We've just archived the summaries on several scrimmages that we covered in the pre-season, the three games seen at the 2006 Hoop Group Tip-Off Classic at Seton Hall University on December 17th, the Freshmen and JV Games of the Week, Freshmen and JV Roundups, blog entries, and all the summaries for the month of December, 2006, the first, second, third, and fourth weeks of January, 2007, and the first week of Feburary, 2007 in the summaries archive.

GMC Hoops Summaries--February 10, 2007
GMC Tournament--Play-In Round

Amboy Tech Advances By Winning Battle Of Perth Amboy, 65-58

By Greg Machos
February 10, 2007

PERTH AMBOY, NJ--While the two schools are just miles apart, both Perth Amboy and Perth Amboy Vo-Tech don't get together much these days. Although the Patriots compete in the six team Gold Division, they don't get a chance to play their bigger rivals since the Panthers play in the eight team GMC Red, which means four more divisional games on their schedule. So, when the seeding was decided and Amboy Tech was slated to travel crosstown to take on Perth Amboy, the Patriots saw it as not only an opportunity to boost the credibility of its own division, but also one to get city bragging rights. After falling behind 24-21 in the first quarter, the Patriots rallied with a 19-10 showing in the second to take a 40-34 halftime lead. Things looked grim early on in the third as Amboy took the lead back thanks to a 14-0 run over the first 3:18 of the quarter for a 48-40 lead, but Amboy Tech closed out the game with a 25-10 surge to do what not even the Ferdinand Williams led Patriot teams of the early 1990s could do, defeat Perth Amboy, 65-58 in a GMCT Play-In game.

For the game, Perth Amboy Tech shot 21 of 57 from the floor including five three point baskets for 36.8 percent while Perth Amboy was limited to 20 of 64 including six three pointers for 31.3 percent. The Patriots also did very well at the line by going 18 of 23 for 78.3 percent while the Panthers only went 10 of 17 for 58.8 percent. Jose Tavarez (8 of 19 FGs for 42.1 percent and 11 of 12 FTs for a game high 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block) led the Patriot parade at the line with a 91.7 percent effort at the charity stripe. While Perth Amboy enjoyed statistical advantages in threes (6-5) and steals (8-5), Amboy Tech had edges in rebounding (39-32), assists (13-10), blocks (4-3), charges (3-2), and turnovers (14-16). Each team outscored the other in two of the four periods while Amboy scored in double figures in each frame. Amboy Tech registered double digits in three of the four periods, but won the second and fourth stanzas by a combined 35-20 score versus only a 35-30 edge enjoyed by Perth Amboy in the first and third.

Besides Tavarez's superb effort, the Patriots got a solid showing from sophomore guard, Anthony Patterson, who made 4 of 9 shots including two three pointers, and went 2 of 2 at the line for 12 points along with 12 rebounds and a steal for a double-double. Fellow sophomore, Joey Castro chipped in with 10 points on three field goals and three of five at the foul line while also collecting 5 rebounds, 4 assists, a block, and a charge. Wilson Diez added seven points on two of four shooting (both threes) and one of two at the line while also picking up two rebounds and an assist. Freddy Espinal only had five points on 2 of 6 shooting from the field and one of two at the line, but he came up big with eight rebounds, two steals, two huge fourth period charges, a block and an assist. Dave Laboriel rounded out the Patriot scoring with 2 of 5 shooting for 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Meanwhile, junior forward, Edwin Guerra led the charge for the home team with 5 of 8 from both the field and the foul line for 15 points along with 12 rebounds for a double-double. Guerra also handed out an assist and a steal. Senior Tony Torres fired in four three pointers in his ten shot attempts for 12 points while collecting three assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Senior reserve guard, Joey Muniz gave a spark off the bench, particularly in the third quarter to end up with 8 points on two field goals, a three pointer, and one of two at the line while also picking up 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Gabriel Serrano chipped in with 4 of 8 shooting from the floor for eight points to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Fred Paulino had a tough day shooting wise, but helped out with 7 points on two field goals and a three as well as three rebounds and two assists. Junior reserve Jeremy Santiago made both his field goal attempts for five points including a huge three point play to pull Amboy to within two late, and Carlos Livingston made three of four attempts at the free throw line for his only points while grabbing a couple rebounds, swiping three steals, and handing out an assist. Franklyn Olmos (0 of 1 FG, 0 of 2 FTs, a rebound, and a charge), Brian Rodriguez (0 of 5 FGs), and Adam Minaya (a charge) also played for the Panthers, but didn't score. A high scoring first period got the game going in a hurry as both teams combined to score 45 points in the period, which would be the highest single period tally of the game. Guerra led the way for Amboy with nine points in the opening period as the Panthers took a 24-21 lead. Amboy Tech stayed close as Tavarez scored seven and Anthony Patterson added six.

