NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–On Saturday, June 21st, GMC Hoops started the official summer season with a visit to the College Avenue Barn on the main campus of Rutgers University to take in some of the action from the 2008 Hoop Group Showcase. Despite staying late at work, the web site did manage to see a couple games from the final hour of play including Susquehanna versus Paterson Catholic, and Union versus Milford Mill.
It also managed to obtain some results concerning the two GMC teams competing in the event including Piscataway and St. Joseph’s. The Chiefs got a bye in the first round, and then played New Rochelle in the second round. Last year, New Rochelle, the home of former Rutgers football standout, Ray Rice, took on St. Joseph’s, and won in a thrilling game. St. Joseph’s did not receive a bye. Below are the results from the games played by Piscataway and St. Joseph’s.
Hoop Group Showcase GMC Results
- New Rochelle over Piscataway–Second Round
- Brick Memorial over St. Joseph’s–First Round
- Piscataway over Harlem Metro–Consolation Round
- Winslow over St. Joseph’s–Consolation Round
Union Defeats Milford Mill In A Barnburner, 71-67
During the intermission of the game being played between Susquehanna and Paterson Catholic in the nightcap round of games at the College Avenue Barn, GMC Hoops took some time out to check up on the matchup involving the Union Farmers and Milford Mill. The Farmers, which are coached by former Piscataway and New Brunswick head coach, Tony DiGiovanni, and assistant coach, Frank DeLuca, a former standout at North Brunswick and Solebury Prep, had their hands full with Milford Mill. The web site picked up the action with Milford Mill leading by a point, 53-52 at the 6:45 mark of the second half. Ten seconds later, the Farmers took a one point lead on a score that made it 54-53 with 6:35 remaining. Moments later though, Milford Mill tied the contest up at 54-54 with a one of two showing at the foul line.
On its very next possession though, Union took the lead again thanks to a jumper from the left corner that made the score, 56-54 with 6:17 to go. Following a timeout at the 6:03 mark, the Farmers increased their lead thanks to an offensive rebound and follow off a missed foul line extended jumper that drew a foul, and resulted in one of two from the line for a 57-54 edge at the 5:33 mark. Milford Mill then scored on a layup to pull within one again at 57-56, and eventually took the lead with a three pointer from the left wing at the 4:30 mark for a 59-57 score. The game continued to teeter totter back and forth as Union came right back on its next offensive series with a floater from the left side that knotted the game at 59-59.
It didn’t take long for the Farmers to take the lead again either. Twenty-one seconds after tying the game, Union got the ball back, and scored on a kickout to the left wing for a jumper that made the score, 61-59 with 3:49 to go. The contest, which had 7 lead changes and 2 ties in the last 6:45 alone, continued to go back and forth as Milford Mill came right back down on its next possession to connect on a trifecta from the right wing for a 62-61 lead with 3:23 left in regulation. Union continued to battle and persist thanks to great hustle like on its next possession, where it scrambled to get a loose ball and turned it into a score on a layup that put it in front again by a 63-62 margin with 3:01 to play. Milford Mill attempted to take the lead back on a subsequent possession, but Union blocked a shot that deflected off a Milford Mill player out of bounds with 2:39 left. Fourteen seconds later, Farmers got another score on an offensive rebound and follow that made the score, 65-62 at the 2:25 mark.
Capitalizing on another Milford Mill turnover, Union converted a steal for a layup while drawing a foul for a 67-62 lead with 1:55 remaining. The Farmers had a chance to complete the traditional three point play, but failed to make the bonus free throw. Eight seconds later, Milford Mill clicked on a jumper from the left wing for a 67-64 Union advantage with 1:47 to go. Union went back up by five though thanks to another offensive rebound, and follow off a missed layup attempt on an inbounds play that made the score, 69-64 at the 1:26 mark. The Farmers were able to hang on from there in an exciting finish to a thrilling game, 71-67.
