NEPTUNE, NJ–On Monday night, GMC Hoops headed down Route 18 South to Monmouth County to take in the sixth week of action in the 2010 Hoop Group Headquarters Spring League. Both GMC teams, South River and Monroe played earlier in the evening. So, the site took in a contest involving one of the G-Force AAU teams from Union County. Prior to the Division B contest between Southern Regional and G-Force Black, the site took in the final seven plus minutes of play between Ocean Township and St. Rose in a contest from Division A.
Ocean Township Surges Past St. Rose For Win, 41-37
Prior to watching the nightcap game on the Sixers Court between Southern Regional and G-Force Black, GMC Hoops took in some Shore Conference action from Division A as Ocean Township took on St. Rose of Belmar. It was second week in a row that the site saw some action involving the Purple Roses of St. Rose. Last week, St. Rose pulled away from Asbury Park Black for a 48-37 victory.
GMC Hoops arrived with 8:18 remaining in the contest, and St. Rose leading by a score of 35-23. However, Ocean Township rallied with a surge to win the game. The Spartans, which compete in the Class B North division, went on an 18-2 tear to finish the game for a 41-37 victory. Ocean began the run with a three pointer at the 7:17 mark, and followed it up with another at the 6:49 mark to close the gap to 35-29. St. Rose then committed a turnover at the 6:37 mark, and Ocean took advantage with a layup underneath for a 8-0 run, and a 35-31 score as St. Rose called timeout with 6:16 left.
Following the stoppage, the Spartans scored on another layup underneath from the left side for a 10-0 run, and a 35-33 score with 5:38 left. Neither team would score for the next 2:32 before St. Rose got its only points of the span on a layup off a drive at the 3:06 for a 37-33 lead. Ocean Township then connected on a three pointer from the top of the key with 1:55 left for a 37-36 St. Rose lead. The Spartans had a chance to pull closer, but committed a turnover at the 1:45 mark. Ocean kept battling though, and eventually forced a steal off a loose ball at halfcourt that resulted in a layup for a 38-37 lead with just inside a half minute left. St. Rose then called timeout with 19 seconds to play, but failed to score by missing a layup with 16 seconds left. Ocean then closed out the 41-37 victory with a three point play in the waning moments.
With the win, Ocean improved to 2-4 on the spring while St. Rose dropped to 3-3.
Surge Propels Southern Regional Past G-Force Black, 78-66
Despite the efforts of Bishop Ahr senior, Rob Gomulka, G-Force Black came up short against Southern Regional in Division B action from the sixth week of play at the 2010 Hoop Group Headquarters Spring League in Neptune. Gomulka went 4 of 10 from the floor including a three pointer, and netted two foul shots while grabbing six rebounds, handing out three assists, and picking up a steal in limited play, but his teammates lost to a Southern Regional team that was coming off a solid win over South River a week ago.
In a game that was back and forth for much of the night with nine lead changes and seven ties in the first half alone with neither team leading by more than four points over the first 20 minutes, Southern Regional used a 15-2 tear over a span of 5:43 bridging the final 32 seconds of the first half to the 14:49 mark of the second half for a 48-35 lead, and never looked back in a 78-66 victory. It was one of the highest scoring games of the spring. Both teams combined for 70 points in the first half, and 74 in the second half with Southern Regional getting the majority of those points in both periods.
G-Force Black kicked off the scoring in the contest with a three pointer from the left wing just 16 seconds into the game for a 3-0 lead. Southern countered with a three of its own to tie things up at 3-3 at the 19:25 mark. The exchange of threes continued a little bit longer as G-Force Black went back out in front on a trey from the right wing at the 19:06 mark for a 6-3 edge. Southern Regional pulled within one on a layup at the 19 minute mark, but G-Force stayed in front with an offensive rebound and follow a the 18:24 mark for an 8-5 lead. The Rams made it a one point game again on a jumper from the right wing that made the score, 8-7 at the 17:26 mark.
