Ramblers Overcome Early Deficit to Defeat Raiders in GMC Crossover
CARTERET, NJ–With a chance for both teams to move up in the GMC Hoops Top Ten, eighth ranked Carteret hosted ninth ranked North Brunswick in a key Greater Middlesex Conference crossover on Friday evening.
In a very physical contest, the Ramblers of the GMC Blue had to overcome turnovers and an early deficit to pull away from the Raiders of the GMC White. Carteret jumped out to an 8-2 lead only to have North Brunswick respond with a 12-2 tear to end the first period for a 14-10 Raiders lead.
However, led by the efforts of Jemar Jordan (13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, an assist and a steal) and Isaiah Daniels-Porter (12 points, 17 rebounds, 2 steals, a block, and an assist), the Ramblers were able to get a buzzer beater to end the second and go up by one at halftime.
The buzzer beating shot keyed a 42-30 surge by Carteret over the final three periods to come away with a 52-44 victory. Zamar Brake chipped in with 9 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Nasseir Moore added 6 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal.
North Brunswick was led by Marquise Stewart, who had 11 points on the game while Jordan Salisbury and Avery Claggett each chipped in with 6. Eight players scored for Carteret while seven got into the books for North Brunswick. As a team, the Ramblers collected 40 rebounds, 11 assists, 9 steals, and 4 blocked shots.
With the victory, Carteret won its fifth straight, and improved to 13-2 overall including a 10-1 mark in the Greater Middlesex Conference. Meanwhile, North Brunswick, which had its six game winning streak snapped by Sayreville on Tuesday, dropped its second straight and fell to 7-5 overall including a 5-5 mark in the GMC.
Both teams return to action with games on Saturday. Carteret will host Perth Amboy Tech, the first place team in the GMC Gold, in another GMC crossover on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 PM. North Brunswick will travel up to Jersey City to face Lincoln High School in a non-conference game at 1:00 PM.