour it on in the fourth with some of the reserves getting into the act. Tyler Ennis and Tyrell Green opened the final frame with threes, and Michael Young did some damage as well. Read the brief game notes and watch fourth quarter highlights from the contest.

Finally, Cardinal McCarrick took the floor to face Hudson Catholic in the nightcap. The Eagles got off to a flying start with seven unanswered points from Jaquantee Madden, and then got two threes from Sky Harris, and a trey from Aaron Lewis to take a 16-12 lead after a quarter. However, the Hawks would not be denied as they put together a 28-5 surge in the second quarter behind 11 first half points by Reggie Cameron to take a 40-21 lead into the locker room. Hudson Catholic then went on to lead by 35 at a couple points in the fourth quarter before winning, 82-49.

Madden (24 points), Harris (14 points), and Lewis (11 points) were the only three players to get into the scorebook for McCarrick, which dropped to 2-6 with the loss. View the game notes and video highlights from the contest.

St. Joe's Rolls Past South Brunswick Behind Towns, 71-43

Note: Scroll down to read about Thursday night action around the GMC. Check out the holiday tourney action from last Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I have posted rosters from 21 of the 31 schools in the GMC. View them all from an article I've posted in the blog. GMC Hoops will be returning to the basketball beat with three games on Friday.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

While GMC Hoops was home working on getting team rosters and videos posted to the site, there was plenty of action around the conference on Thursday evening. The big matchup of the day was at the Bird Cage in Metuchen between second ranked St. Joseph's and fourth ranked South Brunswick.

Despite not having Wade Baldwin in the lineup due to disciplinary reasons, the Falcons rolled past the Vikings by a score of 71-43. St. Joe's jumped out to an 11-0 first quarter lead, and then outscored SBHS by a margin of 28 to 8 in the second for a 41-14 halftime lead en route to the win. Karl Towns led the Falcons with a career high 35 points capped by a dunk in the fourth for a 63-35 lead. Towns had 7 points in the first, 13 in the second, 9 in the third, and 6 in the fourth according to WCTC, which broadcasted the game live.

Marques Townes chipped in with 13 points including 11 in the first half while Jimbo Long added 8 and James Ziemba contributed with 5. Also getting in the scorebook for Joes was Sean Finan (4 points), Matt Olivo (2 points), Marcus Ashamole (2 points), and Mike Brunson (2 points). Chris Bourne led the way for South Brunswick with 14 points while Sal Hasan chipped in with 10.

St. Joe's win was not the only blowout in the conference on Thursday night. All seven games were decided by at least 10 points with five of them having a margin of victory of at least 23 points. Monroe got back on the winning track with a 48-38 victory over Edison at EHS. Ryan Stolte scored 15 points while Nick Isola added 8. Dennis Amuzu scored 14 in a losing cause. Old Bridge rallied from a 30-25 halftime deficit by outscoring Colonia 31-14 in the second half to post a 56-44 victory at OBHS. Sultan Aminu led the way with 20 points while Tyler Drews chipped in with 12. Bleriot Thompson led Colonia in a losing cause with 16 points.

In the only Gold Division contest, Dunellen rolled past East Brunswick Tech, 59-36 as Deon Brown led the way with 18 points while David Johnson chipped in with 14. Mark Alston led EB Tech with 11 points. Back to the White Division, North Brunswick cruised past Cardinal McCarrick by a score of 74-34 as four players: Iverson Fleming (19 points), Nick Sidotti (18 points), Virgil Boykin (11 points), and Dennis Ford (10 points) scored in double figures. Jaquantee Madden led McCarrick with 17 points while Sky Harris chipped in with 12. Sayreville rolled past New Brunswick by a score of 77-38 as Corey Taite talled 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 steals, Donald Johnson recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Malik Pressley added 10 points Willie Hamilton and Zyaire Gathers led the Zebras in a losing cause with 7 points each.

Finally, in the GMC Red, Piscataway got 21 points including 13 in the second half from senior forward, David Claybrook as the Chiefs downed Perth Amboy, 72-42. Marcus Freeney chipped in with 17 points while Rachid Schimou added 16. David Rodgers led Amboy in a losing cause with 14 points. View scores, latest overall standings, and conference standings.

Regular Season Play Resumes Around GMC On Wednesday

Note: Scroll down to read about Wednesday night action around the GMC. Check out the holiday tourney action from last Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Monday afternoon, Perth Amboy Tech defeated Sussex Tech to win the 2012 NJTAC Holiday Tournament Championship at East Brunswick Tech. GMC Hoops will be returning to the basketball beat with three games on Friday.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday, the 2013 portion of the boys basketball season in New Jersey began as regular season play around the Garden State resumed. There were seven games played in the Greater Middlesex Conference, and all were division contests in either the GMC Blue or Gold.

The marquee matchup of the day was between Spotswood and Piscataway Tech in a clash for first place in the Blue Division. The Chargers, which were coming off a split of their two games in the Bound Brook Crusader Classic for a third place finish, jumped out to a 39-24 halftime lead behind the efforts of Jake Dadika, the leading scorer in the GMC with an average of 26.2 points per game coming in.

