EDISON, NJ–The final day of regular season action took place at the 2011 Middlesex County College Summer League on Tuesday with four games in the Physical Education Center. GMC Hoops saw one of the two 6:00 PM games between Perth Amboy Tech and East Brunswick Tech. In the other 6:00 PM game, Roselle Park defeated Dunellen by the score of 40-12. Amboy Tech held a 12 point lead late in the second half before E.B. Tech rallied to pull within four points in the final minute, but the Tigers couldn’t get any closer as the Patriots won, 56-50.
Amboy Tech Hangs On To Defeat E.B. Tech, 56-50
The Patriots were playing without standout player, and 1,000 point scorer, Rashad Adams, but it didn’t matter has they led by a dozen points on a couple of occasions with 5:30 and 3:40 to go, but the Tigers didn’t give up. Instead, East Brunswick Tech rallied with a 13-5 tear over a span of 3:06 to pull within a couple of possessions with just a little more than a half minute left.
Unfortunately though, E.B. Tech wasn’t able to get a chance to score again the rest of the way while Malcolm Batts helped seal the win with two free throws after getting a steal with nine seconds to play. Perth Amboy Tech then stole the ensuing inbounds pass, and ran out the clock for the six point, 56-50 win. Amboy Tech, which entered the night at 6-2 on the summer, and will likely be the second seed in this year’s playoffs, led 47-35 with 5:30 to play before East Brunswick Tech scored on a putback at the 5:15 mark.
The Tigers then drew a charge on Batts at the 4:58 mark, but couldn’t take advantage. E.B. Tech eventually got possession again about a minute later, but was called for a three second violation. The Patriots then got a basket to go back up by a dozen on its next possession for a 49-37 lead with a little more than three and a half minutes left. E.B. Tech got going for one last push with a three pointer at the 3:16 mark to close within single digits at 49-40 with 3:16 to go. Then, the Tigers added a layup with 2:49 remaining for a 49-42 P.A. Tech lead.
A little more than a minute later, Mike Hardy helped East Brunswick Tech pull within four at 49-45 when he grabbed a rebound off a blocked shot on the defensive end, dribbled up the court, and scored a layup as he was fouled for a conventional three point play with 1:47 left. Perth Amboy Tech appeared to put the game away by scoring five of the next seven points over the next 1:02 including a putback at the 1:40 mark, one of two from the line at the 1:05 mark, and then a layup by Batts with 45 seconds to go for a 54-47 lead. Hardy didn’t help the Tigers cause with two missed free throws at the 1:35 mark.
E.B. Tech had a glimmer of hope when it got a three pointer from the top of the key with 34 seconds remaining to narrow the deficit to 54-50, but Amboy Tech was able to come away with the 56-50 victory. With the win, Amboy Tech ended the regular season at 7-2 while East Brunswick Tech finished up at 5-3.