LINDEN, NJ–On Thursday afternoon, play in the 2010 Linden Summer League wrapped up with St. Patrick’s defeating St. Joseph’s in the Championship Game. It was the second straight year that a GMC team reached the final. Last year, Colonia defeated Hillsborough in the semifinals, but fell to the host school, Linden Tigers in the title game. This year, the GMC had two teams in the Final Four with East Brunswick losing to St. Pat’s in the semis.
This year, there were 14 teams that competed across two divisions that played on two different nights of the week at Linden. Six teams played in the Monday/Wednesday Division while eight played in the Tuesday/Thursday Division. The Greater Middlesex Conference was well represented this year with the most teams ever at LHS since GMC Hoops started covering this league back in the summer of 2003. Five teams including: Cardinal McCarrick, Colonia, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, and St. Joseph’s competed in the league. Colonia and New Brunswick played in the Monday/Wednesday Division while Cardinal McCarrick, East Brunswick, and St. Joseph’s played in the Tuesday/Thursday Division. McCarrick and St. Joe’s also did extra work by putting teams in other Union County Summer Leagues with the Eagles playing in Rahway while St. Joseph’s played in Elizabeth.
Other teams that competed in this league were three from the Skyland Conference in Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, and Immaculata, two from the Union County Conference in Linden and St. Patrick’s, one from the Shore Conference in Point Pleasant Beach, one from the PSAL in New York, and one from the North Jersey Tri-County League. GMC Hoops didn’t get up to Linden as much as it would have liked, but still managed to come up five times, and saw six games involving GMC teams.
The site saw St. Joseph’s three times against great competition in Hillsborough, Linden, and St. Patrick’s. The Falcons were 2-1 in those games including a victory over Linden in the semifinals (61-58). Quenton DeCosey led the way for the Falcons with an average of 15.7 points per game along with 9.7 rebounds per contest. He also averaged 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals per contest. DeCosey shot 15 of 35 overall in the three games for 43 percent including 6 of 14 from beyond the arc for the same percentage. He also was 11 of 19 from the free throw line for 58 percent. Jimbo Long chipped in with 10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.0 spg. Long shot 13 of 16 from the line for 81 percent. Kevin Mayce played in two of the games that were covered, and averaged 11.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 1.0 apg. Mayce shot 9 of 18 from the floor and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.
As a team, St. Joe’s averaged 52.3 points per game in the three contests they played while giving up 55.7 per contest. The Falcons shot 52 of 130 from the field for 40 percent including 16 of 46 from three point range for 35 percent. St. Joseph’s also went 37 of 55 from the charity stripe for 67 percent. Meanwhile, Falcon opponents were limited to 67 of 164 for 41 percent including 14 of 47 from three for 30 percent. Colonia and New Brunswick both went 1-1 in the two games covered by GMC Hoops with the Patriots defeating the Zebras back on July 21st while losing to Linden on July 7th. NBHS defeated Point Pleasant Beach the same day. GMC Hoops only saw East Brunswick once, and that was in the semifinals of the post-season tournament while it didn’t see McCarrick at all.
Colonia averaged 43 points per game while giving up 47 points per game. The Patriots shot 35 of 97 from the floor for 36 percent including 8 of 25 from three point range for 32 percent while making only 7 of 11 from the foul line. The Pats limited their opponents to 39 of 102 shooting for 38 percent including 5 of 27 from long distance for 19 percent. Jordan McDaniel and Dashon Johnson stood out for CHS with Johnson averaging 14 points per game in the two games covered by the site. Johnson made 13 of 24 shots for 54 percent. Meanwhile, the Zebras averaged 41 points per game, and yielded only 43 per contest. New Brunswick shot 39 of 90 from the floor overall for 43 percent, but only went 2 of 15 from beyond the arc while making one of seven from the free throw line. NBHS did, however, limit its foes to just 35 of 90 from the floor for 39 percent including 8 of 27 from beyond the arc.
Jaquan Cook averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 1.5 bpg in the two New Brunswick contests covered by GMC Hoops. Cook shot 14 of 27 from the floor over the two games for 52 percent. Teammate Fuquan Rogers chipped in for the Zebras by averaging 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, and 1.5 spg. Rogers shot 9 of 16 from the floor for NBHS in the two contests. Milton Pittman played in one of the two games covered by the site with 6 of 10 shooting against Point Beach for 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and a block. All five teams that played in this league will be tough this coming winter. Even though Colonia is moving up to the GMC Red, expect the Pats to still play well. St. Joe’s and EB will be fighting it out with Piscataway and CHS for division honors while McCarrick and New Brunswick will be competing with the likes of Monroe, Sayreville, and North Brunswick in the GMC White.