MONROE, NJ–On Wednesday, GMC Hoops returned to the Monroe Sports Center for the second time ever to see the fourth night of action from the inaugural Monroe Sports Center Fall League. The site caught action from both 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM round of games including South River’s last second win over Marlboro, and Monroe’s victory over a game Steinert. Then, we watched J.F. Kennedy take on New Egypt and South Amboy duel Hunterdon Central in the 8:30 PM round of games. Here are the results from all eight games played on Wednesday along with the week four standings. Special thanks to Spotswood head coach, and Monroe Sports Center’s director of basketball operations, Steve Mate for getting us the results.
South River Rallies To Beat Marlboro At Buzzer, 47-46
GMC Hoops arrived in time to see a good portion of the second half between Group I South River, and Group IV Marlboro. The Mustangs have struggled so far this fall after coming off a season where they reached the semifinals of the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament before bowing out in double overtime to North Brunswick. During the off-season, the Mustangs lost their coach, Andy Theokas, a former player at North Brunswick, who took the position of Director of Basketball Operations at Western Kentucky about a month ago.
South River, which qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2005 last year, has been undergoing some changes as well. The Rams, which will be moving down to the Gold Division for this upcoming season and next, recently lost Larry Smith, who transferred over to Matawan. South River also has Nick Boyler and Xavier Foster standing out on the football team. So, the likes of Kyle Majewski and the Huff brothers (Tim and Craig) have been getting plenty of time in this fall playing hoops for the Rams. Second year head coach, Rodney Harris likes what he has been seeing. Marlboro was up by seven on a couple of occasions in the second half, led by as many as five with 3:56 remaining, and six with 1:49 left before South River rallied with a 7-0 run including an offensive rebound and follow by Craig Huff with time running out for the 47-46 win.
The site joined the action with 13:29 remaining in the contest, and Marlboro up by the score of 36-29. The Mustangs had a chance to go up by more, but senior Gavin Campbell swiped a steal for a layup at the 12:13 mark that closed the gap to 36-31. Marlboro would get a score on its next possession to go up by seven again at 38-31, but the Rams drew within four at 38-34 as Campbell rebounded a Mustang miss, and threw an outlet pass to Tim Huff for a layup as he was fouled for a traditional three point play with 9:50 remaining. Just under a minute later, Tim Huff was at it again with another layup to pull South River within two at 38-36 with 8:51 left. The Rams then added one of two from the line for a 38-37 Marlboro advantage at the 5:55 mark. Following a South River timeout at the 4:17 mark though, the Mustangs seemed to put the game away with an 8-3 run over the next 2:28 to take a 46-40 lead with under two minutes remaining.
Right out of the Rams timeout, Marlboro got a steal off the inbounds at midcourt, and went in for a layup to take a 40-37 lead with exactly four minutes to go. Moments later, the Mustangs forced another steal for a layup, and a 42-37 lead at the 3:56 mark. South River got its only points during the stretch on a three pointer from the left wing to close the gap to 42-40 with 3:35 to go. The Mustangs then went up by six with a jumper that got a kind roll at the 2:48 mark, and then another jumper from the foul line extended for a 46-40 lead at the 1:49 mark. Then, the Rams began making their comeback. Majewski started it off with a short jumper at the 1:40 mark for a 46-42 Marlboro lead. Craig Huff then scored a three pointer to pull South River within one at 46-45 at the 1:05 mark.
Marlboro still had possession though, and was looking to run out the clock when Tyler Harris forced a steal that got into the hands of Majewski, who went to the basket for a layup attempt that missed, but Craig Huff got the offensive board, and put it back in with seconds remaining for the 47-46 victory. With the win, South River, which also played competitively last week against West Windsor-Plainsboro, improved to 2-1 on the fall while Marlboro remained winless at 0-4.
New Egypt Downs Kennedy, 51-41
The Mustangs ran into another tough opponent this week as they faced off against Desmond Hubert and the Warriors of New Egypt. The last time GMC Hoops saw the Ocean County school in action, it dropped a one point decision to Rumson-Fair Haven on opening night. New Egypt, which competes in the Burlington County Scholastic League, looks to be one of the contenders again in Group I along with the likes of Point Pleasant Beach. Meanwhile, Kennedy, which was soundly beaten by West Windsor-Plainsboro on opening night, lost Rasheed Howard and Joe Marciano from a team that qualified for the state tournament for the first time since the 2002 season.
New Egypt got off to fast starts in both halves, and JFK could never really recover despite solid finishes to each period in a 51-41 loss. Kennedy didn’t get its first points of the game until the 13:08 mark, and trailed 20-6 with 6:58 to go in the half, but rallied against the Warrior reserves with a 15-6 spurt the rest of the period to only trail 26-19 at the intermission. In the second half though New Egypt got off to another 12-0 run to take a 38-19 lead, and never looked back. Mark Przyzbylkowski capped what would become a 17-4 tear over the first 8:38 of the second half with an off balanced shot that banked in for a 43-23 lead with 11:22 left. New Egypt led by as much as 51-34 late before the Mustangs, which finished the game with an 18-8 run, scored the final seven points to close out the 51-41 Warriors victory.