In a quarter that saw a back and forth pace like not too many other games seen by GMC Hoops this season, Amboy Tech had taken an early lead, but then the Panthers got a three from Torres, and then one of two at the line from Livingston to tie the game up at 4-4 with 6:32 left. The Patriots forged ahead again at 6-4, but the Panthers tied it up shortly afterward as Torres went inside to Serrano to knot the game up at 6-6 with 5:48 left in the first. However, after Perth Amboy Tech went on an 11-10 run for a 17-16 lead, Guerra came up with a basket as he was fouled for a possible three point play. Unfortunately, the junior forward, who had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the opening half, missed the bonus free throw, but the Panthers picked things up after that to finish the frame with a 6-4 run to take a three pointer, 24-21 lead going into the second. Moving on to the next period, Amboy Tech took control of things with a 14-4 rally highlighted by an 8-2 spurt over the first 2:40 for a 29-26 lead, and then a 6-2 burst over the subsequent 2:13 to take a 35-28 lead with 3:07 remaining in the half. Tavarez scored seven more points in the period for 14 in the first half while Patterson added another four for ten points. Amboy would close the gap to 40-34 at the intermission as the Panthers got six of the last eleven points as Muniz and Diez traded threes. For the half, Perth Amboy Tech went 16 of 32 from the floor for 50 percent while making all four of its free throw attempts. Meanwhile, Perth Amboy was just 15 of 35 from the floor for 43 percent and 2 of 6 from the charity stripe for 33 percent.

It was a tale of two different periods in the third as Perth Amboy came out blazing to open the second half. Over the first 3:18 of the third, the Panthers went on a 14-0 run that seemed to put Amboy Tech in peril. The rally started out innocently with a pair of free throws by Livingston at the 7:42 mark, and then one of two at the line by Muniz at the 6:43 mark to make it a 40-37 ballgame. However, Amboy got serious when Muniz dished to a wide open Torres, who calmly set himself, and let go from deep for a three pointer to tie the game at 40-40 with 6:24 left as Amboy Tech coach, Artie Watchel called timeout. Following the stoppage, Amboy got another three from Torres off an assist by Guerra for a 43-40 lead at the 5:57 mark, and then Muniz grabbed a rebound off a miss by Espinal, and went coast to coast for the layup to give the Panthers a five point, 45-40 lead with 5:40 left in the third as Amboy Tech called time again. Following that timeout, Perth Amboy picked up right where it left off as Muniz picked up a steal, and went the distance for a 47-40 lead at the 5:17 mark. Guerra then capped the onslaught with one of two at the line for a 48-40 lead with 4:42 left in the frame. During the course of the two timeouts, Perth Amboy Tech changed defenses, and bared down the rest of the way.

The Patriots started their final push with a 9-0 spurt to close out the third period. Espinal sparked the rally with an assist on a layup by Tavarez for the team's first field goal and points of the second half to make it 48-42 at the 3:20 mark. Joey Castro followed that with a nice defensive play as he drew a charge on Guerra at the 3:10 mark. Castro then made a pair of free throws at the 2:59 mark to close the gap even more at 48-44. Continuing to have a hand in things, the sophomore guard contributed on another sequence as he passed to Diez for a three pointer from the left side that pulled Perth Amboy Tech to within one at 48-47 with 2:11 to go in the stanza. Neither team would score for almost a minute before Tavarez got an offensive rebound and putback off an Espinal miss to give the Patriots their first lead since the six and a half minute mark at 49-48 with 1:14 left in the quarter. The score would remain that way as both teams entered the fourth and final period of play. In that final period, Perth Amboy wouldn't go away until the final minute of action. Things did start out though as if Amboy Tech was going to win going away as the Patriots opened the fourth with four straight points to make it a 53-48 lead with 3:43 to go.

Tavarez, who made 9 of 10 at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, opened things up with a pair from the foul line at the 6:29 mark to make it 51-48. Espinal then followed that up with one of two of his own at the six minute mark to increase Amboy Tech's lead to 52-48. Spreading the floor out to take some time off the clock, the Patriots went to the line again as Tavarez was fouled at the 3:43 mark. The senior guard/forward then made one of two free throws to give his team a five point, 53-48 lead. Hanging by a thread, Perth Amboy responded with a steal from Livingston that led to a Santiago follow for a score to end the 13-0 tear by Amboy Tech, and pull the Panthers to within three at 53-50 with 3:17 to play. On the next offensive sequence for the Patriots, however, Castro passed off to Tavarez for a score to push the margin back up to five at 55-50. Espinal then came up with two straight charges at the 2:54 and 2:35 marks, and provided a screen for Tavarez as he connected for a long jumper from that top of the key for a 57-50 lead with 1:47 left. Amboy rallied though as Guerra made one of two at the line at the 1:37 mark, and after one of two by Diez at the 1:16 mark, Guerra came back with a pair at the 58 second mark to make it 58-53.

