RAHWAY, NJ–On Friday night, GMC Hoops traveled out to Rahway High School to catch all four games from Friday night action from the 2010 Rahway Summer League. This was the final day of the regular season. All four games involved two teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference. In the first game, A.L. Johnson upset South Plainfield. Then, in game two, Cardinal McCarrick and Perth Amboy went at it in a double overtime thriller. In the third game, the host school, Rahway and J.F. Kennedy went at it. Finally, in the finale, St. Joseph’s took Union Catholic down to the wire before losing.
A.L. Johnson Registers Upset Of South Plainfield On Eve Of Playoffs, 42-35
The site managed to catch much of the action from the second half of the game between A.L. Johnson and South Plainfield. The Tigers had entered the contest with a record of 4-3 while A.L. Johnson was looking for its second win of the summer at Rahway. We picked up the action in this contest with 14:16 remaining and the Crusaders in front by a score of 24-16. The Tigers got a point on a subsequent possession by making one of two from the line at the 13:30 mark for a 24-17 score. Johnson Regional, which is based in Clark, got that point back with one of two from the line for a 25-17 lead at the 12:55 mark.
The Crusaders then scored seven of the next nine points for an 8-2 run and a 32-19 lead. First, after an SPHS score, they got a field goal at the 12:26 mark to take a 27-19 advantage. Then, thirty seconds later, Johnson went up by double digits with a three pointer from the left side at the 11:56 mark for a 30-19 lead. Finally, A.L. Johnson capped the run with a layup from the right side at the 11:07 mark for a thirteen point lead. On the ropes, South Plainfield fought back with nine unanswered points over the next 5:19 to pull within four. Denzel Mensah started the run with one of two from the foul line at the 10:17 mark for a 32-20 score. Following a Crusader turnover at the 9:50 mark, Ray Perez found Joe Skwiat for a three pointer from the right side to close the gap to nine at 32-23 with 9:33 left.
SP had some other chances to score and get closer too. With eight minutes remaining, Mensah grabbed a rebound, and passed upcourt to Perez, who missed a layup attempt. Skwiat was there to pick up his teammate with an offensive rebound and follow attempt that drew a foul, and produced one of two from the line for a 32-24 score. On the missed second foul shot, Mensah got the offensive board, and passed back to Skwiat for a layup attempt that just rolled out with 7:55 remaining. The Tigers defense began to tighten though, and a blocked shot sparked a fast break that was capped by a Mensah layin for a 32-26 Johnson lead at the 7:37 mark. There was a lull in the scoring for nearly two minutes until Skwiat deflected a pass that was stolen, and that created another scoring opportunity in the form of a layup attempt that drew a foul. SPHS converted the two free throws to cap the 9-0 run for a 32-28 Crusader lead with 5:48 to go.
Following an A.L. Johnson timeout with 5:04 to go, the Tigers had another chance to score when they stole an errant inbounds pass. However, they were unable to get any points out of it as the Crusaders came up with a blocked shot at the 4:30 mark. Johnson then ended a scoring drought of 7:29 by making one of two from the charity stripe for a 33-28 lead with 3:38 to go. The Crusaders also got the offensive rebound, but put up a bad shot instead of running some time off the clock. South Plainfield couldn’t take advantage though as Mensah was called for traveling with 3:05 to play. Johnson Regional then put together some nice passing and execution that culminated in a layup and a 35-28 lead with 2:38 left.
The Clark school then added a couple more points with one of two free throws at the 1:49 mark, and then after an offensive rebound, another one of two from the charity stripe with 1:28 remaining for a 37-28 lead. The Tigers didn’t give up yet though. After an SPHS timeout at the 1:24 mark, the Tigers scored five of the next six points including a three pointer from the right wing by Perez with 30 seconds to go for a 38-33 Johnson lead. South Plainfield then quickly fouled to force the Crusaders to go to the line. The tactic seemed to work as A.L. Johnson missed two free throws with 29.1 seconds left, but it got the offensive rebound, and drew another foul that produced two free throws for a 40-33 lead with 27.4 seconds left. Both teams scored two points each down the stretch as Skwiat put together a baseline drive from the left side for a layin to close out the scoring.
