Despite Several Players Sidelined, Falcons Rally in 2nd Half for Win
METUCHEN, NJ—With the contest between Sayreville and North Brunswick after the Bombers needed to sit out due to COVID protocols, GMC Hoops decided to travel over to Vincent Maglio Gymnasium to take in the GMC Red clash between No. 7 Monroe and No. 2 St. Joseph’s. Despite being shorthanded, St. Joe’s overcame a double digit first half deficit to rally past Monroe, 60-49.
Ethan Simmon led three different St. Joe’s players that scored in double figures with a team high 19 points while Junior Josh Ingram chipped in with 17, and sophomore guard Dave Caruso added 11. Jonathan Okocha led all scorers with a game high 21 points for Monroe while Josh Okocha chipped in with 14 in a losing cause. Sophomore Myles Marabuto also added 8 points as the Monroe Falcons top scoring trio accounted for 43 of the team’s 49 points.
The trio of Jonathan and Josh Okocha and Marabuto led the Monroe Falcons to an 18-15 edge over the initial 9:33 of the contest, and spearheaded the 15-4 spurt to end the first half for the 14 point advantage at the break. Josh Okocha and Marabuto highlighted the second quarter ending run with threes while Jon Okocha added scores as well.
Trailing 33-19 at the half, St. Joseph’s, led by an inspired Ethan Simmon, put together a 41-16 surge over the final two periods to rally past Monroe. Simmon had two scores while Kwame Herod (5 points) added a three to cap a 9-4 start to the 2nd half that narrowed the deficit to 37-28 with 4:02 remaining in the third. St. Joe’s then scored 12 of the last 15 points capped by a three from Jeremy DeCaro for his only points of the game that tied the score at 40-40 heading into the final period.
St. Joseph’s continued to roll in the fourth quarter by outscoring Monroe by a margin of 20-9. Highlighted by scores from Herod at the 2:45 mark of the fourth for a 51-45 lead, and a layup by Khalid Brown (5 points) for a 55-47 lead with 1:38 remaining, St. Joseph’s proceeded to pull away for the victory. Joes had 6 of its 8 players score with three scoring in double figures while Monroe had 6 of its 9 players score with just two in double figures.
The trio of Caruso, DeCaro, and Christian Magliacano combined for just 14 of St. Joseph’s points, but they provided much more than what the scorebook showed. All three made key contributions, especially on the defensive side. DeCaro and Magliacano, who play football brought their toughness to the table by getting on the floor for loose balls and drawing charges. Magliacano added 6 rebounds while Caruso played scrappy defense in addition to providing additional scoring punch.
With the victory, St. Joseph’s, which had at least a half dozen players sideline due to COVID protocols, begins the season at 1-0, and will face top ranked St. Thomas Aquinas in the nightcap game of the Friends of South Amboy Charity Basketball Games showcase at South Amboy Middle-High School on Saturday night at 8:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Monroe, which fell to 0-1 with the loss, is slated to return to play next week with a trip to 4th ranked South Brunswick on Tuesday evening in another important early season GMC Red Division clash. The Vikings are coming off an upset loss on the road to J.P. Stevens (44-40) on Friday evening in North Edison.