On the ensuing inbounds, Perth Amboy put together some fullcourt pressure, which gave the Patriots some problems. Trapped agains the sideline, and not calling a timeout, Patterson then had the ball stolen from him by Santiago, who went in for a layup as he was fouled for a three point play with 54 seconds remaining. But, that would be as close as the Panthers would get as Amboy Tech closed with a 7-2 run for the final 65-58 score. Patterson started the final assault with two free throws at the 47 second mark. Then, Tavarez made a pair with both 35 seconds to go, and 14 seconds left to seal the win. With the victory, Perth Amboy Tech, which advances to take on 14th seeded New Brunswick on Monday night, is now 13-7 overall, and 7-5 in the GMC while Perth Amboy drops to 4-17 on the season and 3-14 in conference play.

Guvs Complete GMC Gold Sweep With Win Over Jays, 71-50

By Greg Machos
February 10, 2007

MIDDLESEX, NJ--Coming into Saturday nights game between the Guvs and the Blue Jays, it had already been a big night for the GMC Gold. After watching 26th seeded Perth Amboy Tech go into 19th seeded Perth Amboy, and defeat the Panthers in a rare crosstown battle between those two schools, GMC Hoops learned that St. Peter's defeated J.F. Kennedy by one earlier in the afternoon. So, South Amboy had more motivation to pull off another upset. Not only would they be winning for themselves, but the Guvs would also be winning one for its division, which has been maligned over the years, and got a tough break in this year's GMCT seeding. South Amboy jumped out in front early in a seesaw first period as Mark Simko (6 of 12 FGs including four threes and 3 of 4 FTs for 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, block, and a charge) connected from three point land on two straight possessions to give the Guvs a 17-11 lead with 2:38 left in the first.

Middlesex would rally though as Mark "Sparky" Stockton (7 of 14 FGs and 7 of 8 FTs for 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal), who was 4 of 7 from the floor and a perfect 6 of 6 at the line for 14 points in the opening period, scored a three point play at the 1:25 mark, and two free throws 24 seconds later to make it 17-16 at the 1:01 mark. Then, older brother, John Stockton (two field goals including a three pointer for 5 points, 2 assists, a steal, and a rebound), closed out the quarter scoring with a three pointer to make it 19-17 going into the second. The visitors rebounded to start the second with a 10-2 spurt over the first 2:04 of the frame as Simko and Mike DeJoy (2 of 3 FGs including a three pointer and 1 of 2 FTs for 6 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a rebound) made three pointers off assists by Brian Seres (9 of 17 FGs and 5 of 8 FTs for 23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals, 6 assists, and a charge), Rob Mehal (3 of 3 FGs for 6 points, 3 rebounds, and a blocked shot) scored on a bank shot, and Colin Krzyzanowski (three field goals for 6 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal) added a layup for a 27-21 lead with 5:56 remaining in the half.

In a first half that saw nine lead changes and five ties, the Blue Jays rallied back with a 10-0 tear of their own highlighted by two threes from sophomore, Mike Perone (three treys for nine points, four assists, two rebounds, and a steal), a layup by junior Nick Fariella (a field goal and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line for 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and an assist), and a layup by sophomore reserve Ryan Farley (3 of 6 FGs and 1 of 2 FTs for 7 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, block, and charge) to take a 31-27 lead as South Amboy called timeout with 3:36 remaining in the second. Emerging from the timeout, the Guvs took control for the rest of the period by scoring the final nine points of the stanza to take a 36-31 halftime lead. Seres, who took advantage of his quickness by pushing the ball upcourt repeatedly, made one of two from the line at the 1:44 mark, and then a layup at the 1:17 mark to highlight the Guv late period rally. In the third quarter, South Amboy broke what had been a very close and competitive game wide open. After Fariella made a pair at the foul line to pull the Blue Jays to within three at 36-33 with 6:51 to go in the third, the Governors went on a 11-2 spurt over the next 3:41 to take a 47-35 lead.

Highlighting the spurt was one of two free throws by Simko, and then a offensive rebound and putback by Larry Lenahan (5 of 11 FGs and 1 of 2 FTs for a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds) off Simko's missed second foul shot attempt to make it 43-35 at the 4:02 mark of the third. Seres then followed that up with a steal for a layup at the 3:42 mark to make it 45-35, and the senior guard repeated himself with another steal for a layup 22 seconds later to make the score, 47-35 with 3:20 left in the period. Middlesex tried to cut into the lead with a 5-4 run to make it an eleven point game, but Lenahan closed out the period scoring with another offensive rebound and putback at the 33.9 second mark to make it 54-40 going into the fourth. The real backbreaker for the Jays, which had lost four straight games entering Saturday night's contest, came at the 6:45 mark when Fariella picked up his fifth foul on a questionable offensive foul call. The Guvs then continued to break away with a 17-10 showing in the final frame for the 23 point, 71-50 victory to advance to the next round with a game at Metuchen on Monday night.