With the win, New Egypt improved to 3-1 on the fall while J.F. Kennedy slipped to 1-2.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Egypt (3-1) | 26 | 25 | 51 |
| J.F. Kennedy (1-2) | 19 | 22 | 41 |
Hunterdon Central Stymies South Amboy, 39-19
It was another tough night shooting wise for the Guvs, and this time it costed them against a better opponent. Hunterdon Central, a Group IV school, and the only member of the Skyland Conference competing in this league, took a 16-7 lead at the intermission, and took control of the game for good with a 7-0 run for a 23-10 lead at the 12:50 mark en route to a 39-19 victory. The Guvs shot only 7 of 39 from the field including 2 of 13 from beyond the arc in the loss. South Amboy also committed 20 turnovers, and the Red Devils took advantage by scoring 12 points off those miscues. Hunterdon Central also shot better from the floor with a 18 of 45 showing including a two of four effort from long distance.
Both teams didn’t shoot the ball well at the line going a combined 4 of 18 from the charity stripe. South Amboy won the battle on the boards surprisingly with a 34-32 edge including an 11-10 advantage on the offensive boards, but HCHS took advantage of their extra opportunities with a 6-4 edge in second chance points. The Devils also held edges in turnovers (7-20), points off turnovers (12-0), assists (16-3), steals (10-3), and blocks (4-2). Neither team drew a charge. One of the few bright spots for South Amboy in this loss was Dustin DeVoe, who again had team high with 9 points while also collecting 8 rebounds and blocking a shot. Aaron Radich chipped in with 4 points, 7 rebounds, a steal, and a block. DeVoe and Radich combined for 68 percent of the Guv offense in the loss.
Hunterdon Central got off to a 9-1 start in this one as South Amboy missed its first nine shots and committed five turnovers over the first 10:06 of the game. The Devils then sank a three pointer from the left wing for a 12-1 lead at the 9:46 mark. The Governors didn’t get their first field goal of the contest until DeVoe connected on a three pointer from the left wing at the 4:20 mark. By that time, South Amboy was 1 of 14 from the field. Dan Murphy then made one of two from the line with no time left on the clock to cap a 6-4 finish to the half by the Guvs as they trailed 16-7 at the intermission. Despite going 2 of 18 from the floor including one of six from downtown, and committing ten turnovers, South Amboy only trailed by nine as they limited Hunterdon Central to 7 of 22 shooting from the field. DeVoe (4 points and 5 rebounds) and Radich (2 points and 4 rebounds) accounted for almost all the Guvs scoring in the half.
The second half started out much like the first half did for South Amboy as Hunterdon Central went on a 7-0 run after the Guvs crept within six. DeVoe made one of two from the line, and on the missed second free throw, the Governors got the offensive rebound, and put the ball back in for a 23-13 Red Devils lead with 12:50 left. Both teams exchanged scores over the next 3:28 for a 25-15 HCHS lead, but South Amboy couldn’t get any closer. The Hunterdon County school closed the contest with a 14-4 run to come away with the twenty point win. With the victory, the Red Devils improved to 3-1 on the fall while South Amboy dropped to 1-2.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunterdon Central (3-1) | 16 | 23 | 39 |
| South Amboy (1-2) | 7 | 12 | 19 |
Monroe Survives Late Run To Beat Steinert, 57-53
This was the best game, and perhaps the most compelling of the night as the Monroe Falcons were in action against the Steinert Spartans during the 7:30 PM hour. The Purple Birds won their opening game over Perth Amboy (66-64), and then defeated Allentown (45-30) in week three to enter the game undefeated while Steinert was still searching for its first win. The Spartans had been blown out in their first two games including an opening night lost to Metuchen (56-36), which has since left the league, and South Brunswick in week three (49-29). Monroe took a 32-22 lead at the half, and outscored Steinert by a 15-10 margin over the first 7:52 of the second half to take a 47-32 lead with a little over 12 minutes remaining, but the Spartans fought back with a 21-5 rally that included an 8-0 spurt for a 53-52 lead with 45 seconds left. However, Ryan Genevieve sank a three pointer from the left wing with 32.3 seconds to go, and then made two free throws with 8.9 remaining to give the Falcons the 57-53 victory.
For the game, Monroe struggled from the field overall, going 20 of 56 for 36 percent, but was 10 of 26 from beyond the arc for 38 percent. Steinert, on the other hand, was 23 of 56 overall from the floor for 41 percent, but was only 5 of 17 from three point range for 29 percent. The Purple Birds also held an edge at the foul line going 7 of 12 from the charity stripe while the Spartans only went 2 of 5. Monroe outscored Steinert 30-15 from three, and by five at the line. The Falcons also only committed 11 turnovers versus 16 by the Spartans. Both teams had nine points off the turnovers. However, Steinert made up for its lack of perimeter scoring and foul shooting by dominating the boards overall with a 41-25 advantage including a 16-8 edge on the offensive glass. The Spartans also took advantage of their extra opportunities with a 14-3 edge in second chance points. In other statistical areas, Monroe had more assists (17-14) and steals (7-6) while Steinert had more blocks (8-1). Neither team drew a charge.
