Buccino Leads Destroyers in Defeat at Bound Brook Summer League
 |
| Dunellen’s Anthony Buccino looks to set up the offense in the second half against Bridgewater-Raritan in a game at the 2016 Bound Brook Summer League on Wednesday. Buccino scored six first half points to keep the Destroyers close, and then handed out several assists in the second half to spur a 10-2 run that pulled Dunellen within two, but Bridgewater-Raritan won 42-33. |
BOUND BROOK, NJ–The Dunellen Destroyers underwent a season of transition in 2015-16. Gone were the school’s all time leading scorer, Dave Johnson, who is now playing college ball at Division II, Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, and long time head coach Bernie Buniak, who led the school to two sectional semifinal appearances as well as at least a share of six Gold Division titles.
Under first year head coach, Howie Horowitz, the Destroyers struggled to a 4-21 mark including a 2-14 record in Gold Division play. Tyquan Fowler was a bright spot with a 17 points per game average to rank in the Top 10 in scoring in the Greater Middlesex Conference, and earn honors from GMC Hoops. But now, Fowler as well as Nazire Jordan, Yianni Garris, and Bowen Grasso are gone after graduating earlier this month.
This coming year’s Destroyers squad will be younger with soon to be junior point guard, Anthony Buccino and soon to be senior Jibril-Hagood Henry leading the way. Both were in action as Dunellen took on Bridgewater-Raritan at the Bound Brook Summer League on Wednesday afternoon. The Destroyers had entered the week looking for their first win after losing to Immaculata and Pingry. Bridgewater, on the other hand, was one of three undefeated teams along with Bound Brook and Immaculata with a 2-0 record.
However, in this contest, Dunellen played its best game yet this summer. The Destroyers would ultimately lose to the Panthers, but scored more points than it had in its first two games. Buccino was a key spark plug as he scored 6 first half points, and then handed out several assists early in the second half during a 10-2 Dunellen run that put the Destroyers within two points at 24-22 with 14:25 remaining. Unfortunately, Dunellen wouldn’t get any closer as Bridgewater-Raritan embarked on a 12-0 run over a span of 7:03 to take a 36-22 lead, and then held on for a 42-33 victory.
Bridgewater started the game strong by scoring the first five points including a three pointer at the 18:03 mark. Then, after Dunellen got back to back scores within a span of 32 seconds including a layup by Buccino for a 5-4 Bridgewater lead at the 16:45 mark, the Panthers scored 13 of the next 16 points over a span of 15:15 to take an 18-7 lead. Highlighting the run was a putback at the 4:57 mark, and a putback with 1:30 to play while also making 6 of 6 FTs. Dunellen finished the half strong though as Buccino scored on a putback at the 1:09 mark, and then drove in for a layup with 55 seconds remaining to pull the Destroyers within 18-11.
The Panthers scored the final points of the first half on a bucket with 15 seconds left, and then after Buccino made one of two at the line to open the second half for Dunellen, scored again on a layup with 17:22 to play for a 22-12 lead. Then, the Destroyers put together perhaps its best run to date of the summer. Over the next 2:57, Dunellen scored 10 of the next 12 points including a three from the left side, and a trey from just to the right of the top of the key along with a couple layups off nice dishes by Buccino to close the gap to two at 24-22 with 14:25 remaining. Bridgewater wouldn’t let the Destroyers get any closer after that though.
The Somerset County and Skyland Conference school began to pull away with a foul line jumper at the 13:07 mark for a 26-22 lead. Then, the Panthers added a one of two showing at the line for a five point lead before Dunellen called timeout at the 10:03 mark. Bridgewater-Raritan then added a score from the left low block and a jumper for a 10-0 run, and a 34-22 advantage with 8:14 left to play. Following a timeout at the 7:40 mark, the Panthers added another score on a layup from the right low block off a nice crosscourt feed to cap the 12-0 spurt for a 36-22 lead with 7:22 remaining. Hagood-Henry put an end to the Bridgewater run with a shot in the paint that got a kind bounce and roll for a 36-24 Panthers lead at the 5:04 mark.
After a Bridgewater-Raritan layup at the 4:50 mark for a 38-24 lead, Dunellen scored on a couple putbacks to highlight a 4-2 run over the next 2:30 for a 40-28 score. The Destroyers then added a three pointer from the left corner with just under a minute to go for a 40-31 score and then after the Panthers netted two free throws with 42.3 seconds left, Hagood-Henry scored on a follow with time running out to round out the 42-33 Bridgewater-Raritan win.
With the loss, Dunellen, which also lost to Hunterdon Central on Monday (47-24), dropped to 0-4 at Bound Brook on the summer. The Destroyers will return to action next Wednesday, July 6th with a match-up against Route 28 rival, Middlesex at 6:45 PM, and then have a GMC Gold contest against Timothy Christian on Monday, July 11th at 6:45 PM.