For the game, South Amboy only committed nine turnovers while forcing Middlesex to make 20. The Guvs also held advantages in three pointers (5-4), rebounds (32-29), assists (17-16), steals (12-4), and charges (2-1). Middlesex held an edge in blocked shots (3-2). South Amboy went 28 of 58 from the field for 48.3 percent while Middlesex was limited to 16 of 55 shooting for 29.1 percent. The Guvs also shot 10 of 15 from the charity stripe for 66.7 percent while the home team Jays went 14 of 16 at the line for a scorching 87.5 percent. South Amboy scored in double figures in each of the four periods while Middlesex scored double digits in three of the frames. The Governors outscored the Jays in three of the four period including a 54-31 showing over the final three periods for the win. Mike Fincher rounded out the scoring for Middlesex with 2 of 2 FTs for 2 points while Billy Lester (0 of 4 FGs, two assists, a steal, and a rebound) and Brian Earl (4 rebounds and a steal) also played, but didn't score. With the win, South Amboy moves up to 12-8 overall on the season and 8-4 in conference play while Middlesex drops to 7-13 overall and 4-11 in the GMC.

GMC Hoops Summaries--February 8, 2007
Eighth Week Of Action

Patriots Shut Down Tigers To Roll To Victory, 49-31

By Greg Machos
February 8, 2007

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ--For the first 11:35 of this contest between two arch rivals in the GMC White, it appeared we were headed for a downybrook. South Plainfield went 5 of 8 in the first quarter, and then got five points by senior guard, Shamai Santiago on a field goal and a three pointer to take a 15-12 lead with 5:25 remaining in the first half. However, Colonia's defense took charge while Nnamdi Usuwa contined to dominate in the paint. Usuwa got a score and made one of two free throws at the 4:11 mark, 3:53 mark, and 3:08 mark to put Colonia ahead for good, 19-15 while the Patriot defense stymied the Tigers by holding SPHS scoreless for about eight minutes, and without a field goal for nearly 13 minutes as Colonia won a rare afternoon battle, 49-31 at the Anthony J. Cotoia Gymnasium in South Plainfield. Usuwa ended up with 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the floor, and 3 of 6 from the foul line while collecting three rebounds and a steal while Santiago led the Tigers with 9 points on 4 of 9 shooting including a trey along with two assists, a rebound, and a steal.

For the game, Colonia shot 20 of 47 from the floor including two threes for 42.6 percent while South Plainfield went just 12 of 39 from the field for 30.8 percent. Over the last three quarters, SPHS went just 7 of 32 for 21.9 percent. At the line, the Patriots were 7 of 13 at the line for 53.8 percent while the Tigers were just 5 of 6 for 83.3 percent. While three pointers (each team had two) turnovers (South Plainfield had fewer turnovers, 15-16), charges (both teams had one) were pretty much even, Colonia held advantages in such statistical departments as rebounding (28-18), assists (12-9), steals (9-5), and blocks (7-4). Colonia outscored the home team in each of the four periods as it registered double figure scoring in three of the four frames while South Plainfield only scored double digits in two of the periods. The key point of the game was a 24-2 outburst over a span of 10:56 that bridged Santiago's three at the 5:25 mark of the second to Kevin Edmonds (three field goals including a three pointer for 7 points along with 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and an assist) jumper from Joe LaSala (3 of 5 FGs for 6 points as well as 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and a charge) at the 2:29 mark of the third to make it a 36-17 Colonia lead.

Brandon Hall had his usual steady performance with two field goals including a three pointer, and 3 of 4 free throws for 8 points while handing out six assists, grabbing four boards, and swiping three steals. Sophomore guard, J.J. D'Amico chipped in with 1 of 3 field goals for two points along with five rebounds and two assists. Junior forward, Jeff Mentzel went one of four from the floor for two points while also collecting a reobund and a block. Senior reserve, Bryant Androvich added two of his own by making one of two field goal attempts while picking up a rebound. Brenden Wagner rounded out the Patriot scoring with one of three free throws for a point while registering a rebound. Mike Salavador (0 of 3 FGs and a rebound) and Sal McClain (a rebound) also played, but didn't score for the Pats. Meanwhile, besides Santiago's effort, Dontae Johnson helped the Tiger cause with three field goals and a perfect two of two at the line for 8 points along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. Senior forward, Danny Hubner (a field goal plus 3 of 4 at the line to go with two rebounds and a block) and sophomore guard, Mike Burton (2 of 7 FGs including a three along with three assists, two steals, and two rebounds) each added five points. Benny Gibson rounded out the SPHS scoring with 2 of 5 shooting from the floor for 4 points as well as 2 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and a charge.