Dadika scored 33 points while Corey Brown added 17 points and 7 boards, and Jamal Lewis chipped in with 13 points to lead the sixth ranked Chargers to a 67-54 victory over seventh ranked Piscataway Tech, a team that defeated Group IV schools, Passaic and Paterson Kennedy over the holidays at the Jingle Bells Jubilee in Paterson. The Raiders, which were led by Turell McClendon with 19 points and 6 rebounds, rallied to pull within three less than two and a half minutes into the fourth, but could not get any closer. View details courtesy of nj.com.

In other action, Dunellen edged South River (53-51) to improve to 3-1 in the Gold while South River fell to 0-3 in division play. Timothy Christian kept pace with a 53-34 decision over Wardlaw on Wednesday night to also improve to 3-1 in the Gold. So did the Guvs of South Amboy by virtue of a 66-41 decision over East Brunswick Tech. So, there is a three way tie in the Gold with Dunellen holding a tie-breaker over South Amboy and the Guvs holding the edge on TCS thanks to head to head wins.

Over in the Blue, Carteret remained unbeaten and tied in league play with Spotswood thanks to a 70-54 victory at Highland Park. Surprising Middlesex improved to 5-2 overall including a 3-2 mark in divisional play with a 60-53 victory on the road at South Plainfield. J.F. Kennedy snapped a four game losing streak by defeating Metuchen on the road by a score of 59-45. View scores, latest overall standings, and conference standings.

Colonia Falls To Holy Trinity (NY) At Monsignor Kelly Tourney;
Piscataway Tech Finishes An Impressive 2-1 At Jingle Bells Jubilee

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams on Sunday afternoon and evening. With the two games seen on Saturday, GMC Hoops has seen 30 games involving 25 different teams from the GMC. If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Sunday, GMC Hoops hurried over to Immaculata High School to see a couple games from the final day of action at the 2012 Monsignor Kelly Christmas Tournament including one game involving Colonia.

Playing against Holy Trinity of Long Island in the late afternoon opener, Colonia jumped out to a 4-0 lead on baskets by Bleriot Thompson at the 7:49 and 6:36 marks, but then gave way to a 22-0 blitz over a span of about seven mintutes by the Titans as Damon Coleman and Billy Sixsmith each hit two threes while Isaiah Rowe added 6, and Rich Mceachern chipped in with 4.

Trailing by a score of 39-17 with 15 seconds gone in the third, Colonia tried to make a bit of a comeback with a 12-1 tear over the next 2:31 as Jodrell Thompson scored all four of his points while James Corbett (18 points) added a layup and Trent Barneys and Bleriot Thompson chipped in with scores for a 40-27 Holy Trinity lead at the 5:14 mark. The Patriots wouldn't get any closer though as the Titans went on a 13-2 run over the next 3:14 as Mike Farella sparked the run with a trey, Rowe added another layup, and reserve Peter Adkins knocked down two treys for a 53-29 lead.

Holy Trinity went on to win from there by the score of 68-52 as Coleman and Bleriot Thompson (18 points) were selected to the All Tournament team. Read game notes, and view photos, slideshow, video highlights, and floor cam highlights. In other holiday tourney action, all three GMC teams, J.P. Stevens (lost to Randolph 60-50), South Plainfield (lost to Dickinson 64-48), and Perth Amboy (lost to Ewing 72-49), fell in the final day of action at the Anthony J. Cotoia Tournament in South Plainfield. After an 8-1 start to the season against non-conference opponents, the GMC has gone 22-31 to have a 30-31 record.

One bright spot against non-conference foes has been Piscataway Tech. The Group I and Blue Division school finished 2-1 in the very strong field at the Jingle Bells Jubilee in Paterson by defeating Paterson Kennedy, 65-64. On Friday, the Raiders knocked off Passaic by the score of 46-34.

EB Downs North Brunswick To Win Brunswick Challenge, 65-46;
Piscataway and Sayreville Fall To Skyland Foes In Holiday Tourneys

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams on Saturday morning, afternoon and evening. With the three games seen on Saturday, GMC Hoops has seen 28 games involving 25 different teams from the GMC. If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Saturday, GMC Hoops went about covering three different holiday tournaments involving GMC teams including the Championship of the Brunswick Challenge and final round action from the Vaughn Stapleton Classic in Bridgewater and the Len Sepanak Tournament at Ridge.

In the first game, East Brunswick jumped out to a 13-1 first quarter lead, and then pulled away from a 33-31 early third quarter lead with a 32-15 surge over the last 13:10 of the contest for a 65-46 victory. Trailing 31-20 at the half, North Brunswick opened up the third quarter with an 11-2 run including a putback by Virgil Boykin, and three treys by Iverson Fleming to pull within two at the 5:10 mark. However, the Raiders were unable to get any closer.

EB closed the third with an 18-7 tear including a personal 7-0 run over the last 1:19 of the quarter by guard Danny Leung to take a 51-38 lead heading into the fourth. The Bears were never threatened after that. Leung finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds while NJIT bound Rob Ukawuba finished with a double-double of 14 points and 14 boards to lead five different EB players in double figures including Jake Krantz (13 points), Amir Bell (11 points), and Gary Baumer (11 points). Fleming finished with a game high 27 points including six threes as both teams combined for 13 treys in the contest. Read game notes and video highlights from the final 25:31 of the contest.