G-Force Black managed to stay in front though with a rebound of a Southern Regional miss, and subsequent coast to coast layup at the other end for a 10-7 lead with 16:36 to go in the first half. The Rams crept within one again on a layup at the 16:22 mark that made the score, 10-9. Southern then took the lead with a steal for a dunk at the 16:05 mark for an 11-10 score. G-Force took the lead back at 12-11 on a turnaround jumper in the right low block with 15:38 to go in the first half. Southern Regional wrestled the lead back with a score with about 14:45 remaining in the period, but G-Force Black got a basket while being fouled, but missed the bonus free throw for a 14-13 lead at the 12:33 mark.
Southern tied the game up at 14-14 with one of two from the line at the 12:07 mark, but G-Force Black went back out in front at 16-14 with two foul shots at the eleven minute mark. The Rams continued the seesaw affair with a three pointer from the top of the key at the 9:49 mark for a 17-16 edge only to have G-Force counter with a field goal at the other end on its next possession for an 18-17 lead at the 9:23 mark. The Stallions then went up by three on an offensive rebound and follow of a Gomulka miss at the 8:51 mark for a 20-17 lead. Southern replied with a two handed jam at the other end at the 8:29 mark, and a jumper at the 7:37 mark for a 21-20 lead. G-Force tied things up again at 21-21 with a one of two showing at the charity stripe with 7:11 to go in the half.
Nearly two minutes would go by before another score, and it would be from Southern Regional in the form of a pair of foul shots following a foul on a layup attempt with 5:16 to go for a 23-21 lead. Just under a minute later, G-Force tied the game at 23-23 as Gomulka got on the board for the first time in the contest with a putback at the 4:17 mark. Seconds later, the Rams went ahead again with a drive for a layup at the 4:07 mark for a 25-23 score. A little over a half minute later, it was tied again at 25-25 as G-Force Black scored on a layup at the 3:31 mark. On the ensuing Southern possession, Gomulka swiped a steal and drove in for a layup, and a 27-25 lead at the 3:17 mark.
Southern Regional tied the game again at 27-27 with a pair of free throws at the 2:49 mark. Those foul shots sparked a 6-0 run that included a fast break layup at the 2:02 mark, and an offensive rebound and reverse layup at the 1:37 mark for a 31-27 lead. G-Force then pulled within one on a three pointer from the left wing at the 1:20 mark. The Rams went back up by three with several offensive rebounds for a layup to make the score, 33-30 at the 1:03 mark. G-Force then tied it for the final time at 33-33 with a three pointer from the left corner at the 52 second mark. Southern then closed the first half with the final four points in the form of a three pointer from the left side at the 32 second mark, and one of two from the line at the 12 second mark for a 37-33 lead. Gomulka had 4 points on 2 of 6 field goals along with 2 rebounds and a steal in the first 20 minutes.
The Rams picked up right where they left off with two offensive rebounds for a layup and a foul that was converted into a three point play for a 40-33 lead with 19:15 left. The Stallions responded with a layup at the 17:41 mark for a 40-35 score, but Southern went back up by seven with a short hook for a 42-35 score. The Rams had a chance to go up by more, but missed two foul shots. Southern did manage to get the ensuing offensive rebound on a jump ball and alternate possession at the 16:35 mark. The Ocean County school then got another layup and a foul for a traditional three point play at the 15:41 mark, and a three pointer from the right corner at the 14:49 mark for a 48-35 lead.
From there G-Force would never recover despite getting a couple free throws at the 8:52 mark for a 63-49 score. Southern Regional would lead by as many as 14 points the rest of the way in the 78-66 victory. With the win, Southern improved to 4-2 on the spring while G-Force Black dropped to .500 at 3-3.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Regional (4-2) | 37 | 41 | 78 |
| G-Force Black (3-3) | 33 | 33 | 66 |