NEPTUNE, NJ–On Wednesday night, GMC Hoops returned to Rebounds to take in the final night of action from the 2009 Hoop Group Headquarters High School Boys Spring League. And, you know what that means? It means that it is Showcase Games time. This is the round of games set up by league director, Joe Stein, and it usually matches teams in Division A against teams from Division B. On this night, the site took in two games, which were both played on the Celtics Court, and involved the Fliers of Neptune. In the opener, Neptune rallied from an eight point halftime deficit by holding a hot shooting Toms River East squad to just 13 points in the second half for a 52-48 win. Then, in the nightcap, our featured game saw Monroe give the Scarlet Fliers all it could handle, but it wasn’t enough in a 51-47 loss.
Neptune Rallies In Second Half To Turn Away Toms River East, 52-48
Since it was a Wednesday, GMC Hoops was able to see both games at Rebounds in their full entirety, or just about. The first matchup was a true crossover as Neptune, which finished in a four way tie for first place in Division A at 5-2, took on Toms River East, the lone champion of Division B with a 6-1 record. The Raiders dominated the division by leading the league in point differential, and scoring defense. Meanwhile, the Fliers, which began the season undefeated at 4-0, entered the evening’s matchup with losses in two of their last three games including a defeat at the hands of Monroe on May 18th. There was a familiar face on the sideline for Toms River East. Coaching the Raiders was Centenary College Men’s Basketball’s sophomore guard and co-captain, Rob Urie, who graduated from TR-East. This past season, Urie helped the Cyclones post their best record in several years at 13-13 overall including an 8-8 record in conference play. One of his teammates is South Amboy’s Larry Lenahan.
Returning to the game, both teams combined for a bit of offense in the first half with 62 points with Toms River East taking it to Neptune. However, in the second half, the Scarlet Fliers stepped it up defensively by holding the Raiders to only 13 points in the final 20 minutes including no points at all over the final 3:54 in a 52-48 victory. The game saw a total of six lead changes and three ties while neither team had a lead larger than eight points. There were some huge swings in momentum though such as Toms River East’s 15-0 tear over a span of 5:15 out of the final 7:30 of the first half. Neptune, which only managed one point over the final 7:30 of the opening half jumped out to a 13-6 lead over the first 5:55 of the contest, and then closed the game with an 8-0 run. Soon to be senior Jamal Hubbard combined with Eugene Hicks to lead the way for the winners.
GMC Hoops arrived at the Celtics Court with just several minutes gone by in the game. With 16:20 left in the first half, Neptune was already leading by a score of 7-4. About thirty seconds later, the Fliers went up by five thanks to a fine athletic drive from the right side for a one handed floater that had just the right touch to make the score, 9-4 at the 15:50 mark. Toms River East then got their first score of the game following the site’s arrival on a field goal at the 15:36 mark. The Scarlet Fliers, which won the Group III State Title, and then lost to Lenape on a last second shot by Mike Celestin in the opening round of the Tournament of Champions, scored the next four points including a score on a nice entry pass into the right low block for a short jumper at the 14:05 mark that made the score, 13-6.
Toms River East fought back though, as it did all night in an effort to prove they belonged on the same stage with Neptune. Over the next 58 seconds, the Raiders got those four points back with scores including an offensive rebound and follow underneath for a 13-10 Neptune edge at the 13:07 mark. TR-East then got a steal and score for a 6-0 run that pulled the Raiders to within one at 13-12 before Neptune scored a layup at the 12:37 mark to go back up by three, 15-12. Twenty-five seconds later, Neptune was at it again with a transition layup following a missed three pointer by the Raiders for a 17-12 lead with 12:14 to go in the first half. The Scarlet Fliers then made it a 7-0 spurt with a three pointer that not only put them ahead, 20-14, but also forced the Raiders to call for a timeout at the 11:40 mark of the first half. Neptune wasn’t done either. The Fliers put together a nice pick and roll play that set up a jumper from the left wing for an 8-0 run, and a 22-14 lead.
At this point though, the game started to swing in the direction of the Raiders, which would outscore the Scarlet Fliers by a margin of 21-5 over the final 10:30 of the first half. TR-East started things off with four unanswered points including a steal for a layup to cut the deficit in half at 22-18 with 9:54 to go before the intermission. Neptune responded with a score to go back up by six, but then the Raiders got the bucket back with a fine pass for a layup that made the score, 24-20 at the 9:22 mark. The Fliers then went back up by six with a bucket at about the 7:30 mark, but then were held without a field goal for the rest of the half as Toms River East took things over. The tear began with some fine teamwork and ball movement on an offensive possession that produced a layup on the right side for a 26-22 Neptune lead at the 7:09 mark. Thirty-four seconds after that, the Raider defense came up with another steal, and converted it into points on a layup while being fouled. With a chance to pull within one, the Raiders missed the bonus free throw, and the Fliers still clinged to a two point, 26-24 lead at the 6:35 mark.
