SOUTH AMBOY–On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops returned to South Amboy/Middle High School to check out more action from the 2008 Raritan Bay Summer League. Some results from Monday night’s games included Metuchen getting a victory in the 7th and 8th Grade Division, 40-18, and the Monmouth Breakers continuing to roll with a 56-22 rout in High School Division action. In the first game of the evening on Tuesday, South Amboy won the 5:30 PM contest, 32-10, and in the only game that the web site saw, Metuchen rallied from a second half deficit to defeat Monroe, 30-23.
Metuchen Surges Past Monroe In Second Half For 30-23 Win
Trailing 18-17 following a back door cut for a layup with 9:35 remaining in the contest, Metuchen, which was paced by the dominant double-double performance of Dorian Miller, closed out the game with a 13-5 tear including a 12-0 spurt for a 30-23 victory over Monroe in action from the 7th and 8th Grade Division. For the game, the younger Miller put in an effort reminiscent of his older Oklahoma bound brother with 13 points on 6 field goals, 22 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 assists.
In the first half, the Metuchen Bulldogs managed to earn the 12-9 edge, and then used the late second half tear to get the second half advantage as well in the victory. The game started off with Anthony Gurrierro scoring on a drive from the left wing for a layup, and a 2-0 lead just 29 seconds into the contest. Twenty-six seconds later, Monroe had an opportunity to take a bigger lead with a fast break chance, but it couldn’t convert as the Falcons committed a turnover. Metuchen then called timeout to settle its troops at the 19:05 mark, and when play resumed, the Bulldogs eventually got on the board to knot things up. Aaron Lewis, the younger brother of junior Bulldog guard, Phil Lewis, grabbed a rebound on the defensive end, and drove upcourt for a dish to Miller that he layed in for a 2-2 tie at the 16:20 mark. Nearly a minute and a half later, Metuchen went ahead with a layup off a drive from the left side of the key for a 4-2 lead at the 14:46 mark.
A minute and a half afterward, Miller battled Monroe’s Mario Danza for position, and took in an entry pass for a layup that made the score, 6-2 with 13:15 to go. Monroe would answer though with a score of its own courtesy of a Steve Eigerd drive through the middle for a layup that made the score, 6-4 at the 12:35 mark. Almost a minute and fourteen seconds later, Nick Isola was fouled on a layup attempt that resulted in one of two free throws for a 6-5 Metuchen lead with 11:21 to go before the intermission. Isola then followed that up with a hard drive through the right side of the key to bank one in for a 7-6 advantage as Monroe had put together a 5-0 run in a span of just 2:40. Metuchen would take the lead back though with a jumper from the left wing that made the score, 8-7 with 7:16 left in the half. Guerriero would knot the game back up by drawing a foul that resulted in one of two from the line that made the score, 8-8 at the 6:40 mark.
For almost a minute and a half, neither team scored before Miller grabbed an offensive rebound, and handed out an assist on a jumper for a 10-8 Bulldog lead at the 5:19 mark. Kevin Brix attempted to knot the game again, but misfired on a couple free throws at the 4:42 mark so Metuchen still clinged to its two point edge. A minute and ten seconds later, the Falcons called for time with the scoreboard still reading 10-8 in favor of Metuchen, which was in the midst of a 4-1 run. Following the timeout, Danza was able to draw a foul on Miller after grabbing an offensive rebound of an airball. He then sank one of two from the line to cut the deficit in half at 10-9. For nearly two minutes, neither team got on the board before the Bulldogs closed out the first half scoring with a skip pass from the right wing to the left side for a layup that made the score, 12-9 at the break.
In the first half, Monroe made three field goals, and went 3 of 5 at the line while Metuchen knocked in six field goals. Dorian Miller registered four points on two field goals in the first half while also collecting 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. In the second half, there were four lead changes while neither team had a lead bigger than eleven points. The Falcons began the half with 7 unanswered points including a Ryan Stolte drive from the right wing at the 19:28 mark for a 12-11 Metuchen lead. Fleites followed that up with a foul line jumper for a 13-12 edge at the 18:05 mark. Following a Metuchen timeout with 16:52 to play, Monroe went right back to work as Danza kicked the ball out to Chris Germano for a three pointer from the left wing that made the score, 16-12 with 13:39 to go. The Bulldogs wouldn’t get on the board until about seven minutes into the second half. The team’s first field goal didn’t arrive until the 11:49 mark.
Miller was the focal point of the Bulldog scoring at this point with a nice catch of an errant pass, and then a great look for a layup attempt that resulted in a foul, and produced one of two at the line for a 16-13 Monroe lead at the 12:08 mark. Twenty-one seconds later, Miller plucked another offensive rebound, and followed it home for a 16-15 Monroe lead at the 11:49 mark. Nearly a minute and a half later, Metuchen scored on an off balanced shot to take a 17-16 lead. On a subsequent Monroe possession, the Falcons took their last lead of the game courtesy of a back door cut for a layup that made the score, 18-17 with 9:36 left. Metuchen would call for time with 9:16 to go, but after the stoppage, the Bulldogs continued on its decisive run with a crucial three pointer by Lewis from the left corner at the 7:35 mark that made the score, 22-18.
The Bulldogs had two opportunities to increase its lead, but were unable to. First with 6:27 left, Metuchen missed two foul shots, and then after Miller grabbed two offensive rebounds of the missed second shot, tried to put it back in both times, and drew a foul, but misfired on its two free throw chances as well. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs would score the next seven points on a nice entry pass to Miller for a layup that made it 24-18 at the 4:08 mark, an offensive rebound and putback by Miller following one of two at the line by Miller for a 27-18 advantage at the 3:20 mark, and then a rebound and outlet by Miller to Lewis for the fast break, and dish for a layup that capped the 12-0 run for a 29-18 edge. Monroe would try to rally with a 5-0 run over a 1:07 span to pull within six again, but couldn’t get closer in the 30-23 loss.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metuchen (2-1) | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| Monroe (2-2) | 9 | 14 | 23 |