Genevieve helped lead the way for the Falcons despite a rough shooting effort. The junior guard still managed to score 20 points including 16 in the second half. Genevieve connected on six field goals including four three pointers while making four of five from the foul line. he also collected 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Teammate, and fellow junior, Victor Sorrento only had four points, but pulled down 10 boards, handed out 8 assists, and swiped three steals in the victory. Sophomore Ryan Stolte added 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block. Another Monroe player went 6 of 7 from beyond the arc to help in the winning cause. The Falcons were only 11 of 32 from the floor in the first half, but made 5 of 11 from three point range while limiting Steinert to just 9 of 25 shooting, and forcing 11 turnovers. Sorrento and Genevieve combined for only 6 points in the first half.
The game was a back and forth affair early on with several lead changes before Monroe took over. The Falcons had a 5-4 lead before Steinert went ahead with a steal for a layup while being fouled for a 6-5 lead at the 14:41 mark. Over the next 2:45, the Purple Birds unleashed a 11-0 spurt for a 16-6 advantage. Highlighting the run was a three point play by Stolte at the 12:24 mark for an 11-6 lead. Sorrento also played prominently in the run with a steal and assist on a Genevieve layin, and a steal for a layup himself to make it a 10-0 run at the 11:56 mark. MTHS then added one of two from the line at the 10:28 mark for a ten point lead. The Spartans would get a basket to cut the deficit in half at 16-8, but Sorrento handed out another assists on a three pointer from the left wing at the 8:55 mark for a 19-8 edge. Steinert continued to battle though with a three pointer, and then a steal for a layup to cap a 6-0 run for a 19-14 Monroe lead at the 7:04 mark.
Over the next 2:14, Monroe kept Steinert at arm’s length by scoring five of the next seven points including another three pointer off a kickout by Sorrento at the 4:50 mark for a 24-16 lead. The Spartans stayed within striking distance with four of the next seven points before the Falcons made one of two from the line for a 28-20 lead at the 2:46 mark. The hometown team then scored four of the last six points including two free throws by Genevieve with 1.1 seconds left for a 32-22 advantage at halftime. Monroe had six points off turnovers in the first half while Steinert had five. MTHS also enjoyed a 15-6 edge in points off of three pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Others stepped up as the rest of the team outside of Genevieve and Sorrento, shot 9 of 17 from the floor in the first half. The Falcons seemed to have the game in hand early on in the second half as Genevieve began to heat up with a three pointer and a jumper off the dribble to give Monroe a 47-32 lead with 12:08 remaining.
However, Steinert showed some resiliency with a superb rally to actually take the lead late. The Spartans started things off with a 9-0 run over the next 3:38 to pull within four. The spurt consisted of a basket at the 11:08 mark, a jumper at the 9:40 mark, a three pointer from the left wing at the 9:15 mark after Steinert got a block on Sorrento at the other end, and then two offensive rebounds for a follow at the 8:30 mark to make the score, 47-43. Monroe, which was held scoreless for 5:08, finally got going again when Sorrento got his final points of the game on a pull-up jumper for a 49-43 lead with seven minutes left. The Falcons then took a seven point lead as Sorrento passed to Genevieve for a three pointer from the left wing at the five minute mark for a 52-45 advantage. The Mercer County school wouldn’t go away though. Instead, the Spartans scored eight straight points to take a one point lead with under a minute to go.
After getting a score to pull within five, Steinert got an offensive rebound for a putback at the 3:08 mark to claw within three at 52-49. The Spartans scored again on an offensive rebound and follow at the 2:10 mark for a 52-51 Monroe lead. Then, after Genevieve missed the front end of a one and one with exactly two minutes to go, Steinert took control of the ball, and eventually scored on a runner with 45 seconds left to take its first lead of the game since 6-5 nearly 34 minutes earlier in the game at 53-52. Monroe may have lost the likes of Ahmid Williams and Danny Brix in addition to recent graduates Timmy Brix and Kenny Pace, but both Genevieve and Sorrento got valuable experience playing last year and over the summer, and that paid dividends down the stretch. Genevieve calmly connected on a trey from the left wing with just over a half minute left to give the Purple Birds the lead for good at 55-53. Steinert then turned the ball over with 23.4 seconds left, and was forced to foul after calling a timeout.
Genevieve eventually went to the line, and sank two free throws with less than ten seconds to play to seal the 57-53 victory. With the win, Monroe remained undefeated at the MSC Fall League with a 3-0 mark while Steinert remained winless at 0-3.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe (3-0) | 32 | 25 | 57 |
| Steinert (0-3) | 22 | 31 | 53 |
GMC Hoops was back out at the Monroe Sports Center Fall League for week five action on Wednesday, October 13th.