Toms River East then tied the game a short time later as its defense produced another steal that sparked a fast break for a layup attempt, and drew a foul that resulted in two free throws for a 26-26 score at the 5:51 mark of the first half. TR-East then took its first lead of the game since the site arrived on a three pointer from just to the right of the top of the key for a 29-26 edge with 4:28 to go in the half. The Raiders got another trey following a solid crosscourt pass over Neptune’s pressure to make it a 12-0 run, and a 32-26 lead with 2:49 to go in the first half. Toms River East then capped the run when the same player struck again from long distance for a 35-26 lead. Neptune then closed out the first half with a one of two free throws at the 1:54 mark that made the score, 35-27 going into the brief intermission.
The second half saw the defenses take over, and it occurred right away as neither team got a score until almost three minutes into the half. Toms River East put in some nice hustle and defense with a steal and a blocked shot, but the Fliers still managed to get a score to pull within six at 35-29. Nearly two more minutes would go by until more points got on the board as Neptune netted a pair of free throws for a 35-31 TR-East lead. Then, on its next possession, Toms River East got its first field goal and points of the half with a jumper from the left baseline at the 14:46 to go ahead by six, 37-31. Forty-nine seconds later, Toms River East scored another basket while being fouled, but missed another bonus free throw to go back up by eight at 39-31 with 13:57 left in the game. The Scarlet Fliers then reeled off the next six points in a row including two free throws at the 13:04 mark, a steal for a fast break layup at the 12:25 mark, and an offensive rebound and putback at the 11:45 mark to pull within two at 39-37.
Toms River East would get a score to go back up by four, but Neptune easily broke the Raider pressure for a layup at the 11:14 mark to pull within two again at 41-39. The Fliers then tied the game with a pair of free throws some 38 seconds later that made the score, 41-41. TRE then broke the tie with four unanswered points on scores down low. First, was a bucket while being fouled at the 9:44 mark, but the Raiders missed the bonus free throw. Almost two and a half minutes later, TR-East scored again on an offensive rebound, and putback with 7:24 remaining. Neptune then closed to within one on an inbounds play that produced a layup from the left side while being fouled, and a bonus free throw for a traditional three point play that made the score, 45-44 at the 6:35 mark. The Raiders then shut down Neptune by holding them scoreless for 3:39 while netting three of four free throws to take a 48-44 lead with 3:54 left.
Following a timeout at the 3:27 mark, Neptune didn’t get going right away, but finally showed some urgency with just under two minutes to play. The defense of the Scarlet Fliers stepped it up as it produced a steal that was converted into a layup that closed the gap to two at 48-46 with 1:56 to go. Thirty-six seconds later, Neptune tied the game up with a straight-on jumper that made the score, 48-48 at the 1:20 mark. Jamal Hubbard then put the Fliers up for good with a turnaround jumper from the right baseline for a 50-48 lead with 49.8 seconds left. Toms River East called for time with 41.5 seconds left, but failed to come up with a play to tie it back up. With 9.8 seconds remaining, the Raiders were called for a backcourt violation, and then after a Neptune timeout at the 6.3 second mark, the Scarlet Fliers came up with two huge free throws to sow up the victory. With the win, Neptune closed out the spring with a 6-2 record as did Toms River East.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neptune (6-2) | 27 | 25 | 52 |
| Toms River East (6-2) | 35 | 13 | 48 |
Neptune Does Double Duty As It Defeats Monroe, 51-47
Monroe was scheduled to play Mater Dei in the Purple Birds Showcase Game, but the Seraphs did not show, and thus forefitted. It was the second straight forefeit by Mater Dei, which didn’t show on Monday night either. So, Neptune, which defeated Toms River East in their Showcase Game, was forced to take on double duty by playing the Falcons in the nightcap game on the Celtics court. It was another competitive game that the Fliers won again by four. Scoring was more balanced over the two halves as both teams combined for 51 points in the first half, and 47 in the second half. There were eight lead changes and four ties in the contest, all coming in the first half, while neither team had a lead larger than eight points. Once more, it was Neptune’s defense that proved to be a factor while the Fliers also caused mayhem on the offensive boards.
For the game, the Falcons were just 17 of 52 overall from the floor for 32.7 percent including a 5 of 17 effort from beyond the arc for only 23.4 percent. The Falcons were also 8 of 13 from the charity stripe for 61.5 percent. In the rebounding department, the Purple Birds struggled for the second straight game with only a total of 25 boards including 13 on the offensive boards. Travis Dufner collected 11 rebounds overall including eight on the offensive glass. Monroe also tallied 11 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and a charge while making 9 turnovers. Leading the way in the loss was Timmy Brix, who went 6 of 12 from the floor overall including a three pointer while making 2 of 5 from the line for 15 points. The soon to be senior also collected 4 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and a charge. Travis Dufner only had four points, but along with his 11 boards, the junior forward handed out 4 assists while blocking two shots.
