Joe’s Moves Into Quarterfinals With Overtime Surge
METUCHEN, NJ–In a Round of 16 game in the 2008 GMCT, a big rivalry was renewed at the Bird Cage as the 11th seeded South Brunswick Vikings were taking on the 6th seed, the St.Josephs Falcons. In this years two previous Red Division meetings between the teams, the Falcons took both of them, the first win on December 14th, 47-38, and the next win on January 26th, 49-39. However, this game would be much different from the first two.
The first quarter was back and forth scoring from each team, as Steve Rennard got St. Joe’s on the board first with a left corner three point shot at the 6:42 mark. Mo Sanu then responded on the next possesion with a foot on the line for a two point field goal. At the 4:04 mark of the first quarter, Arman Wilson checked into the game getting his first action in his last four games, due to a sprained ankle in a win against Edison on Feburary 4th. The first possession Wilson got the ball, he quickly released and nailed it. That shot gave the vikings an 11-9 lead, but St. Joe’s, which had a big game from senior forward Paul Konopacki, who finished the game with 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting, scored to tie it up. Although, Sean Lease scored on a layup on a feed from Jordan Teicher to end the first quarter as South Brunswick led 13-11.
The second quarter was dominated by St. Joe’s, where might be a big difference in the game. St.Joseph’s was harmed when freshman Robert Ashamole picked up his 3rd foul, and the Falcons had to go to their bench, senior Steve Brandenburg who played big minutes. St. Joe’s started the quarter on 10-2 run, included two jumpers from Nikko Vastola, two putbacks from Paul Konopacki, and two freethrows from Gerard Lewis. South Brunswick was able to cave back into the lead, with a long bomb from Mo Sanu, followed by a fast break layup from senior swingman Chris Weir. With St. Joe’s leading by a score of 27-22, Wilson was holding for a final shot, but he got trapped quickly and turned it over, Steve Rennard went on a 2 on 1 break with Gerard Lewis trailing, Rennard missed the layup, but Lewis was able to tip the shot in at the buzzer, as the Falcons went into the locker room up 7.
The Vikings really took their frusturation out on the court coming out of the locker room for the second half. Whether it was because in the first half they didn’t seem to get any of the calls, or whether it was that there former coach Dave Turco, was on the other sideline of St. Joe’s. Starting out fast, Jordan Teicher, who was shut out in the first half, drove to the basket and banked it in. A backcourt violation on Nikko Vastola’s pass to Gagan Dhaliwal, gave the ball right back to South Brunswick. With a double screen, Sanu got freed for a three point shot, and it banked in! At this point, the South Brunswick fans started going wild. The Falcons needed a prompt response, and got their answer once again from Konopacki as he had another layup. St. Joes held a 33-30 lead, with 1:47, remaining in the third quarter, when the Vikings got another bank shot for three from Troy Confosore this time. Nikko Vastola, who had 11 points and handed out 4 assists, scored on a layup to give St. Joes the lead back. However, Weir then hit a teardrop to tie the score up, and as the final quarter began, it was all tied up at 35-35.
The fourth quarter that took place in this contest between the Vikings and the Falcons had to have the most ties, and most lead changes of any quarter in any GMC game this year. Steve Rennard who had a big fourth quarter and overtime period got St. Joe’s on top, but South Brunswick came right back down and found Lease who got fouled, and nailed both. Konopacki who had an excellent game at the foul line, going six of seven, game down the other end and nailed a pair. Wilson then scored his second basket of the game on a fadeaway jumper, which proved to be his last basket of the game. Once again though, St. Joe’s went to the fouline again, and this time Nikko Vastola went one of two at the charity stripe, to give Joes’ a 39-38 lead. South Brunswick senior forward Jordan Teicher, blew by Brandenburg and got hammered on his way up. Being one of the top free throw shooters in the GMC, Teicher camly sank both, and gave the Vikings a lead at the 4:52 mark, which they had not been in the lead since early on in the 2nd quarter.
A short time later, Lewis found an open lane, and was able to hit as St.Joes regained the lead. Teicher got fouled, on the next play down, and he hit both of them to give the lead back to South Brunswick. Each team went empty for a couple trips, but Vastola got fouled on a scramble for the ball, and nailed both as the St. Joe’s faithful went ecstatic. South Brunswick got into their offensive set, took some time off the clock, got the ball to Weir for a wide open on a right wing three pointer, and he hit it! With everyone in the gym now standing, Rennard came down, and took a fadeaway jumper and nailed it to tie the score up at 45-45 with 38 seconds left. Wilson held the ball at the top of the key for the next 20 seconds, and then decided to drive to the basket, where he missed on the side of the rim, Brandenburg got the rebound, and the Falcons called a timeout with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. With the game in Rennard’s hands, he got double teamed and attempted a 30 foot shot at the buzzer that got deflected, and these two fierce rivals would head into an extra period.
The overtime period belonged all to the Falcons. Scoring with 3:12 left, Steve Rennard gave the Falcons a 47-45 lead, which was all they needed. Weir then missed a 3 point attempt, and St. Joe’s came down and ran a give and go with Paul Konopacki dishing off to Rennard for a 49-45 lead. From there on out it was five foul shots from St. Joes to close out the game, and win 54-45. With the victory, St. Joseph’s improves to 18-6 overall and 12-5 in conference. The Falcons advanced to play Bishop Ahr, which beat Spotswood 41-36 in their Round of 16 game at BGA on Thursday night, at Middlesex County College for the first of four games on Super Sunday. Meanwhile, South Brunswick, which fell to 12-11 overall, and 9-8 in the GMC, isn’t scheduled to play for another 11 days before they will host Hunterdon Central, in the first round of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs. See the player stats from the contest.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph’s (18-6) | 11 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 54 |
| South Brunswick (12-11) | 13 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 45 |
Player Stats
South Brunswick:
Troy Confosore: 5 points.. 2 of 8 shooting… 0 for 2 from foul line
Arman Wilson: 4 points.. 2 of 6 shooting
Jordan Teicher: 6 points.. 3 of 7 shooting… 4 for 4 from foul line
Mo Sanu: 11 points..4 of 9 shooting.. 3 of 5 from 3 point range
Sean Lease: 10 points.. 3 of 4 shooting.. 4 for 6 from foul line
Chris Weir: 7 points.. 3 of 5 shooting.. 1 for 4 from 3 point range
Vito Ross: 2 points.. 1 of 3 shooting
St. Joe’s
Steve Rennard: 13 points.. 4 of 12 shooting… 3 for 4 from foul line…. 2 of 6 from 3 point
Nikko Vastola: 11 points.. 4 of 8 shooting… 3 for 4 from foul line
Gerard Lewis: 10 points.. 4 of 6 shooting.. 2 for 2 from foul line
Paul Konopacki: 16 points.. 5 of 11 shooting.. 6 for 7 from foul line
Robert Ashamole: 0 points.. 0 of 2 shooting.. 2 rebounds
Steve Brandenburg: 2 points.. 1 of 3 shooting