After taking an afternoon break, GMC Hoops headed back out in the snow to Bridgewater-Raritan HS to take in the final contest from the Vaughn Stapleton Classic between the home team Panthers and the Piscataway Chiefs. Bridgewater led 17-10 early in the second before P-Way made a spirited run to tie the game at 17-17 on a foul line jumper by Marinus Tavernier at the 4:31 mark of the second. The Panthers went ahead again, and managed to hold on to a 28-23 halftime lead despite a run by the Chiefs to pull within one late in the half on two free throws by Elijah Murray-Tucker, and a basket by Al Tece Montgomery.

Piscataway again pulled within one early in the third when Bridgewater-Raritan broke the game open with a 21-4 tear over a span of 8:33 of the second half to take a 49-31 lead with just over five minutes to play. From there, the Panthers withstood a Chiefs rally with a 53-40 victory. With his dad and former Bridgewater-Raritan West standout Eric Sr. looking on, Eric Murdock led Bridgewater with 15 points while Vincent Pace added 13 and Dominic Pace chipped in with 8. Piscataway, which didn't have Marcus Freeney in the lineup, was led by Jo Jo Hoover with a team high 11 points. View the game notes, photos, slideshow, and floor cam highlights from the contest.

Finally, GMC Hoops rounded the night by heading over to Ridge High School in Basking Ridge to take in the final 22:20 of the Championship Game of the 2012 Len Sepanak Tournament between the Red Devils and Sayreville. The Bombers only trailed by a score of 20-14 with 6:20 to go in the second quarter before Ridge ended the half on a 21-8 tear including 18 of 21 points over a span of 4:35 as the Devils, which had 13 threes in the game, unloaded a barrage of treys including one by tournament MVP Kevin Doolan (30 points), another by Matt Gerrity, and a third by Eric Klacik in the waning moments of the first half for a 41-22 lead at the break.

In the second half, Sayreville tried to show some life as Justin Luna (11 second half points), knocked in two of his three treys over the last two periods of the game to narrow the deficit to 44-28, but then Ridge went on another run of 18-6 over the last 6:27 for a 62-34 lead as Doolan hit three treys at the 4:27, 2:51, and 1:30 marks while Ryan Byrnes added a couple layups during the run. Ridge led by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter before Sayreville finished the game with a 10-0 run for the 76-56 Red Devils win thanks to the efforts of Tom Scavone, who scored 10 points in the second half. Read game notes, and view photos, slideshow, floor cam highlights, and second quarter highlights.

South River Triumphs In OT To Win Hawley Tourney;
Edison Falls To Warren Hills In Haley Tourney Final

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams on Friday afternoon and evening. With the five games seen on Friday, GMC Hoops has seen 25 games involving 24 different teams from the GMC. If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Friday, day three of holiday tournament action took place with GMC Hoops seeing all or part of five different games across three different counties. First, the site traveled over to Edison HS to see the final round of the 2012 Gene Haley Tournament.

In the consolation, J.F. Kennedy had a 41-39 lead with 4:31 to go only to have Mater Dei of Monmouth County reel off eight straight points for a 47-41 lead with just under a minute and a half to play. Mustangs junior guard, Kyle Alvarez sank a three pointer as he was fouled for a four point play to close the gap to 47-45 with 1:14 to go, but JFK was unable to get any closer as the Seraphs earned third place with a 51-47 victory.

Afterwards in the final, Edison jumped out to a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter as they limited the Streaks of Warren Hills to just two field goals in the first half en route to an 18-13 lead at the intermission. However, Warren Hills, which went 8 of 11 in the first half at the foul line including 7 of 8 in the second quarter to stay in the contest, went on an 18-7 tear over the first 10:02 of the second half for a 31-25 lead early in the fourth.

Edison battled back though with seven unanswered points including a steal for a layup, and then a jumper by Marcus Cudjoe for a 32-31 lead with 2:31 left. The Streaks pulled out the win though as Ryan Callahan, who had a game high 19 points including two dunks, stole a pass and went the lenght of the floor for a dunk with 1:25 to play to spark the decisive 6-2 spurt for the 37-34 win. Read game notes and video highlights from the second half.

View photos, slideshow, and floor cam video from all the action at the Gene Haley Tourney on Friday.

Following the action at the Haley Tourney, GMC Hoops traveled down the Jersey Shore to Henry Hudson Regional HS in Highlands to take in the final day of action from the Genevieve Hawley Tournament involving South Amboy and South River. The Guvs took on Henry Hudson in the consolation for the second year in a row, and came away with a win over the Admirals.

Leading 18-10 midway through the second quarter, South Amboy went on a 7-2 spurt to take a 25-12 lead before going into the locker room up by ten at the half. In the third quarter, the Governors outscored Henry Hudson by an 18-8 margin including a four point play by Steve Herdman at the 1:27 mark, and a three by Herdman at the 1:00 mark for a 43-23 lead. From there, the Guvs coasted to a 53-37 victory as Herdman scored 22 points while Joe Fruncillo added 19, and Nick Kales chipped in with 8. Read game notes and video highlights from the second half.

The real barnburner came in the nightcap as South River faced Keansburg in a rematch of last year's final of the Keansburg Tournament won easily by the Titans. The Rams came to play in the matchup as they scored 9 of the first 11 points, and led 11-3 early on in the first quarter, but Keansburg led by Dan Markulin, Tyler Walters, and football standout, Ryan Kurtz ralled back, and eventually led 58-51 with just 1:35 to play when the Rams answered with a 9-2 run including two free throws and a game tying three at the buzzer by junior Sean Darrar.