Things started off positively for Monroe, which defeated Neptune earlier in the spring, as the Falcons jumped out to the early lead. Dufner got his only field goal of the game on a layup to put Monroe ahead, but Neptune answered with a layup of their own to tie things up at 2-2 at the 19:29 mark. On the Falcons next possession, freshman point guard, Ahmid Williams, netted two free throws for a 4-2 lead at the 18:51 mark. Neither team scored for almost two minutes until Neptune was cited for a goaltending call at the 17:00 mark. A minute after that, junior forward, Jamal Hubbard was fouled on a drive by Dufner, and clicked on both his free throw attempts to pull the Fliers within two at 6-4. Hubbard scored again a minute and a half later when he picked up an offensive rebound, and put it back in to tie the contest at 6-6 with 14:30 to go in the first half. Over a minute passed before Neptune got on the board again with a nice dish underneath for a 6-0 run, and an 8-6 lead. A little more than a minute after that, the Scarlet Fliers closed out the run with an offensive rebound and follow for a 10-6 lead at the 12:16 mark.
Monroe wouldn’t get its third field goal of the game until Brix drove in for a layup that pulled the Purple Birds to within two at 10-8 at the 11:20 mark. Moments later, Monroe got the ball back, and into the hands of Brix, who connected from long distance, for an 11-10 lead at the 11:08 mark. Neptune then went back on top with a three pointer of its own from the right wing at the 10:16 mark that made the score, 13-11. The Scarlet Fliers then added a field goal for a 5-0 run, and a 15-11 lead before Williams swiped a steal, and converted it into a layup to close the gap to 15-13 at the 8:39 mark. Danny Brix, who didn’t play on Monday night against Toms River North, capped what had become a Monroe 7-0 run with a three pointer from the right wing for an 18-15 lead with 6:53 remaining in the half.
However, Neptune would score five of the next seven points including a steal for a fast break layup while being fouled for a conventional three point play that knotted the score at 20-20 with 3:16 left in the first half. The Purple Birds would got back on top with a field goal, but Neptune eventually tied things up again with a layup at the 40.8 second mark that made the score, 22-22. Just seconds later, Neptune had another steal for a three point play to go on top, 25-22 with 35.4 seconds to go before halftime. Dufner then got his final points of the night with a pair of free throws that made the score, 25-24 with 18.8 seconds to go in the half, but Neptune ended up leading by three going into the intermission thanks to an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer that made the score, 27-24.
In the second half, both teams continued to fight tooth and nail, but Neptune would prevail in the end. Eugene Hicks got things started with a drive along the right baseline for a layup as Monroe’s Timmy Brix didn’t get the foul call at the 18:43 mark. Monroe didn’t get its first points of the half until the 16:15 mark when Kenny Pace came up with a three pointer from the right wing to pull within three at 29-27. Two minutes later though, Neptune replied with a three pointer of its own from the left wing for a 32-27 lead at the 14:15 mark. Over the next 1:15, the Falcons scored six of the next ten points including a three pointer by Danny Brix, and one of two from the line by Williams to close the gap to 36-33 at exactly the thirteen minute mark of the second half. However, Neptune replied again with five of the next seven points including a three point play by Hubbard at the 10:51 mark for a 41-35 lead.
Almost a minute later, Neptune got on the board again with an offensive rebound and follow at the 9:55 mark that gave the Scarlet Fliers their biggest lead of the game, 43-35. Pace then netted one of two from the line to close the gap to 43-36 at the 9:27 mark. Neither team would score for over a minute and a half before Neptune called a timeout at the 7:55 mark. Following the stoppage, the Purple Birds went on a 7-3 run over the next 3:22 including a field goal and three pointer by freshman, Victor Sorrento, and a layup by Mike Mahmoud for a 46-43 Neptune lead. The Fliers then got a field goal, and Timmy Brix only made one of two at the line for a 48-44 score at the 1:14 mark, but Brix redeemed himself as he went to the floor for a third time to draw the only Monroe charge in the game at the 1:02 mark. He then took the ball, drove the ball downcourt, missed the layup attempt, got his own rebound, and scored on the follow while being fouled. He missed the bonus free throw, and Dufner couldn’t score on the follow so Neptune clinged to a tenuous, 48-46 lead with 51.7 seconds left.
Eighteen seconds later, Monroe had a chance to tie, but Hubbard drew a charge on Brix at the 33.0 second mark, and then netted two free throws to go up by four at 50-46 with 29.3 seconds left. The Falcons caught a break when the Scarlet Fliers were assessed a technical foul by the officials, but Brix only made one of two again at the line for a 50-47 score. Monroe did get the ball on the side out though, and still had a chance to tie with a three, but Timmy Brix was unable to connect from beyond the arc. Neptune got the rebound, and was fouled, which resulted in a one of two showing that closed out the 51-47 victory. Both teams finished the spring at 6-2.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neptune (6-2) | 27 | 24 | 51 |
| Monroe (6-2) | 24 | 23 | 47 |
GMC Hoops plans to see some action from the Rebounds Summer League when it gets underway in the next couple weeks.