Kyle Matthews (0 of 1 FG, four rebounds and two blocks), Danny McCreesh (0 of 2 FGs, a rebound, and an assist), Dondray Hardin (0 of 1 FG and a rebound), Chris Pollin (0 of 2 FGs), and Tremaine Miller all played for South Plainfield, but didn't score. For the second straight game, senior forward, Opie Muse did not play although he was dressed and on the bench for this one. The first half was rather competitive as South Plainfield held Colonia to just 6 of 16 shooting in the opening quarter despite the fact that Colonia led, 12-10. The Patriots got the early lead thanks to their dominance in the paint with all twelve of their points in the frame coming from the inside. The Pats scored eight of those points on four offensive rebounds and putbacks. Usuwa was 3 of 4 from the floor for 6 points along with two rebounds while LaSala was two of three for 4 points and two rebounds. Neither team scored for about the first two minutes of the second before Santiago connected on a short jumper to tie the game at 12-12. The senior guard then gave the Tigers its last lead of the game with a three pointer at about the 5:25 mark to make it 15-12. At this point, Usuwa and his Patriot teammates took over. Colonia, which was only 2 of 13 shooting from the floor in the second, kept the home team scoreless over the last five and a half minutes despite being without a point for about 3:05 of that clip to retake the lead, 20-15 at the intermission.

At the start of the third, the Pats went right back to work. Hall began the second half with a three pointer from the top of the key to make it 23-15 at the 7:40 mark. A little while after that, LaSala helped Colonia increase the lead to ten at 25-15 with an offensive rebound and putback off an Edmonds missed shot. Then, with just under six minutes to go in the third, Hall found Usuwa down low for a layup to make it 27-15. Danny Hubner ended the scoring drought for SP while putting a brief halt to Colonia's rampage with a pair of free throws at the 5:31 mark. The Patriots reeled off the next nine points including two free throws by Hall at the 3:39 mark, and an Edmonds jumper at the 2:29 mark for an insurrmountable, 36-17 lead. Johnson got a pair at the line for SPHS to make it 36-19 at the 2:12 mark, and then Gibson made the only Tiger field goal of the frame with 30 seconds remaining to make it a 38-21 CHS lead going into the fourth. South Plainfield scored eight of the first ten points at the start of the fourth period to close to within eleven at 40-29 with 2:58 to play, but that would be as close as the Tigers would get as the Patriots went on to win, 49-31. With the victory, Colonia, which is now 17-1 in conference, finished undefeated in the GMC White while raising its overall mark to 19-2 while SPHS dropped to 15-6 overall and 11-3 in divisional play.

GMC Hoops Summaries--February 8, 2007
Eighth Week Of Action

Zebras Win Key Crossover Game Over Metuchen, 48-41

By Greg Machos
February 6, 2007

METUCHEN, NJ--Entering Tuesday's game, the New Brunswick Zebras appeared to be getting their act together. Winners of four of their previous eight games including an upset victory at arch rival, North Brunswick, New Brunswick was putting itself in prime position for the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, which begins on Saturday. Meanwhile, Metuchen was looking to seal up a top ten seed with a victory. The Bulldogs, which have a shot to finish third in the GMC Blue, started play on Tuesday with a 2-0 mark in crossover games with victories over Edison (66-43) and Woodbridge (67-49). In a defensive battle that matched talented and athletic players from each squad, New Brunswick closed the game with a 10-4 spurt to win the game, 48-41. Metuchen had pulled to within one thanks to a 6-2 run to begin the fourth period. However, the Zebras got a nice penetration and dish from standout junior, Brandon Smith (three field goals, two treys, and three free throws for 15 points) on a layup by Marquis Hamm (game high 17 points) to ignite the burst, and then Chris Giles (two field goals for four points) got a steal and score to make it 44-37.

DeJuan Miller (three field goals and a free throw for seven points) made one of two at the line to cut the deficit to six at 44-38 with 1:15 to play, but Hamm made two huge free throws down the stretch to push the lead back up to eight before Jon Brown (13 points on five field goals and three foul shots) scored late to make it 46-40 with a little over a minute remaining. The Bulldogs couldn't get any closer as Smith put the game away with two free throws of his own at the 30 second mark to make it a 48-40 lead as the Zebras came away with the seven point victory. For the game, New Brunswick, made 16 field goals, seven foul shots, and three treys while Metuchen 15 field goals, two treys, and five foul shots. The Zebras outscored the Bulldogs in three of the four periods while both teams scored in double figures in three of the four quarters. Perhaps the pivotal stretch of the game besides the 10-4 spurt to close the game by New Brunswick was a 10-0 tear to end the first period by the Zebras to turn what was a 10-5 deficit to a 15-10 lead going into the second.