In the extra session, Keansburg went up 64-60 with 2:53 to go when South River rallied back to the tune of a 13-7 finish that included seven points by Tyler Harris, and two more threes by Sean Darrar including the game winner with 18.7 seconds remaining for a 73-71 victory. The younger Darrar scored all 11 of his points in the final 5:35 of the contest while Harris led the way with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds while Matt Martinez added a double-double of his own with 16 points and 10 assists.

With the win, the Rams improved to 3-3 overall including a 3-1 mark against non-conference opponents. Read game notes. View photos, slideshow, and floor cam highlights from the final day of action at the Genevieve Hawley Tournament.

Finally, GMC Hoops Rounded out the night with a trip over to Hillsborough High School to see Carteret take on the hometown Raiders in the Hillsborough Holiday Hoops Classic Championship. Trailing 12-8 at the 7:03 mark of the second, Carteret fell prey to a 35-9 surge by Hillsborough over a span of 15:45 for a 47-17 Raider lead with 7:18 remaining. From there, Hillsborough's reserves got into the act as the Somerset County school came away with the tourney title by the score of 61-35. Jalen Parham, the son of New Brunswick athletic director Lenny Parham, was tournament MVP for Hillsborough. Read game notes from the last 23:03 of the contest.

North Brunswick Rallies To Defeat South Brunswick;
Woodbridge, Edison, EB, Middlesex, and Dunellen All Cruise In Holiday Tourney Openers

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams on Thursday morning, afternoon and evening. There are a lot of video highlights from holiday tournament action coming in addition to the floor cam video.

GMC Hoops plans for the day on Friday include heading over to the Gene Haley Tournament at Edison HS, a visit to the Genevieve Hawley Tournament at Henry Hudson Regional in Atlantic Highlands, and a trip to Hillsborough High School to see Carteret face the hometown Raiders in the Championship of the Hillsborough Holiday Hoops Tourney.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Thursday, GMC Hoops traveled to see all or part of six different holiday tournament games at four different tourney sites. See photos of some of the action in the gallery.

First, the site traveled over to Scotch Plains to see the second half of Woodbridge's win over Franklin in the opening round of the Keith Benovengo Tourney. The Barrons trailed 37-30 before ending the game on a 48-14 surge over the last 14:21 of the contest for the win. Jared Pearson led Woodbridge with a game high 29 points while Roselle Catholic transfer, Eddie Harris chipped in with 20, and Duquan Bailey added 14. See floor cam highlights, video highlights from the second half, and game notes.

Next, GMC Hoops headed over to the Gene Haley Tournament in Edison to see the first half of the Eagles contest versus Mater Dei of Middletown. The Eagles, which jumped out to an 11-4 lead early, broke away from an 11-11 tie with a 19-2 tear over a span of 3:32 of the second quarter to take a 30-13 lead, and never looked back in a 62-45 victory. Qassim Bass-Ali, who scored 21 points in the win, had two threes and a one handed dunk during the decisive run. Raekwon Ross added 15 points and Dennis Amuzu chipped in with 11 in the victory. See floor cam highlights, slideshow, photos, and game notes.

After the brief visit to the Haley Tourney, we got into the car, and traveled down Route 1 South to see both games from the Brunswick Challenge. In the first contest, top ranked East Brunswick jumped out to a 43-9 lead, and was never threatened as the Bears rolled to a 76-33 win. Rob Ukawuba led the charge for EB with a team high 18 points while junior guards Amir Bell and Gary Baumer each chipped in with 9 points. Paul McKenzie was a bright spot for the Zebras in defeat with a game high 19 points. Read the game notes and video highlights from the final 18 plus minutes of the contest.

Following EB's win over New Brunswick, South Brunswick took the floor against North Brunswick in the opening round finale. The Vikings got off to a strong start as St. Joe's transfer Salman Hasan and Sean Keenan each had 6 points to give SB a 14-6 lead. South Brunswick eventually led 37-20 with just over two minutes to play in the first half, but North Brunswick stormed back with a 50-25 surge to end the game as Iverson Fleming scored 16 of his game high 33 points in the fourth quarter while Dennis Ford had two huge dunks en route to his 13 points to lead the Raiders to a 70-62 victory. NBTHS will be playing for its second straight title on Saturday. View the game notes.

Finally, GMC Hoops ended the day by traveling over to The Faber in Dunellen to see both games from the opening round of the 2012 Shello/Santy Tournament. In the first contest, Middlesex jumped out to an 11-3 lead within the first 2:35 of the contest, and led 24-8 late in the first period before Manville responded with 10 straight points to make things interesting early in the second. However, the Jays would not be denied by going on a 25-1 outburts over a span of about 10 minutes to take a commanding 49-19 lead en route to a 67-35 victory. Jarret Bogus led Middlesex with a game high 29 points while Tayshwan Wilson added 12, and Tommy Helmsetter chipped in with 10. View the game notes and floor cam footage.