With the 42-35 victory, Johnson, seeded 11th in the playoffs, finished the regular season at 2-8, and took on sixth seeded Woodbridge in the opening round of the playoffs while South Plainfield, seeded seventh, ended the regular season at 4-4. The Tigers took on tenth seeded J.F. Kennedy in the opening round on Monday.
Gorman Overcomes Shooting Woes To Lift McCarrick Past Amboy In 2 OTs, 49-47
.
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | 2 OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal McCarrick (9-1) | 15 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 49 |
| Perth Amboy (8-2) | 21 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 47 |
Rahway Downs Kennedy, 53-38
In the third game of the night, some geographic rivals went at it as J.F. Kennedy looked to finish its regular season on a high note when it took on Rahway. The Indians were battling Cardinal McCarrick and Perth Amboy for top playoff seeds, and were most likely going to get a bye in the first round while Kennedy was going to have to play in the opening round scheduled to take place on Monday. RHS caused all kinds of problems for JFK as it forced 24 turnovers by the Mustangs. The Indians took advantage by scoring 16 points off those turnovers while attacking the offensive glass for 19 boards that were converted into 15 second chance points. Rahway took a 29-15 halftime lead, and didn’t let Kennedy get any closer than 11 points in the second half en route to a 53-38 win.
For the game, the Indians connected on 21 of 62 shots for 34 percent including 7 of 16 from three point range while making all four attempts at the foul line. Meanwhile, JFK was 15 of 40 from the floor for 38 percent including 3 of 14 from long distance while clicking on only 5 of 10 from the charity stripe. Rahway won the turnover battle (16-24) and had more rebounds (38-29) including a 19-9 advantage on the offensive glass. The Mustangs had more charges (2-0) while Rahway had more steals (13-7). Assists (10-10) and blocks (4-4) were even. Leading the way for Kennedy in a losing cause was Nick Spoganetz with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Daishon Robinson chipped in with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block while Josh Kamenas contributed with 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting along with 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal.
A.J. Pichalski helped round out the scoring with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal while Jordan Toczynski (4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a charge) also played, but didn’t score. Right away, the Mustangs were on their heels as Rahway jumped out to an 11-0 lead highlighted by two free throws at the 19:35 mark, and a three pointer from the right wing at the 16:24 mark. The Indians had already picked up seven points off of three Kennedy turnovers. JFK didn’t get its first points of the game until the 15:37 mark when Robinson made one of two from the line for an 11-1 score. After an RHS score, J.F. Kennedy got its first field goal of the game on a baseline drive by Kamenas for a layup that made the score 13-3 in favor of Rahway at the 14:38 mark. The Indians got another score to go up by a dozen before Robinson put in a layup and Spoganetz netted one of two from the foul line at the 11:13 mark for a 15-6 Rahway lead.
RHS got a score for a 17-6 lead before Kennedy replied with two free throws at the 7:44 mark for a 17-8 score. Over the next 2:35, the Indians went on a 6-2 run thanks to two three pointers from the right wing for a 23-10 advantage. The Mustangs had a chance to cut into the deficit, but after drawing a foul on a nice baseline drive and pump fake, Spoganetz came up empty on two free throw attempts at the 2:16 mark. Rahway then went up by 16 on a kickout to the left wing for a three pointer, and a 26-10 edge with 1:30 to go in the half. JFK ended the half on a positive note with a 5-3 run including a three point play by Pichalski at the 24.7 mark for a 29-15 Indians lead at the intermission. Rahway was only 10 of 32 from the floor, but made 5 of 8 three point attempts, and scored 9 points off of turnovers.