Arriving late after the finish of the Piscataway Tech-Perth Amboy Tech tussle in Perth Amboy earlier in the day, I stepped into the gym at about the six minute mark with the score tied at 5-5. At the 5:49 mark, Metuchen took the lead as Corey Preston (two threes for six points) sank a trifecta to give the Bulldogs an 8-5 lead. Over two minutes would go by before another score would occur as Lamar Nichols got a layup at the 3:38 mark of the first to give Metuchen a 10-5 lead. That's when New Brunswick went to work. Over the next 2:58, the Zebras got a three pointer and one of three free throws by Smith, and three field goals by Hamm that included a jumper, a layup, and a one handed dunk off a steal for a 15-10 lead as Metuchen coach, Rich Stoner called for time with 40 seconds left in the period. The score reamined that way going into the second as the defense of both teams grinded the other team's offense to a halt. In the lowest scoring quarter of the game, both teams combined for 13 points as New Brunswick increased its lead to six at halftime, 22-16. Brown got Metuchen going with a jumper off the dribble from near the foul line, and then an assist on a score inside by Miller to close the gap to 15-14 before Tyshon Gonzalez scored a layup for his only points of the game to make it 17-14 with 4:15 left in the half.

New Brunswick then pushed the advantage to 20-14 with 2:21 remaining in the second as Hamm made one of two at the line following an offensive rebound and putback by Giles off a missed shot by Smith. The Zebras took an eight point lead at 22-14 before Metuchen got the final basket of the half as Chris Pisano (no points) passed off to Miller for a baseline jumper that got a kind bounce to make it a six point game going into the intermission. The Bulldogs started the second half with a score as Miller got a layup as he was fouled, but missed the bonus free throw to make it 22-18 at the 7:22 mark of the third. The Zebras retaliated with the next four points as Hamm added a layup and another dunk for a 26-18 lead with 6:20 left in the third. The Bulldogs tried to climb back into it again as Brown converted a three point play at the 5:15 mark to make it a five point Zebra lead at 26-21. New Brunswick came back with another score by Hamm to make it a seven point game again before Sebastien Szynwelski scored on an offensive rebound and putback to make it 28-23 with 2:51 left in the period. Juan James put together a three point play of his own to New Brunswick close the frame with a 6-4 run to make it 36-31 after Metuchen pulled to within three at 30-27.

Down by five entering the fourth and final period of play, Metuchen scored six of the first eight points of the stanza. Brown sparked the rally with a jumper off an assist by Lewis to make it 36-33 with 6:47 left. Nichols then cut the deficit to three again at 38-35 with a baseline move at the 5:46 mark after a New Brunswick score. The senior guard then got another layup from the baseline to pull the home team to within one at 38-37 with approximately 5:20 to play. However, that would be as close as the Bulldogs would get as New Brunswick closed things out with 10 of the last 14 points for the seven point victory. The win put New Brunswick at 7-10 overall on the season and a 7-8 mark in conference with one more GMC White game at Carteret before the tourney seeding meeting on Friday morning. Metuchen drops to 12-9 overall and 10-7 in conference play.

Note: You can view all of the clips compiled from this game online.

Perth Amboy Tech Escapes Upset Attempt By P-Way Tech, 54-44

By Greg Machos
February 6, 2007

PERTH AMBOY, NJ--For the first time this season, GMC Hoops ventured out to see the Raiders of Piscataway Vo-Tech play. While P-Way Tech has been competitive, it has only managed to win three games this season. However, when it comes to playing Perth Amboy Vo-Tech, the Raiders don't care if they have three wins or three losses around this time of year, they will be up for this rivalry game in the GMC Gold. For much of the game, Piscataway Tech, led by a 21 point peformance on 8 of 23 from the floor including a trey and 4 of 8 free throws by senior Dave Edwards, was in the hunt as it pulled to within one with 5:13 remaining. However, as it has been all year long, the inexperienced Raiders, which had 25 turnovers on the day, threw the ball away numerous times down the stretch, and Amboy Tech closed the game with a 16-7 spurt to pull out a ten point win, 54-44.