In the nightcap at Dunellen, the host school Destroyers took on Highland Park in a GMC crossover for the right to take on the Blue Jays in the Championship. DHS jumped out to an early 8-2 lead thanks to a basket by Tony McGuane and a three point play by Deon Brown. Dunellen would later get a three point play by Matt Heidinger late in the first quarter for a 15-7 lead before Highland Park responded with an 11-2 spurt including two scores by David Webb for an 18-17 lead. However, the Destroyers took over from there by finishing the first half with a 9-4 run including layups by Heidinger and Brown as well as two free throws from Dylan Hoski and one of two from the line by Orville Thompson to lead 26-22 at the half.

From there, Dunellen gradually pulled away for the 53-39 victory. Brown led a balanced attack with 12 points while Heidinger added 8, and Hoski chipped in with 7. See the game notes and first half video highlights from the contest.

Old Bridge And Amboy Win While Stevens Falls In Holiday Hoops Action

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams on Wednesday afternoon and evening. I have posted the brackets and schedules for all of the GMC teams. You can also make predictions on the holiday tournaments at bracketmaker.com. GMC Hoops plans to start the day by heading over to the Keith Benovengo Tournament in Scotch Plains to see Woodbridge take on Franklin, and then watch a bit of the Haley Tourney in Edison before traveling out to South Brunswick for the Brunswick Challenge, and then the Faber in Dunellen for the Shello/Santy Tournament.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

On Wednesday, the first day of holiday tournament action took place around the Garden State with a handful of GMC teams in action. Old Bridge was playing in the opening round of the Huskies Christmas Classic in Matawan against Howell while Perth Amboy battled South Plainfield, and J.P. Stevens took on Middletown South in the 4th annual Anthony J. Cotoia Tournament at the South Plainfield Middle School. Wardlaw was in action at the Joe Silver Holiday Tournament in Hillside as well.

At the Huskies Christmas Classic in Matawan, Old Bridge broke away from a 27-22 halftime deficit with a 30-4 surge over a span of 11:29 of the second half for a 57-26 lead en route to a 59-37 victory. Junior guard, Tyler Drews led the way for the Knights with 18 points while senior forward Sultan Aminu chipped in with 16 points. Kola Adeleye added 8 while Billy Andrews and Chris Conrad each chipped in with 7. OBHS will now face Columbia in the semifinals on Thursday at 5:00 PM. See game notes, photos, and floor cam footage.

Later in the day at South Plainfield, Perth Amboy opened the second quarter with a three pointer for a 16-9 lead before the hometown Tigers rallied with six straight points to pull within one at 16-15. Freshman Jason Lee (10 points), Justin Glover (12 points) and Jordan Hankerson (8 points) each scored during the run. The Panthers then closed the half with a 5-0 run in the last 3:09 of the second including a two handed dunk by David Rodgers (13 points) and a three by Cardinal McCarrick transfer, Carlos Morales for a 21-15 halftime lead.

Amboy controlled the game for much of the second half with a 13-6 effort over the first 12:16 for a 34-21 lead. However, the Tigers rallied with a 15-2 tear in the last 3:44 of regulation to tie the contest. Hankerson netted two threes while Glover added a trey himself, and Claude Payne (9 points) converted a traditional three point play, and then scored on a putback to tie the game at 36-36 with 1:07 to go in the fourth. The score remained that way as the two teams went into overtime. In the extra session, Cairo Henry (11 points) scored the first four points on layups for Amboy as it took a 40-36 lead, and the Panthers made 8 of 9 from the foul line in the last 2:30 including 6 of 7 by Morales for a 48-39 win. See game notes, second half and overtime video highlights, photos, and floor cam footage.

Perth Amboy will take on Middletown South in the semfinals on Thursday at 7:30 PM. The Eagles from Monmouth County moved on to the semifinal round by virtue of a 44-29 victory over J.P. Stevens. Middletown South jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Hawks battled back with a 10-4 spurt including threes by John Maxham and Veer Patel as well as a baseline jumper by Sahej Chowdhary to tie the game at 10-10. Middletown South would take the lead for good on a three with under a minute to play in the first period, and led by three at the half, 19-16.

In the third quarter, the Eagles scored the first six points of the second half, and outscored Stevens by a 12-5 margin thanks in part to a last second three pointer that gave the visitors from Monmouth County a 31-21 lead heading into the fourth. From there, the Eagles led by as many as 17 points before winning by 15. See game notes, video highlights, photos, and floor cam footage.

Meanwhile, in other holiday tournament action involving GMC teams, Justen Davis poured in 22 points for Wardlaw, but it wasn't enough as the Rams fell to Hillside by the score of 70-36 in first day action from the Joe Silver Holiday Tournament round-robin at Hillside HS. St. Joseph's was scheduled to play Holly Springs in the Summit Hospitality Bracket opening round of the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in North Carolina, but due to the weather, the Falcons were unable to get a flight out to North Carolina. Instead, they were left stranded in Washington, D.C. The Falcons did manage to advance by virtue of a coin flip, and will play 14-0 Broughton at 5:40 PM this afternoon.

Holiday Tournament Action Begins Today

Note: Scroll down to read about holiday tournament action involving GMC teams starting today (December 26th). I have posted the brackets and schedules for all of the GMC teams. You can also make predictions on the holiday tournaments at bracketmaker.com.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Perhaps the biggest time of the boys basketball season begins on Wednesday as four holiday tournaments involving GMC teams will commence. GMC Hoops will be at two of those tourneys today with a trip to Matawan High School to see Old Bridge take on Howell in the opening round of the Matawan Huskies Tournament.