Meanwhile, Kennedy, which rallied from 21 down to defeat A.L. Johnson last week, was only 5 of 14 from the floor, and had no three pointers while committing 13 miscues. The second half started out with some promise for the Mustangs as Spoganetz connected on a three pointer from the right side at the 18:25 mark for a 29-18 Rahway lead. The Mustangs couldn’t get closer though as the Indians put together a 9-7 run over the next 5:40 for a 38-25 lead with 12:45 remaining. Rahway made it an 11-7 run with a layup at the 12:06 mark for a 40-25 advantage. The Mustangs tried to chip away at the deficit with a score, but then missed two free throws at the 9:50 mark, and still trailed by 13 at 40-27. Rahway got a score to go back up by 15 when Spoganetz went to the line. He missed both foul shots, but Robinson picked up his teammate with an offensive rebound and follow at the 7:17 mark for a 42-29 RHS lead.
Rahway scored seven of the nine eight points for its biggest lead of the game before Kamenas scored and Robinson followed up with a steal and drive for a layup to pull the Mustangs within fourteen at 49-35 with 4:11 to play. After another Indians score, Robinson kicked out to Spoganetz for a three pointer to close within 51-38 with 1:53 remaining, but JFK didn’t have enough time to get close as Rahway won 53-38. With the victory, RHS finished the regular season with a 9-1 record overall, and earned the second seed in the upcoming playoffs. The Indians earned a bye while Kennedy, which got the 10th seed, play against seventh seeded South Plainfield in the opening round with a possible rematch against Rahway looming in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The Mustangs fell to 2-7 on the summer.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahway (9-1) | 29 | 24 | 53 |
| J.F. Kennedy (2-7) | 15 | 23 | 38 |
Union Catholic Edges St. Joseph’s On FT At 5.6, 41-40
The very last game of the regular season at Rahway didn’t disappoint as Union Catholic and St. Joseph’s were entangled in a close affair that went down to the final seconds. The Falcons took a 26-24 halftime lead, but only scored 14 points in the second half as the Vikings rallied to win on a free throw with 5.6 seconds left. St. Joe’s, which has been playing with a mostly younger squad at Rahway, has still played very competitively, and this game was just another example. Incoming sophomores such as Tom Cicalese (3 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals), Brian Fitzpatrick (2 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist), and Salman Hasan (4 points, a rebound and an assist made contributions along with incoming freshman, Mike Cintron didn’t score, but grabbed five rebounds. Jalen Gilmore, part of a very talented incoming junior class, helped lead the rest of the Falcons, which went 11 of 30 from the floor including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and made 5 of 10 from the line.
For the game, St. Joseph’s as a team shot 15 of 45 including 4 of 15 from three point range. The Falcons shot themselves in the foot though by going only 6 of 18 from the line. Meanwhile, Union Catholic went 16 of 45 from the floor including 3 of 12 from long distance while making 6 of 11 from the charity stripe. The Vikings won the turnover battle (11-14), and scored more points off turnovers (8-5). St. Joe’s won the rebounding battle (31-26) including a 14-10 edge on the offensive glass, but UCHS made those extra opportunities count with an 8-2 edge in second chance points. In other statistical areas, Union Catholic had more blocks (4-1), but St. Joe’s had more steals (9-5) while assists were even (7-7).
The game was a back and forth tug of war with both teams combining for 12 lead changes and two changes while neither squad had a lead no bigger than six points. The two teams exchanged leads four times in the first 7:21. St. Joseph’s took a 6-5 lead on a three pointer from the right side at the 13 minute mark only to have Union Catholic wrestle it away with two free throws at the 12:39 mark for a 7-6 edge. The Falcons took control for the rest of the half though thanks to a 9-2 run over the next 4:16 for a 15-9 lead. St. Joe’s scored six of eight points over a span of 3:01 to take a 12-9 lead at the 9:38 mark. Then, after a Union Catholic timeout at the 9:29 mark, the Falcons capped the run with a three pointer that banked in from the left side at the 8:23 mark.
The Vikings finally got going with a three pointer at the 8:05 mark for a 15-12 Falcon edge before St. Joe’s got a couple of those points back with two free throws at the 7:26 mark for a 17-12 score, but then the Vikes rallied with four straight points to pull within one at 17-16 before the Green Birds called for time at the 5:30 mark. Following the timeout, Fitzpatrick got on the the Falcons going again by getting an offensive rebound, and passing to Hasan for a jumper from the left baseline that made the score, 19-16 with 5:10 left in the first half. St. Joseph’s added another three for a 22-16 lead before UC scored four straight points to pull within two at 22-20 with two minutes to go in the half. St. Joe’s got two free throws at the 1:44 mark to go up 24-20, but the Vikings responded with an offensive rebound and follow at the 1:28 mark, and a layup off a steal to tie things up at 24-24 with 48.5 seconds to go in the half.
