SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–It was a light schedule on Friday since the holiday weekend brought opportunities for games on Saturday and Monday while giving some a chance to rest as we hit the halfway mark in the 2009-10 Greater Middlesex Conference boys basketball season. There was one crossover game, and three non-conference games on the docket. Two contests involved teams from the GMC Blue while three consisted of teams from the GMC Gold.
The featured game by the site was a contest between South River and East Brunswick Tech, which was won by the Rams, 74-56 on Friday afternoon in East Brunswick. South River jumped out to a 27-7 first quarter lead, and led by as much as 24 in the first half before E.B. Tech rallied to pull within 14 near the end of the third. However, the Rams wouldn’t let the Tigers get any closer as this South River team is one that will not let teams get back into games after taking big leads. Shawn Fenton led the way with 21 points, 8 rebounds, an assist, and a steal while Brandon Walsh chipped in with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and an assist. See more analysis on this game in the blog.
In other action from the GMC Blue, the Highland Park Owls won their second straight game over Timothy Christian since the end of last season by a score of 51-38. The Owls broke away from a 10-10 first quarter tie with a 9-2 showing in the second, and then after an 11-11 stalemate in the third, pulled out the win with a 21-15 effort in the fourth. Senior guard, David Webb led the way with a game high 21 points for Highland Park while Nate Smith added 10 points on five field goals, and Mike Long chipped in with 9 points on three field goals and three free throws. TCS, which will be in the GMC Gold next season, got 12 points and 7 rebounds from David Bonamo. This game was a much needed victory for the Owls, which had lost four of five games coming in. Highland Park still has a shot of making the states though.
Elsewhere in the GMC Gold, Perth Amboy Tech rolled to its fourth victory of the season with a 75-51 decision over Morris Tech. Rashad Adams led all scorers with a game high 27 points on 13 field goals and a foul shot while Malcolm Batts added 18 points on nine field goals. Anthony Pena also chipped in with 11 points on four field goals and a three pointer. The Patriots outscored Morris Tech by a margin of 59-35 over the first three periods, and then coasted from there. Amboy Tech is in the same boat as South River, E.B. Tech, and Highland Park. All four of these teams have slumped lately, but have chances to still get into the state playoffs if they can round up some victories before the state cutoff. Like South River and Highland Park, the Pats got a much needed win.
Finally, Piscataway Tech broke into the win column for only the second time this season with a 60-40 victory over Ranney. The Raiders had another chance at getting a win on Tuesday when it traveled up to Morris Tech.