PISCATAWAY, NJ–On Saturday night, GMC Hoops ventured over to the Rutgers Athletic Center to take in some of the action from the second night of play at the second Rutgers Overnight Team Camp this summer. A couple schools from the GMC did take part in this weekend event including Piscataway and East Brunswick, but the web site was unable to see them in action due to work commitments. Nevertheless, the site saw two of the final games that evening including Bound Brook taking on Watchung Hills, and Ridge battling Point Pleasant Boro.
Last year, Watchung Hills had a season to remember with a Somerset County title as well as a 23-4 final record. The Warriors magical ride in the SCT included a memorable buzzer beating shot against eventual Tournament of Champions semifinalist, Immaculata. However, with most of its starters graduating, and coach, Gene McAteer moving on to Skyland rival, Bridgewater-Raritan, to replace Tim Ortelli, Watchung Hills has a lot to replace heading into 2008-09. On the other hand, Bound Brook, coached by Anthony Melesurgo, has made some strides in the past few years. Steadily improving, the Crusaders have won back to back Skyland Conference Valley Division Championships, and finished the regular season at 8-0 in its summer league. The town of Bound Brook itself has been through a lot in the last year thanks to the floods from a Nor’east in April 2007.
This game saw David come up short against Goliath. In a contest of two Somerset County teams, Watchung Hills, which had last won an SCT title in 1974 before winning it all this year, defeated Bound Brook, which last won a county title back in 1990, the last time a small school ever won the SCT, by a score of 62-46. GMC Hoops arrived at the RAC with 2:44 remaining in the contest, and Watchung Hills leading comfortably, 57-44. The Warriors, which were eliminated from the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV State Tournament by eventual winner, Piscataway in the Quarterfinals, then got a basket, and a foul, but missed the bonus free throw for the traditional three point play so the score stood at 59-44 with 2:13 left. On the very next Bound Brook possession, Jordan Hawkins scored on a floater that closed the gap to 59-46 at the 2:08 mark. Neither team would score for about a minute and a half before the Warriors closed the scoring in the affair with a three pointer for a 62-46 final score.
First Half Tear Propels Ridge Past Point Pleasant Beach, 40-30
The second game featured another team from the Skyland Conference in Ridge, which was facing off against Point Pleasant Beach from the Shore Conference. The Devils of Ridge, which also happen to have competed in the TBSA Summer League two days a week this summer, have come such a long way in just a short time under the guidance of former St. Joseph’s head coach, Mark Taylor. Prior to Taylor’s arrival in 2006, the school was 6-19. This past season, the Devils had improved so much that they reached the Championship Game of the Somerset County Tournament before falling to Watchung Hills. Now competing in the Delaware West Division of the Skyland Conference, Ridge was a member of the Mountain Valley Conference for many years. In addition, the school was a team that always competed in Central Jersey Group II. However, within the past two years, the school has grown to Group IV, and now competes in North Jersey Secton 2.
For about the first 12:20 of the game, Point Pleasant Beach held its own with Ridge. Despite being a small Group I team, the Garnet Gulls actually held a 12-8 lead with 8:40 to play in the half. However, Ridge, which was using one of the three squads that it had in the team camp, began to take over the game. Utilizing a decisive 13-0 tear over a span of 6:53, Ridge turned the four point deficit into a nine point lead, and ultimately won the game, 40-30. In a half the saw a combined total of 40 points, the Devils were the first to get on the board with a layup just 12 seconds into the 18 minute half. Point Beach then took the lead with a three pointer from the left wing at the 17:08 mark. The game, which actually had six lead changes and two ties all coming in the first 15:14 of the contest, saw the Gulls go up by three on a bank shot from the left side of the key at the 16:09 mark for a 5-2 score.
The Devils responded with a nice no look feed to the right for a reverse layup, and a 5-4 Point Beach edge at the 15:24 mark. Over two minutes later, Ridge grabbed the lead with a score that made it 6-5 at the 13:07 mark. Less than twenty seconds later though, Point Beach had a three point play for an 8-6 edge at the 12:50 mark. Ridge then answered once again with a pair of free throws to tie things up at 8-8 with 12:15 to go in the first half, but the Garnet Gulls took the lead back on an offensive rebound and putback attempt that resulted in two free throws, and a 10-8 lead at the 11:08 mark. Point Pleasant Beach then went up by four on a feed underneath for a two handed layup, and a 12-8 score at the midway point of the first half. Nearly a minute and a half went by before there was another score, and Ridge was the team to get it with a layup from the left side for a 12-10 Point Beach lead as the Devils called for time with 8:40 to go in the half.
Almost two minutes after the timeout, Ridge tied the game up with a steal for a layin that made the score, 12-12 with 6:52 left before halftime. The Devils then essentially took the lead for good on another steal for a layup, and the foul for a traditional three point play, a 7-0 run, and a 15-12 edge at the 4:46 mark. Ridge then made it a 10-0 tear with a three pointer from the left wing after forcing a turnover for an 18-12 lead at the 3:37 mark. The Somerset County team then added another trey to complete the run, and take a 21-12 lead at the 2:15 mark. Point Beach finally ended the run with a spin for a bank shot from the left low block for a 21-14 Ridge lead at the 1:47 mark, and then Ridge ended the half with a 3-2 showing for the eight point, 24-16 lead at the brief intermission. In the second half, Ridge didn’t let Point Beach get any closer than five points although there were some scoreboard discrepancies.
Point Beach opened the second half scoring with a pass into the key for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and produced one of two from the line for a 24-17 at the 17:20 mark. The Gulls had a chance to get closer, but Ridge committed a smart foul on the floor to prevent a fast break layup at the 14:51 mark. The Devils then got a layup while being fouled, but missed the bonus foul shot for a 26-17 lead with 13:40 remaining. On a subsequent possession, Point Beach got a layup underneath for a 26-19 Ridge edge with exactly 13 minutes left. The Garnet Gulls then added another score to pull within five, but then Ridge came up with a critical three point play at the 11:24 mark for a 29-21 edge. Neither team would score for almost three full minutes before Point Beach made a free throw, and then after a Ridge timeout, sank another to pull within six at 29-23 with 8:33 to go.
Over two minutes later, Ridge went back up by eight thanks to solid defense that forced a steal, and was converted when a fast break opportunity was capped by a dish left for a layup, and a 31-23 lead at the 6:26 mark. Point Beach then made their closest approach to the lead with a three pointer from the right wing for a 31-26 score at the 5:25 mark. Ridge then made a layup at the 4:30 mark, and stole the ball away again for a pass upcourt that was converted into a layup, and made the score, 35-26 with 4:12 to play. The Devils then sealed the win with a pair of free throws at the 1:43 mark as they won by ten, 40-30.
| Team | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge | 24 | 16 | 40 |
| Point Pleasant Boro | 16 | 14 | 30 |