SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–On Monday, there was a very light schedule around the Greater Middlesex Conference with only three games played on the Martin Luther King Day Holiday. However, two of them were very entertaining ones for those who were in attendance. Of the three matchups, one was a game against a non-conference foe while the other two were crossover contests. First, we’ll take a look at the non-conference matchup between St. Joseph’s and Moore Catholic.
The Falcons improved to 10-2 overall on the season, and 3-2 against non-conference opponents with a 60-34 victory over Moore Catholic. Junior forward, Robbie Ashamole turned in a superb performance with a career high of 18 points along with 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Meanwhile, sophomore Quenton DeCosey continues to score in double digits with 11 points that all came in the first half of play. Steve Rennard and Eric Peterson also chipped in with 10 points apiece. The Falcons jumped out to a 28-13 halftime advantage against the Staten Island school, and never looked back en route to its tenth victory of the season. The victory was the seventh straight for St. Joe’s, which took on St. Anthony’s on Wednesday night. So far this year, the GMC is 2-0 against teams from the New York Catholic League. Old Bridge defeated Monsignor Farrell over the holidays in the Randolph Roundball Festival. The conference is now 41-27 versus foes outside Middlesex County.
The other two games were much closer. Bishop Ahr got a huge win for itself and the rest of the GMC Blue as it upset second ranked East Brunswick in North Edison. The BGA led by as many as 11 points at one point before the Bears rallied to close to within one with 3:21 remaining. However, the Trojans managed to pull out the much needed win. Seniors Darius Griffin and Justin Peoples each had a career high 18 points while Ahr only committed 13 turnovers as a team. The reduction in miscues really was a key since BGA had been struggling with turnovers coming into the matchup. The Trojans trailed by five after one, but exploded with a 25-11 surge in the second to take a 37-28 lead going into the locker room at halftime. Junior Pat Widdoss chipped in with 9 points while EB was led by junior guard, Anthony Guisti with 10 points. A win like this gives Bishop Ahr a world of confidence while the rest of the Blue Division gains legitimacy. The GMC Blue is now 11-0 in crossover games this season.
Finally, New Brunswick remained undefeated in its new gym thanks to an overtime victory over neighborhood rival, Piscataway. The Zebras got a tremendous performance from sophomore Milton Pittman, who scored a career high 20 points in the 63-62 win. In overtime, Pittman scored six straight points that turned a three point deficit into a three point lead with less than a minute and a half remaining. Simuel Williams, who was game MVP for the Zebras in the finale of the MLK Jamboree at NBHS, netted two free throws with 25 seconds left to seal the victory and collected 17 points and 7 rebounds. Jaquan Cook added 11 points for New Brunswick while P-Way senior forward, Wayne Newsome turned in another monster effort with a double-double of 25 points, 14 boards, and 4 blocks.
The victory for the Zebras was the eighth out of their last ten after starting the season at 0-3. New Brunswick loves its new home as it has won all five contests since it opened after the new year. Cook remains a consistent performer with another double figure scoring game while Pittman has begun to become a force down low as well. NBHS is starting to play like we thought they would this season. Meanwhile, Piscataway endured another difficult loss, but these growing pains will be good learning experiences for the talented sophomore bunch. The only question is will the sophs pay dividends as the Chiefs get closer to the state cutoff.