Colts Overcome Sluggish Start To Take Double Digit Lead Only To Hang On For Slim Victory
EDISON, NJ–After being at the Carteret-Roselle Park scrimmage earlier in the day on Tuesday, GMC Hoops traveled over to the Physical Education Center on the main campus of Middlesex County College to see the Colts take on the Owls of Union County College in a battle from the Garden State Athletic Conference and Region XIX in the JUCO ranks. The last time we saw Middlesex in action was three weeks ago when the Colts opened the season with a hard fought 63-60 victory over Burlington County College. This was the first time ever that the site was seeing UCC in action.
Entering the contest, Middlesex County College had a record of 3-2 with victories over Burlington, Atlantic Cape Community College (70-68), and Sussex County College (79-76 OT) while losing to Bergen Community College (83-70) and Salem Community College (79-74). As you can see by the results, this year’s edition of the Blue Colts certainly give you your money’s worth each time they take the floor. Four of the five games were decided by five points or less with one going to overtime. Meanwhile, Union County College came into the game with a 1-2 record with the lone win coming over Sussex County College (75-71) and losses to Camden County College (67-57) and Northampton Community College (82-73). The Owls have played in close games as well with each game decided by ten points or less.
The contest would have wild swings in momentum with UCC taking an early 12-3 lead only to give way to a tidal wave of scoring by MCC in the form of a 35-11 surge over the final thirteen and a half minutes of the first half to lead by 15 at the break. The Colts led by 16 early on in the second half only to have the Owls charge back to pull within six on a couple of occasions, and three twice over the final 2:30 of the contest. Fortunately for Middlesex, they were able to survive with another hard fought 63-60 win. Myles Reuben came up with a huge defensive play down the stretch with a blocked shot of a three point attempt as time was running out to preserve the victory. The Blue Colts also got key contributions from Colonia’s J.J. D’Amico, South River’s Shawn Fenton, and Emmanuel Omowole in the victory.
The game was just a couple minutes old when the site arrived, and UCC was up 2-0. Middlesex didn’t get on the board until about the 16:30 mark to tie the score at 2-2. Over the next three minutes, the Owls scored 10 of the next 11 points for a 12-3 lead as MCC head coach, Chris Tarver, called for time at the 13:31 mark. The timeout, and the insertion of former J.P. Stevens standout, Myles Reuben, made a difference as the Colts scored seven straight points in a span of just 1:34 to pull within two at 12-10 at the 11:57 mark as UCC called for time. Right after the timeout, Middlesex took its first lead of the game at 13-12 on a three pointer at the 11:15 mark.
The run didn’t stop there as Middlesex scored eight of the next 12 points for a 21-16 lead as Union County College called for time again with about eight minutes to go in the half. Highlighting the spurt was a block for a breakaway layup by Reuben, and a steal for a layup by Dominique Blackmon. In a span of just five and a half minutes, the game turned completely around for Middlesex as the Colts scored 18 of 22 points for the five point lead. The Colts continued to apply more pressure with a couple more three pointers, and then two free throws by Reuben at the 4:29 mark for a 29-19 lead. MCC had a chance to go up even further when Reuben got his hands on a UCC turnover, and dished to Blackmon but Plainfield native missed the layup attempt, the Owls got the ball back, and made one of two from the line to close the gap to 29-20 with 4:05 remaining.
J.J. D’Amico, who didn’t play in the opening night win over Burlington County College, got himself going with a drive for a floater at the 3:50 mark for a 31-20 advantage. Reuben then got a blocked shot from Reuben at the 3:41 mark, and D’Amico eventually scored again for a 33-20 lead at the 3:16 mark. The Owls would get a free throw to trim the gap, but D’Amico put the Colts ahead by 14 on another driving shot for a 35-21 score at the 1:43 mark. MCC then got a three pointer to take its biggest lead of the game with less than a half minute to play in the first half before Union County College closed out the opening half scoring with a put back for a 38-23 MCC lead at the intermission. Over the last 13:31 of the first half, Middlesex outscored Union by a margin of 35-11.
Over the first 2:40 of the contest, Middlesex increased its lead to 16 as Reuben made one of two from the line, and then sank a three pointer at the 17:20 mark for a 42-26 score. Union County College narrowed the gap to 42-28 by making two free throws at the 15:48 mark. D’Amico answered with a pull-up jumper at the 15:20 mark for a 44-28 lead. The Blue Colts then forced a turnover at the 15:03 mark by making the Owls commit a five second violation on the hideout. UCC would battle back though by scoring six unanswered points over a span of 1:44 including two pairs of free throws, and a bank shot on the follow for a 44-34 MCC lead before Emmanuel Omowole swiped a steal, and drew a foul that produced two free throws for a 46-34 edge.
UCC scored four more points to pull within eight at 46-38 before Middlesex got a score in the paint by Shawn Fenton for a 48-38 lead prior to a Blue Colt timeout at the 12:11 mark. The Owls rallied again with four straight points over a span of 1:12 for a 48-42 Colts lead as UCC called for time at the 11:09 mark. Following the Owls timeout, MCC got a big play from reserve guard, Omowole who scored a layup, and drew a foul for a traditional three point play with 10:50 to go. Reuben then followed with a breakaway layup off a steal for a 53-42 lead. Union County College continued to battle though with five straight points including a three pointer from the left wing to pull within six again at 53-47, but D’Amico came up with a clutch three pointer at the 6:53 mark for a 56-47 advantage. Reuben then added a nice strong baseline drive, and a score on a follow for a 61-49 lead.
Again, Union wouldn’t go away. The Owls scored seven unanswered points including a conventional three point play at the 4:43 mark, and then a basket at the four minute mark to close within five at 61-56 as MCC called timeout with 3:37 remaining. UCC got another score on a layup with 2:21 to go to pull within three at 61-58, but Fenton connected on a high arching jumper from about the foul line with 1:43 to go for a 63-58 lead. Following an Owls timeout with 40 seconds left, UCC got a turnover, and converted it into points with a layup before calling another timeout with 28.6 seconds to go. Following the timeout, Union County College fouled Reuben, who then missed the front end of a one and one. However, the freshman forward redeemed himself by blocking a last second shot attempt by the Owls to preserve the MCC 63-60 victory.
With the win, Middlesex improved to 4-2 on the young season while Union dropped to 1-3.