GMC Teams Taking Some Lumps Against Non-Conference Foes

January 11, 2014 Greg Machos Amboy Tech Hoops, Cardinal McCarrick Hoops, Carteret Hoops, Colonia Hoops, Dunellen Hoops, East Brunswick Hoops, Edison Hoops, Highland Park Hoops, J.F. Kennedy Hoops, J.P. Stevens Hoops, Metuchen Hoops, Middlesex Hoops, Monroe Hoops, New Brunswick Hoops, North Brunswick Hoops, Old Bridge Hoops, Perth Amboy Hoops, Piscataway Hoops, Piscataway Tech Hoops, Sayreville Hoops, South Amboy Hoops, South Brunswick Hoops, South Plainfield Hoops, South River Hoops, Spotswood Hoops, St. Joseph's Hoops, St. Thomas Aquinas Hoops, Timothy Christian Hoops, Wardlaw Hoops, Woodbridge Hoops 0

Emerges From Holiday Tourney Play With Sub .500 Mark Against Teams Outside Conference

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–The Greater Middlesex Conference has been in a bit of a transition over the past couple seasons with a number of prominent programs rebuilding or reloading. This has been reflected in the play against non-conference competition. Through 55 games so far this season, teams in the GMC are 25-30 overall with a .454 winning percentage.

With the majority of games (37 games) played against three other Central Jersey Conferences in the Shore Conference, Skyland Conference, and Union County Conference, the GMC is only above .500 against the Shore (9-8). Versus the Skyland Conference, teams from the GMC are a collective 5-8 while against the UCC, they are a combined 2-5. Other leagues that have given the GMC trouble so far this year include New York’s PSAL (0-3) and the Colonial Valley Conference (0-2). The Greater Middlesex Conference is 3-0 against Independent teams.

Breaking down the success of the conference against non-conference opponents by division, the Gold Division is (7-5), the GMC Red is (8-7), the Blue Division is (6-10), and the White Division is (4-8). St. Joseph’s is the most successful with a 3-0 mark versus teams outside the GMC. Non-conference wins by the Falcons include victories over prominent programs such as Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania and New Mission of Massachusetts in the Shooting Touch Shootout at Tufts University over the holidays. South River is 2-0 against foes outside of Middlesex County including an opening round win over Keansburg in the South River Holiday Tournament. Metuchen is also 2-0 with victories in the Bulldogs Holiday Tournament at MHS over A.L. Johnson and Bernards.

Other notable wins by the conference against non-conference foes include: Sayreville over Westfield (68-52) on December 30th, Monroe over Immaculata (57-52) on December 28th, and Piscataway over Medford Tech (64-63) on December 27th. A measure of a conference’s strength is how well the member schools play against teams outside the conference. Being able to adapt to other styles of play in other parts of the state is a key ingredient to contending for sectional and state titles. While there is great competition between teams within the GMC, the conference has had a history of struggling against teams outside Middlesex County.