We've just archived the summaries on several scrimmages that we covered in the pre-season, the Freshmen and JV Games of the Week, and Freshmen and JV Roundups.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 29, 2007
Holiday Tournaments--Vaughn Stapleton Classic

Immaculata Pulls Away From Asbury Park Behind Mohammed, 62-46

By Greg Machos
December 29, 2007

BRIDGEWATER, NJ—Prior to the start of the Piscataway and Seton Hall Prep game, and the nightcap between Bridgewater and East Brunswick on the final day of action at the 2007 Vaughn Stapleton Classic in Bridgewater, GMC Hoops happened to catch some of the final nine minutes of play between Immaculata of the Delaware East Division of the Skyland Conference, and Asbury Park from the Class B Central Division of the Shore Conference. So far this season, teams in both the Skyland and Shore Conference have handled GMC teams well with combined records over .500. Entering Saturday's game, both teams had lost their two previous contests in this now annual round robin. On Wednesday, Immaculata was defeated by Piscataway (47-32) while Asbury Park lost to Bridgewater (69-43). the next day, Thursday, both teams were in action again as the Spartans from Somerville dropped a close decision to Seton Hall Prep (50-43) while the Bishops from the Jersey Shore fell to East Brunswick (57-46). So, the winner of this game would be able to salvage one win out of this usually very competitive holiday tournament.

Both programs have made big strides in recent years. Asbury Park in particular has risen from the ashes of despair and mediocrity to be a contender again in both the Shore and Central Jersey Group I, where it reached the Championship Game last March before losing to Create Charter of Jersey City. The Bishops have qualified for the state tournament in each of the past two seasons with an Elite Eight appearance in 2006 before being eliminated by then defending sectional champ, Florence of the Burlington County Scholastic League. Asbury Park, coached by Barry Baity, also won the 2006 Cardinal Classic at St. Peter's in New Brunswick by defeating Spotswood (57-45) in the opening round, and then beating the Cardinals in the final (62-50). The Bishops should be a contender again to win the CJ Group I bracket this coming March, and may win it all since Create Charter lost a few key players including starting guard, Keith Williams, who is now playing Division III college ball at Kean University. Meanwhile, Immaculata took its lumps for a brief time after moving into the Skyland after a long illustrious history in the Mountain Valley Conference. However, starting two seasons ago, the Spartans began to put together solid teams. Back in the 2005-06 season, Immaculata finished 25-4, and 10-1 in league play. Unfortunately, after splitting two with arch rival Bridgewater-Raritan during the regular season, the Spartans dropped the rubber match in the Championship Game of that year's Somerset County Tournament. Then, in the Non-Public A North State Tourney, Immaculata reached the finals before losing to state power, Seton Hall Prep.

Last year, Immaculata got a boost when Gamal Mohammed of Kearny Christian Academy, one of the top three point shooters in the state of New Jersey the year before, transferred in for the 2006-07 season. Despite the losses to graduation from the year before, the Spartans still managed to win 20 games for the second straight year with a 20-7 overall record, and a 7-4 mark in league. Once again though, the Somerville based parochial school would fall short against the Panthers from Bridgewater-Raritan as BRHS won all three games including the 2007 Somerset County Tournament final by a combined margiin of 13 points. Then, in the Non-Public A North State Tourney, the Spartans fell to Marist of Hudson County in its first round game, 70-66. This season both teams got off to fine starts prior to tourney play as Immaculata won its first three contests by an average margin of 24.3 points per game while Asbury Park won its first three contests as well over the likes of Point Pleasant Bech, Keyport, and Keansburg. The Spartans jumped out to a 15-12 first quarter lead before the Bishops responded with a 14-7 spurt in the second period for a 26-22 halftime lead. In the second half, however, Immaculata played true to form by outscoring the Monmouth County school by a 2 to 1 margin (40-20) including a decisive 12-0 tear at the start of the fourth to earn a 62-46 victory.

Mohammed led the charge for Immaculata with a game high 19 points on two field goals and five three pointers including 10 in the final period to spearhead what ultimately turned out to be a 22-11 showing in the frame. Senior forward, Jeff Cullinan chipped in with 11 points on a field goal, two threes, and three foul shots while football standout, Theo Riddick added 10 points (including 6 in the fourth) on three field goals, a three pointer, and a free throw. Tim Sanderson only scored 3 points on a field goal and a free throw, but he came up big on the boards with a game high 9 rebounds, and drew a charge late in the third quarter. Rounding out the scoring for the Spartans were Brian Dudzinski (two field goals for 4 points), Ishmil Mack (two field goals for 4 points), Matt Dudzinski (a three pointer for 3 points), Jimmy Fisher (a field goal for 2 points), Jes Schierer (a field goal for 2 points), Ryan Tapia (a field goal for 2 points), and Andrew Tursky (a field goal for 2 points). Meanwhile, for Asbury Park, Darryl Jefferson led the way in a losing cause with 15 points on five field goals, a three pointer, and two free throws while Brian Berardesco added 9 points on a field goal, two threes, and a foul shot. Young chipped in with four field goals for 8 points while Steve Raymond helped round out the scoring with a field goal for 2 points. After being down at both the John "Butch" Kowal Tournament to watch South Plainfield fall to Holmdel in the Seventh Place Consolation Game, 50-42, and the Brearley Bear Tournament to see Highland Park defeated by Pingry, 69-45, I arrived at the gym with just about a minute to go in the third with the Spartans leading, 40-35 on an 18-9 tear in the period.

Neither team would score in the final minute of the frame although they did have their opportunities. With 15.3 seconds remaining in the third, and Immaculata now in the bonus, Cullinan stepped to the line, but missed the front end of a one and one. On the very next Bishop possession, Sanderson drew a charge on an Asbury Park player with 10.2 to go. Then, Johnathan Mack dribbled down low on the right side of the floor, and kicked the ball out to Mohammed at the top of the key for a three point attempt that hit the back of the iron so the score remained at 40-35 heading into the fourth. In the final stanza, the Spartans went to work early as Cullinan came up with a steal, and then handed out an assist on a Mohammed layup to give the Somerville school a 42-35 lead with just 15 seconds gone by in the period. Sixteen seconds later, Asbury Park was called for traveling with 7:29 to play in the period, but the Bishops would eventually get the ball back by drawing a charge on Cullinan for his fourth foul of the game at the 6:36 mark. Then, following a subsequent Bishop timeout, Immaculata got a defensive stop, and Mohammed drained a three from the right wing with 6:22 to play for a 45-35 advantage. Despite another charge drawn by Asbury Park on Ishmil Mach at the 6:05 mark, the Spartans continued to increase their lead as Mohammed sank another trey at the 5:36 mark for a 48-35 edge. Mohammed then handed out an assist to a cutting Riddick from the right side for a layup, and a 50-35 lead with 4:28 left. Finally, Immaculata got another score that compelled Baity to call another timeout with 4:13 to play, and the Spartans now in front, 52-35.

From there, Asbury Park outscored Immaculata by an 11-10 margin to round out the 62-46 final score. With the victory, Immaculata returned to regular season play with a 4-2 overall mark after a 1-2 showing in this holiday tournament while Asbury Park may seem as if it's back at square one with a 3-3 mark after going 0-3 in the tourney, but the tough competition the Bishops played over the three days will pay big dividends later in the season.

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