NEPTUNE, NJ–On Monday night after work, GMC Hoops endured the stormy weather as he traveled down to Rebounds to take in the opening night of action in the 2009 Hoop Group Headquarters Boys Spring High School Players League. Unaware that Monroe was competing in the league at the time, the site scrambled to take in some sort of action from a league that appeared to have no GMC teams in it for the first time in four years.
Finally, the site sat down over on the Knicks Court for the remainder of the second half between G-Force Gold, an AAU team based in Union County, and Toms River North, a team from the Shore Conference. Although G-Force Gold is from Union County, there are several players on the roster that compete or have competed in the GMC including Rob Gomulka (Bishop Ahr), Pablo Ozuna (Woodbridge), and Mark Radil (St. Joseph’s). In this contest, G-Force Gold broke away from a 15-15 first half tie with a 30-13 showing in the second half for the 45-28 victory. The web site joined the action with the score still somewhat close at 22-17 in favor of G-Force Gold at the 15:30 mark after a 7-2 start by the Union County squad.
Eight seconds or so after taking a seat, GMC Hoops saw Toms River North, a school that won the 2007 WOBM Classic at the Ritacco Center over this past season’s champion, Point Pleasant Boro, cut the deficit to two on a three pointer from the right side at the 15:22 mark. Radil then answered with 2 of 3 from the free throw line for a 24-20 G-Force Gold advantage with 14:33 to play. A little more than three minutes went by without a score by either team until Ozuna knocked in a three pointer from the left wing to make it a 27-20 G-Force Gold lead at the 11:30 mark.
Ozuna then added one of two from the foul line for a 28-20 lead with 10:55 left in the game, and then almost a minute later, G-Force Gold made it a double digit (30-20) lead with a steal for a layup at about the 10 minute mark. Toms River North then netted a three pointer to close the gap to 32-25 with a layup at the 9:37 mark, and then a three pointer before G-Force Gold answered with the next four points to take their biggest lead yet at 36-25 with 7:15 left. A little more than a minute later, G-Force Gold converted a traditional three point play for a 39-25 edge at the 6:12 mark of the second half.
Following a Mariners timeout at the 5:40 mark, Toms River North could only get as close as 12 points with a jumper from the right wing that made it 39-27 with 5:25 left as G-Force Gold got a steal for a layup from Barr that made it 41-27 at the 3:12 mark, and went on to win, 45-28 to start off the spring at 1-0. In addition, the other G-Force squad, G-Force Black earned a win in Division B action by defeating Second Baptist Church. GMC Hoops plans to be back out at Rebounds on Monday night to watch Monroe take on Asbury Park in an 8:00 PM contest.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-Force Gold (1-0) | 15 | 30 | 45 |
| Toms River North (0-1) | 15 | 13 | 28 |