For Perth Amboy Vo-Tech, which became the number one seed in the upcoming NJTAC Tournament, Freddy Espinal led the way with 17 points on five field goals on 7 of 15 from the free throw line in addition to picking up 7 steals, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a deflection. Meanwhile, Jose Tavares chipped in with 16 points on seven field goals and two of two at the line while also picking up nine rebounds, five steals, three deflections, two assists, and a rebound. David Laboriel added 10 points on four field goals and two of seven at the line while registering 12 rebounds for a double-double. Laboriel also collected four deflections, an assist, steal, and block. Sophomore Joey Castro helped out with two field goals and two of three from the foul line for 6 points along with four assists and three deflections as well as a rebounds, assist, steal, and a charge. Wilson Diez (a three pointer for three points as well as five deflections, four rebounds, three steals, and an assist) and another sophomore, Anthony Patterson (2 of 2 FTs for two points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal). Zoilo Laboriel also played, but didn't score for the Patriots.

Meanwhile, for the Raiders, Justin Braxton chipped in with five field goals along with a free throw for 11 points along with 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals, an assist, and a charge. Seven of Braxton's points as well as 18 of Edwards points came over the final 28 minutes of play. Edwards also collected four steals, three rebounds, and two assists. Shaun Cruz hit a three pointer late in the fourth quarter for his only points of the contest while he picked up four rebounds, three steals, and an assist over the final three and a half quarters of play. Senior forward, Joseph Darby came up with four points, ten rebounds, and a block while John Mora added three points on a field goal and one of two at the line. Graves rounded out the Raider scoring with a field goal along with two rebounds and two assists. A little bit behind schedule, I didn't arrive at the gym until about midway through the first period with Piscataway Tech leading 5-4. Amboy Tech then went on an 8-2 run including three field goals by Tavares for a 12-7 lead as Raider coach, Karl Towns called for a 30 second timeout at the 2:11 mark. The timeout was the tonic as P-Way Tech closed the frame with a 7-0 run including a three pointer and an offensive rebound and putback by Darby to make it 14-12 going into the second.

The second period saw the defenses clamp down a bit more as Amboy Tech outscored P-Way Tech by a 10-8 margin to knot the game up at 22-22 going into the intermission. In a half that saw seven lead changes and three ties, the Raiders and the Patriots exchanged leads three times and tied twice in the second period. Espinal, who had a good deal of trouble at the foul line in this game, made one of two to pull the Pats to within one at 14-13 with 5:44 to go before the break. Tavares had a chance to put the home team in front, but misfired on both free throw attempts, but Laboriel bailed him out with an offensive rebound and putback give Perth Amboy Tech a 15-14 lead at the 4:25 mark. Neither team scored for almost a minute before Graves handed off to Braxton for a layup to give the Raiders the lead back at 16-15 with 3:34 remaining in the opening half. Thirty seconds later, P-Way Tech was on the board again as Cruz passed to Graves for a layup for an 18-15 lead at the 3:04 mark. The Raiders would then go up by five at 20-15 on an offensive rebound and putback by Edwards before Amboy Tech rallied with the next five points including a three pointer by Diez from Espinal, and another score to tie the game at 20-20.

Piscataway Vo-Tech would take the lead again at 22-20, but after Castro missed a one and one with 54 seconds to go in the second, Espinal made a pair at the foul line for a 22-22 tie with 22.1 remaining in the half. The score stayed that way as both teams went to their respective locker rooms. Over the last twelve minutes of the half, Piscataway Vo-Tech went 8 of 22 from the floor including a three pointer for 36.4 percent while Perth Amboy Vo-Tech shot 7 of 21 field goal attempts including a three for 33 percent. Amboy Tech also went 3 of 8 at the line during that span while the Raiders didn't attempt a foul shot. P-Way Tech held an edge in turnovers with only 10 miscues over the last quarter and a half versus 13 by the Patriots. During the same period, the Raiders were led by Edwards with 7 points, 3 steals, a rebound, and an assist while Braxton chipped in with 6 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, steal, block, and charge. Meanwhile, for the Patriots, Tavares led the way during the span with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal while Espinal added 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, and Laboriel chipped in with 4 points and 4 rebounds.

In the third quarter, Perth Amboy Tech put together a decisive frame with a 16-8 showing as the Patriots made 6 of 14 shot attempts along with 4 of 6 at the foul line while the Raiders made only 4 of 14 shots, and came up empty at the charity stripe going 0 of 2. The Patriots also forced seven P-Way Tech turnovers while only making four themselves. Amboy Tech went to work right away as Castro dished to Tavares for a layup at the 7:30 mark to give the home team the lead at 24-22. Not too long after that, Tavares picked up a steal, and then handed out an assist to Laboriel for a layup to give the Pats at 26-22 lead with 7:06 left in the third. A little more than a half minute after that, Espinal made one of two foul shots with a little help from the Raiders, who were called for a lane violation, and the score was now 27-22 in favor of Perth Amboy Tech with 6:29 to go in the period. Following a 30 second timeout by P-Way Tech, Edwards got the Raiders on the board with a drive to the basket from about three quarters court, and scored a layup to make it 27-24. Espinal then made one of two again at the line to make it a 28-24 Amboy Tech lead with 5:31 to go in the frame. Over the next 3:17, the home team outscored the visitors, 8-4 including two foul shots by Espinal at the 2:14 mark. Braxton got an opportunity to bring the deficit back down to six, but missed a pair at the line with 2:01 to go in the quarter, and the score remained, 36-28.