St. Joe’s would take the lead going into the intermission though as Hasan scored his final points of the game on a layup underneath at the 42.6 second mark for a 26-24 score at the break. The Falcons were only 9 of 29 from the floor in the first half including 3 of 10 at the line while making 5 of 8 from the line. Meanwhile, Union Catholic was 10 of 25 from the floor including two of seven from three point land, and made 2 of 3 from the line. St. Joseph’s had eight turnovers while UCHS had five. The Vikings also scored six second chance points, and four points off turnovers in the opening period. The offenses of both teams slowed down in the second half as the two teams combined for only 31 points. The Green Birds were only 6 of 16 from the field in the second half, and made one of five from long distance while only hitting one of ten free throw attempts. Meanwhile, Union Catholic was 6 of 20 from the floor in the final 20 minutes, and also one of five from three, but made 4 of 8 at the foul line, and that was the difference.
St. Joe’s opened the scoring with a layup down low at the 19:40 mark for a 28-24 lead. Jamaad Nash, who was rather quiet for Union Catholic in this one, made one of two from the line for his first points of the game with exactly nineteen minutes to go. UCHS got a score to draw within one before the Falcons managed to take a three point lead at 30-27 with two offensive rebounds for a follow after Cicalese missed two free throws at the 16:50 mark. The Vikings closed the gap to one again with two free throws that made the score, 30-29 at the 15:30. Cicalese made one of two from the line at the 14:47 mark for a 31-29 lead, but Union Catholic then scored five of the next seven points including a jumper from the right baseline at the 12:01 mark for a 34-33 lead. Fitzpatrick then scored on a layin to put St. Joe’s in front by one, 35-34 with 10:53 remaining.
Nash (3 points and 4 rebounds) then got his only field goal of the contest for a 36-35 Viking lead at the 10:37 mark. St. Joe’s had a chance to wrestle the lead back on its next possession as Cintron was fouled, but he missed both free throws at the 9:59 mark. Nash also missed two free throws with 7:30 to play, and then Cicalese made a nifty move on a drive for a layup that put the Falcons ahead at 37-36 with 6:35 to go. A little over a minute and a half went by before the next score as the Vikes took the lead again at 38-37 on an offensive rebound and follow of a Nash miss with just under five minutes to play. Following a Falcon timeout at the 4:53 mark, St. Joseph’s went ahead again with a trey that made the score, 40-38 at the 3:42 mark. The Falcons had a chance to go up by four, but missed two foul shots at the 2:38 mark, and committed a turnover with 1:11 to go in regulation.
Union Catholic couldn’t take advantage though as the Vikings came up empty as well including a traveling call on Nash with 57.3 seconds to go. However, UCHS still managed to tie things up at 40-40 with a steal off an inbounds for a layup with 50 seconds left in regulation. Cicalese had a chance to give the Green Birds the lead, but missed two free throws at the 45.5 second mark. Cicalese did make up for it though when he swiped a steal with 35 seconds left. St. Joe’s then called timeout with 17.8 seconds left in regulation, but when they tried to set up for a final score, the Vikes swiped a steal at the 12.5 second mark, and then drew a foul with 5.6 seconds to go that produced the winning free throw. St. Joe’s tried to get a last second shot off, but couldn’t as Union Catholic won by the final of 41-40. Both teams finished the regular season at 3-6, and played in the opening round of the playoffs on July 26th St. Joseph’s, the eighth seed took on Edison while Union Catholic played fifth seeded Roselle.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Catholic (3-6) | 24 | 17 | 41 |
| St. Joseph’s (3-6) | 26 | 14 | 40 |
GMC Hoops was back out at Rahway on Monday and Tuesday for playoff action, and will have summaries posted on that soon.