Susquehanna Holds Off Furious Second Half Charge By Paterson Catholic For 70-66 Win
In the featured game of the night for the web site, Susquehanna was battling Paterson Catholic on the main court at the Barn. This contest was a tale of two different halves with Susquehanna jumping out to a 41-23 lead at halftime, and leading by as much as 55-36 with 7:40 to go in the second half. However, Paterson Catholic battled back with its pressure defense that forced numerous turnovers that resulted in a 43-29 showing in the final period of play. Nevertheless, Susquehanna was able to prevail by a slim, 70-66 margin. Upon arriving in the gym, Susquehanna was only leading by four at 18-14 with 7:19 remaining in the first half. The Pennsylvania school then scored four of the next six points including a dunk to take a 22-16 lead at the 6:13 mark.
Both teams then scored four points each over the next 1:13 for a 26-20 Susquehanna lead with five minutes remaining before halftime. After there were major substitutions at the 4:17 mark, Susquehanna began to take over as it embarked on its 15-3 tear. The assault started with a three pointer from the left corner for a 29-20 lead at the 3:43 mark. Paterson Catholic then turned the ball over on its next possession at the 3:06 mark, and then Susquehanna made them pay with a baseline drive from the left side for a two handed flush that increased the lead to eleven at 31-20 with 2:50 remaining in the first half. Susquehanna then increased the lead to 33-20 on a layup that compelled the Cougars to call a timeout with 2:29 to go before the brief intermission. Paterson Catholic continued to struggle as well with an 0 of 2 showing from the foul line with 1:57 to go in the half.
Susquehanna then scored once more on a drive through the middle from the right side for a layup attempt that was off the mark, but rebounded and putback in for a 35-20 lead with 1:32 to go in the half. Forty seconds after that, Susquehanna scored again on a floater that made it 37-20 with 52 seconds remaining before the half. The Pennsylvania school then closed out the first half with a 4-3 run including a three pointer from the left wing as time expired for its 41-23 advantage at the break. In the second half though, the game turned dramatically as Paterson Catholic fought valiantly to get back into the contest. After watching the end of the game between Union and Milford Mill in an adjacent court, GMC Hoops returned to the action with 7:40 to play.
Upon returning, the site saw Susquehanna had increased its lead slightly to 19 at 55-36. However, the Cougars were beginning to climb back into the game. Paterson Catholic’s pressure defense had begun to cause chaos for a Susquehanna team that had appeared to be in so much control. PC, which is the school where Villanova and NBA standout, Tim Thomas played at, scored five of the next seven points to close the gap to 57-41 with 5:41 to play. The Cougars then scored 6 of the next 8 for an 11-4 spurt that trimmed the deficit even further to 59-47. Capping the run was a steal for a layup at the 4:47 mark. Paterson Catholic then made one of two at the foul line thanks to a technical foul that pulled it to within 11 at 59-48 with 4:32 left. Continuing to build momentum, and creep closer, the Cougars got the deficit down to single digits with a three pointer at the 4:20 mark for a 59-51 Susquehanna edge. Paterson Catholic could have gotten even closer, but Susquehanna drew a crucial charge with 4:07 to play, and then the Cougars were called for goaltending, which raised the deficit back to ten at 61-51.
Susquehanna then added four of the next six points to go back up by a dozen at 65-53 with just 3:15 left. With a running clock, the odds didn’t look good for Paterson Catholic, but the Cougars were not deterred, and pressed forward in the hopes of still making it all the way back. Over the next 2:52, the Cougars embarked on a 10-2 tear that consisted of two 5-1 bursts that suddenly made it a four point game at 67-63. Unfortunately for Paterson Catholic, Susquehanna was able to net two key free throws for a 69-63 lead at the 23 second mark. On the very next Paterson Catholic possession, the Cougars, which were last seen by GMC Hoops in the 2007 Tip-Off Classic against St. Raymond’s of the Bronx, got a three pointer from Shaquille Thomas to pull them to within three at 69-66 with 15 seconds to go. However, PC was unable to get any closer as Susquehanna came up with a one of two showing at the foul line to wrap up the 70-66 win.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna | 41 | 29 | 70 |
| Paterson Catholic | 23 | 43 | 66 |