On Monday night after work, GMC Hoops traveled out to the East Coast Conditioning Fall League in North Edison to see some action. Â Three GMC teams were scheduled to play in opening round playoff action. Piscataway took on Bridgewater-Raritan at 7:00 PM, Cardinal McCarrick faced off against St. Peter’s Prep at 8:00 PM, and East Brunswick was scheduled to face Westfield at 9:00 PM.
St. Peter’s Prep Defeats McCarrick To Advance, 51-35
The Eagles gave it all they had, and didn’t back down, but they just didn’t have enough size and perimeter shooting to get past their playoff opponent. In the 8:00 PM hour, Cardinal McCarrick was taking on St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City. Â The Marauders, which reached the final of the Linden Summer League a few months ago, got off to a solid start against the Eagles.
McCarrick fell behind 9-0 before it got its first two points of the game on free throws by Mohammed Alli at the 5:10 mark. Â The Eagles didn’t get their first field goal of the game until the 3:50 mark. Â By that time, St. Peter’s, which used its size advantage and physical defensive style to garner a 12-2 lead. Â David Rodriguez, a transfer from Perth Amboy, made a three pointer, and then netted two foul shots in the waning seconds of the opening frame for a 16-9 Marauders lead.
After Marques Townes made two free throws to open the period at the 7:10 mark, St. Peter’s Prep scored the next five including a layin at the 6:00 mark, and then a three pointer at the 5:30 mark before the Eagles got on the board again with a pair of free throws from Alli at the 4:45 mark for a 21-13 Marauder lead. Â Cardy Mac chipped into the deficit a bit more with four of the next six points including a jumper by Townes for a 23-17 St. Peter’s Prep edge. Â The Jersey City school got a bit more breathing room with a three from the left of the top of the key for a 26-17 edge prior to the Eagles calling for time at the 2:33 mark of the second period.
St. Peter’s then closed the first half with five of the final six points including one of two from the line at the 13.2 second mark, and a steal that led to a layin that got a fortuitous bounce in the waning seconds for a 31-18 lead at the intermission. Â The Eagles began the second half with four of the first six points including a driving layup by Townes, but the Marauders came up with a three pointer to take a 36-22 lead at the four minute mark of the third. Â McCarrick refused to give in. Â Instead, the Eagles dug in harder, and scored six of the last eight points of the third including a floater by Rodriguez, and a layup underneath by Robert Nunez off a dish by Rodriguez with 17 seconds to go in the frame for a 36-28 St. Peter’s Prep lead heading into the fourth.
As the game progressed, the style of play became more physical and emotions grew more heated.  The Eagles opened the period with the first  point, but then the Marauders took over with eight of the next nine to take a 44-30 lead with 3:02 left.  McCarrick didn’t get its first field goal of the fourth until the 2:08 mark when Townes connected on a floater off a drive from the left side.  It would be the only field goal of the final frame for the Eagles as St. Peter’s limited them to seven points en route to a 51-35 victory.