Then, after a brief afternoon break, the site will travel over to some old stomping grounds at South Plainfield Middle School to see the final two games of the day at the Anthony J. Cotoia Tournament. Perth Amboy will be playing South Plainfield at 5:30 PM followed by the nightcap of the day's quadrupleheader at SPMS between Middletown South and J.P. Stevens.

GMC Goes 4-0 Vs. Non-Conference Foes On Saturday

Note: Scroll down to read about action round the GMC on Saturday afternoon. On Tuesday night, former New Brunswick boys basketball head coach, Odie Page passed away. He coached the Zebras to 9 sectional titles, two division titles, and one state title in 24 years at the school before stepping down in 2004. Page later coached at Franklin.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

Even though GMC Hoops took the day off on Saturday, there was still quite a bit of action around the conference including four non-conference games and three crossover contests. The GMC did very well against its non-conference foes on Saturday by winning all four matchups to improve its overall record versus teams outside Middlesex County to 8-1 so far this season.

Monroe started the day off with a victory over Pemberton of the Burlington County Scholastic League by the score of 45-41 in the opening round of the Score at the Shore Tournament down at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin. Senior Ryan Stolte scored 16 points including seven in the fourth quarter to help the Falcons win, and even their record at 2-2 this season.

Piscataway improved to 2-1 with a nice win on the road at Montclair from the Super Essex Conference by the score of 52-51 on a free throw by Marcus Freeney with seven seconds left. The Chiefs jumped out to a 31-25 halftime lead as P-Way's bench outscored Montclair by a 16-2 margin in the first half. However, the Essex County school rallied to take the lead in the fourth, and the game went back and forth several times until the end. Rachid Shimou led the way for Piscataway with 10 points while Tahlib Sawn led all scorers with 17 for Montclair, and Isiah Jennings added 14 in a losing cause.

Meanwhile, over in North Brunswick, the Raiders improved to 4-0 on the season with a 68-56 victory over Hopewell Valley of the Colonial Valley Conference. NBTHS trailed by 11 at the half to its Mercer County foe before putting together a 24-0 outburst in the third period to take over the game, and get the win. Dennis Ford led the Raidersd with 24 points and 8 rebounds while Iverson Fleming chipped in with 22 points. South Brunswick also defeated a CVC opponent on Saturday by downing Hamilton by the score of 71-45. The Vikings, ranked third in the GMC Hoops Top Ten, are now 3-1 on the season.

In other action, Perth Amboy improved to 2-0 against teams from Edison Township as the Panthers edged the Edison Eagles in a crossover contest by the score of 56-53. Speaking of Edison, J.P. Stevens rolled past Wardlaw in another crossover by the score of 68-34 to notch its first win of the season. Sayreville improved to 3-1 on the young season with a 60-44 victory at home over South Plainfield. So far this season, the GMC Red is off to a fast start in crossovers with a 5-0 record versus the other divisions in the conference.

Finally, in Blue Division action, Bishop Ahr won its third straight game, and second contest in less than 24 hours when it defeated J.F. Kennedy by the score of 57-45. The Trojans are now 3-1 on the season, and a half game behind Spotswood, Carteret, and Piscataway Vo-Tech in what looks to be a very good race developing in the Blue.

Carteret And Bishop Ahr Cruise In Blue Division Action

Note: Scroll down to read about action round the GMC on Friday afternoon and evening. On Tuesday night, former New Brunswick boys basketball head coach, Odie Page passed away. He coached the Zebras to 9 sectional titles, two division titles, and one state title in 24 years at the school before stepping down in 2004. Page later coached at Franklin.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It was not a night of competitive games in the Greater Middlesex Conference on Friday. All five games were decided by 15 points or more. GMC Hoops saw two of those contests. First, the site traveled up to Carteret High School to see the Ramblers in action against Blue Division foe, Metuchen.

For nearly the first six and a half minutes of play, the Bulldogs hung tough with the Ramblers. After falling behind 10-4, Metuchen managed to tie the game with a score by Evan Collier and then a three point play by sophomore Thomas Chalker at the 1:36 mark. From that point on, it was all Carteret.

Over a span of 11:34 from the tail end of the first quarter to the 5:41 mark of the third, the Ramblers put together a 38-4 tidal surge that included a 28-0 shutout in the second period, and 32 unanswered points to take a 48-14 lead before Chalker hit a runner from the left side to end the run in the third. Carteret went on to win, 65-33.

Leading the way for the Ramblers was Joe McRae, who scored a game high 20 points while Tyrell Lockley added 14 and sophomore Jaquan Robertson chipped in with 10. Collier led Metuchen with a team high 12 points while Artie Flaherty chipped in with 8. See the game notes. Afterwards, the site headed over to Bishop Ahr High School to see the remainder of the contest between the Trojans and Highland Park.

Upon arrival, the game was already out of hand with Ahr leading 50-24 with less than two minutes to go in the third. The Trojans led by as many as 28 on two occasions in the fourth quarter before the Owls finished the contest on a 15-2 tear including 11 points from Nadre Hepburn, who ended up with a game high 21 in the 62-47 loss. Jordan Long chipped in with 17 as the duo accounted for 81 percent of the HP scoring.

BGA had a much more balanced attack with 11 different players breaking into the scoring column. Tom Duffy and St. Joseph's transfer, Owen McLeod each had a team high 12 points while Mike Jensen, Tom Weiler, and Greg Patuto each chipped in with 7. Read the game notes and view highlights from the final 9:52 of the contest.

Piscataway Rolls Past Colonia In Home Opener, 67-51

On Thursday night, GMC Hoops got back into action to see the Piscataway Chiefs play in their 2012-13 home opener against the Colonia Patriots. Things didn't start off well for P-Way as Colonia jumped out to a 10-3 lead thanks to a couple of threes, and the Chiefs were forced to call timeout at the 5:32 mark of the first.

Following that timeout, P-Way exploded with a 17-4 tear over a span of 3:48 as Union Catholic transfer Elijah Murray connected on a trey, and then picked up a steal that he finished with a one handed slam. Marcus Freeney, who had at least four threes in the first half, connected on a triple to cap the run at the 1:44 mark for a 20-14 lead. Freeney would add another trey for a 23-18 lead after one.

The Chiefs gradually pulled away from there, leading at one point in the fourth quarter by 18 points as football standout David Claybrook swiped a steal at midcourt, and slammed it home midway through the period, and JoJo Hoover did the same with about a minute and a half remaining to wrap up the 67-51 victory. It was the first win at P-Way for head coach Antoine Allen, who had previously coached five seasons at New Brunswick.

Colonia, which was coming off its first win of the year on Tuesday at Carteret (64-54), got a solid performance from Bleriot Thompson. The Patriots are now 1-2 overall on the season while the Chiefs are 1-1. View the game notes, video highlights, and floor cam highlights.

Returning To Action On Thursday Night

Note: Scroll down to read about opening weekend action round the GMC on Thursday afternoon and evening. On Tuesday night, former New Brunswick boys basketball head coach, Odie Page passed away. He coached the Zebras to 9 sectional titles, two division titles, and one state title in 24 years at the school before stepping down in 2004. Page later coached at Franklin. See details.

On Sunday, GMC Hoops was at the 2012 Hoop Group Tip-Off Classic, and is putting together a lot of stuff from it. Take a look at what we have so far. GMC Hoops plans to be at Piscataway High School to see the Chiefs in action against Colonia in a Red Division clash. Listen live to Thursday night's GMC White clash between North Brunswick and Woodbridge on the King James Radio Network.

If you don't see the home page updated, check out the blog, the GMC Hoops facebook page, or GMC Hoops @twitter for updates.

It has been a very hectic holiday season for GMC Hoops. Working a lot of overtime has hampered efforts, but we're going to try to get back on track on Thursday night with a Red Division clash at Piscataway High School between the Chiefs and the Colonia Patriots. The Chiefs are coming off a loss at St. Joe's on Tuesday night while Colonia won on the road at Carteret in the conference's third crossover game of the year. Other action includes another early season showdown in the Red between East Brunswick and South Brunswick at SBHS while Woodbridge and North Brunswick square off in a contest of two unbeatens in the GMC White at NBTHS. Listen live on the King James Network.

Earlier in the week, there were some notable efforts on the GMC hardwood. On Monday night, Spotswood's Jake Dadika pumped in 39 points to lead the Chargers past Highland Park, 70-40. On that same night, the Metuchen Bulldogs forced Blue Division favorite, Piscataway Tech to overtime before falling, 57-51. On Tuesday night, Edison was pushed to overtime before defeating New Brunswick (76-68) while North Brunswick edged Monroe (49-48). Old Bridge gave third ranked South Brunswick all it could handle before bowing out, 58-52 on Tuesday afternoon.

Then, on Wednesday, a couple of big surprises from the GMC Gold as Wardlaw defeated Dunellen, 64-52 in Edison as senior forward, Justen Davis, turned in a monster double-double of 21 points and 28 rebounds. At about the same time in East Brunswick, the E.B. Tech Tigers edged an Amboy Tech team (76-74) in overtime that has had all three of its games decided by five points or less. Looks like the Gold Division is wide open from top to bottom in the early going this season. See the scores, standings, and conference standings.

St. Joseph's Defeats Teaneck In OT At Tip-Off Classic, 67-66

After suffering a tough loss on opening night to Red Division rival, East Brunswick, the top ranked St. Joseph's Falcons had another tough task to take on as it battled Teaneck in a late afternoon game at the 2012 Hoop Group Tip-Off Classic. Despite going 0 of 9from the foul line in the final minute of regulation, and giving up a game tying basket to Myles McLeod, the Falcons still managed to prevail in overtime by the score of 67-66.

Immaculata transfer, Wade Baldwin, poured in a game high 27 points including five in the extra session while Karl Towns added a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds along with 5 blocks. Marques Townes scored all 13 of his points in the second half and the overtime while Jimbo Long chipped in with 7 points. St. Joe's, which lost to Teaneck in last year's Tip-Off Classic, 53-49, got a combined 46 points in the second half an overtime from Baldwin, Towns, and Townes. Joel Hernandez led Teaneck in a losing cause with 19 points and 9 boards while Shaakir Lindsey added 16 points. See details, game notes, photos, and slideshow.

In the other three games covered at the Tip-Off Classic, state powers Roselle Catholic, St. Anthony's, and St. Benedict's all came away winners. Roselle Catholic outscored Pope John XXIII by a margin of 45-27 over the final 15:45 of the contest to win, 71-58. Tyler Roberson earned game MVP honors with 21 points while freshman guard Bryce Aiken led Pope John in a losing cause with 26 points. View game notes, photos, and floor cam highlights.

St. Anthony's trailed early by the score of 4-0, but finished the first quarter on a 22-1 tear, and never looked back in a 64-28 victory over Neptune. Game MVP, Josh Brown (17 points) netted two threes during the run while Cody Jenkins added 12 points and Hallice Cooke chipped in with 8 points. Spencer Hubbard was game MVP for Neptune with 12 points. View game notes and photos.

Finally, in the nightcap, St. Benedict's got 20 points from game MVP and Syracuse bound, Tyler Ennis and 17 points from Isaiah Briscoe to defeat Wilbraham and Monson of Massachusetts by the score of 57-39. The Grey Bees jumped out to a 15-5 first quarter lead, and then ended the first half on a 10-2 spurt, and began the second half on a 10-0 run for a 37-13 lead. Briscoe, who was shaken up in the first half, netted two threes late in the second quarter to spark the run, and then added a pair of free throws in the third to help cap it. See game notes and photos.

McCarrick Rallies To Defeat South Amboy In OT;
Timothy Christian And Perth Amboy Win

On Saturday Night, GMC Hoops traveled over to South Amboy High School to see the Hurricane Sandy benefit game between crosstown rivals, Cardinal McCarrick and South Amboy. Meeting for the first time since 2008, the two schools battled in what turned out to be the best game the site has covered so far this year. South Amboy, coming off a two point loss at home to Dunellen (53-51) a little more than 24 hours earlier, led 38-27 with less than a minute to go in the third, and by four (46-42) with 1:45 left.

However, McCarrick, led by Sky Harris, who scored 7 of his game high 14 points down the stretch to tie the game in regluation, and then Tavian Chukwuani converted a three point play with 21.3 seconds to go in overtime to give the Eagles their first win of the season and new head coach, Eric Woroniecki his first coaching win. Freshman Michael Vick added 11 points for the winners while the Guvs were led by Steve Herdman (14 points), Nick Kales (13 points), Joe Fruncillo (12 points and 12 boards).

South Amboy trailed 50-46 early in overtime after Sean McCrae opening the scoring in the extra session with a baseline jumper from the right side, and then Vick added a floater for McCarrick, but the Guvs rallied with five straight points including a three by Matt Lavan to tie the game at 50-50 with 1:35 left, and one of two free throws by Nick Kales with 1:09 to go for a 51-50 lead. The home team had a couple chances to tie in the final seconds, but Herdman was off the mark on three attempts both times as time ran out. See game notes, floor cam highlights, photos, and slideshow.

In the only two other games involving teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference, Perth Amboy defeated J.P. Stevens on the road in North Edison in a crossover matchup. David Rodgers, who was held scoreless in the loss to Old Bridge on Friday night, scored 10 points including six in the first quarter to boost the Panthers to their first win of the season by a score of 38-29 over the Hawks. Meanwhile, in Piscataway, Timothy Christian improved to 2-0 on the young season with a surprising 49-32 victory over Lincoln of Jersey City. Junior Brandon Summers recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds while Jarret Locke added 9 and both Jeff Parker and Matt DiLeo chipped in with 8 each.

East Brunswick Rallies To Knock Off St. Joe's, 58-54
North Brunswick, Spotswood, and Old Bridge All Roll

As predicted the best matchup of the night occurred at St. Joseph's where the top ranked Falcons squared off against second ranked East Brunswick in a showdown more typical of late February than the middle of December.

Using a 22-11 surge in the fourth quarter, the Bears rallied to stun the three time Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champs, 58-54. Princeton bound Amir Bell (18 points) NJIT bound Rob Ukawuba (17 points) led the way by accounting for 60 percent of EB's scoring. Karl Town's led St. Joseph's with 18 points including 10 of the Falcons 15 first quarter points. See details.

In other action, North Brunswick used the hot hand of senior guard Iverson Fleming to grab a 26-15 lead, and led by as many as 18 in the first half before New Brunswick had an 8-3 rally to end the half including two late second quarter layups by Ahmad Sannoh to pull the Zebras within 13 at halftime. However, NBHS was unable to get any closer as Dennis Ford opened the second half with a personal 7-0 run for a 49-29 lead, and football standout, Jaylen Hobdy added 7 points in the third as the Raiders coasted from there to a 79-49 victory. See game notes.

Over in Spotswood, the Chargers jumped out to a 20-4 first quarter lead including a 10-0 period ending run that included a jumper by Corey Brown at the 2:53 mark, and buzzer beating three pointer by Dalonte Grant. Spotswood led by as many as 22 at one point in the second before South Plainfield rallied with a 19-6 tear over nearly eight minutes to pull within nine on two occasions late in the third. Unfortunately for SP fans, the Tigers were unable to get any closer as the Chargers pulled away with a 24-7 surge over the last 9:39 for a 74-46 win. See game notes, photos, and floor cam video.

Finally, in Perth Amboy, Old Bridge pulled away from a 36-25 late third quarter lead with a 19-11 showing in the game's final 8:41 for the 55-36 victory over the Panthers. Sultan Aminu (11 points) and Tyler Drews (6 points) combined for 17 of the team's 19 points during the game ending run. See game notes.

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