Both teams ended the third with a score as Perth Amboy Vo-Tech closed out the period scoring wtih a short jumper from Castro off an assist by Patterson to make it 38-30 going into the fourth. The fourth began quietly as neither team scored for the first 1:17. However, Piscataway Tech began to make their run when Braxton made one of two from the line at the 6:43 mark to make it 38-31. The effort at the foul line sparked a 7-0 rally as Edwards, one of the most exciting players to watch in the county, began to create havoc. The Raiders crept to within 38-37 with 5:13 to go in the contest, but that would be as close as they would get in this one because Perth Amboy Tech would get some big plays from Espinal and Tavares to pull away with a 16-7 spurt to finish the game for the 54-44 win. With the victory, the Patriots raised their record to 12-6 overall including a 5-5 mark in the GMC Gold while Piscataway Tech, which will not participate in this year's GMCT, dropped to 3-12 on the season including a 2-7 mark in divisional play.

Note: You can view all of the clips compiled from this game online.

GMC Hoops Summaries--February 5, 2007
Eighth Week Of Action

Falcons Survive Bears Late Rally, 47-40

By Greg Machos
February 5, 2007

METUCHEN, NJ--In a game that had a raucous atmosphere resembling that of a GMC or state tournament game, St. Joseph's battled East Brunswick at the New Bird Cage in Metuchen on Monday night. EB was coming off a huge win over Cardinal McCarrick on Saturday while the Falcons have quietly raised their record to 14-7 overall on the season. The winner of this game would have the inside track on a second place finish in the GMC Red although there were still at least one game left to play for the Falcons, Bears, and the Chiefs of Piscataway. St. Joseph's had turned things around significantly since it opened the season at 0-3 with seven straight victories, and 15 wins in its last 19 games including victories over Colonia, Piscataway (twice), and Hoboken while only losing to the likes of St. Anthony's, St. Patrick's, top ranked South Brunswick, and EB.

Both teams did a solid job of minimizing turnovers as East Brunswick had thirteen as St. Joseph's, which has been plagued by turnovers in several of the games covered by GMC Hoops this season, played near flawless basketball with just nine turnovers in the entire contest. As a matter of fact, the Falcons looked like a well oiled machine for the first three periods as they built up an eighteen point, 37-19 lead by holding the visitors from East Brunswick to just single digit scoring in each period. However, the Bears, much to their credit, didn't give up with a furious rally to make a game of it late in the fourth and final period. Sparked by a five point play that resulted from a technical foul assessed on Falcon senior center, Darrell Carroll (2 of 9 FGs and 3 of 4 FTs for 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and an assist), who fouled out of the game at the 6:51 mark, East Brunswick rallied to the tune of a 17-3 rampage to close the gap to 40-36 with just under a minute to go.

Paul Konopacki (4 of 11 FGs and 2 of 4 FTs for 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) would score on a layup to make it 42-36, but Matt Gases (1 of 1 FG and 2 of 2 FTs for 4 points and 2 rebounds) netted a pair of free throws at the 44.8 second mark to make it 42-38 in favor of the Falcons. The lead would fluctuate one more time between four and six points as Lamar Fisher (3 of 9 FGs and 4 of 5 FTs for 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a block) knocked in a pair from the charity stripe for a 44-38 Falcon lead with 39.8 ticks left, but Jason Henning (4 of 6 FGs and 1 of 1 FTs for 9 points, 5 assists, 2 charges, and a rebound) scored on a layup with 23.5 seconds left to make it 44-40. However, that would be as close as the Bears would get as Kyan Hines (2 of 8 FGs and 2 of 2 FTs for 6 points, 8 rebounds, an assist, and a steal) netted a pair at the free throw line with 20.5 to play, and then the Falcons picked up another foul shot with less than five seconds to play for a 47-40 victory. For the game, St. Joseph's shot 16 of 49 from the floor including a three pointer for 32.7 percent while limiting EB to 14 of 50 shooting including a three pointer for just 28 percent.

In the foul shooting department, the Falcons did well as usual at the free throw line going 14 of 20 for 70 percent while the Bears went 11 of 15 for 73.3 percent. While three pointers were even at one apiece, the home team got the edge in turnovers (9-13), rebounds (34-24), assists (12-9), and steals (7-5). The visitors had advantages in blocks (7-5) and charges (2-0). St. Joe's, which outscored EB in three of the four periods, registered double digit points in each quarter while the Bears only put up double figures in the fourth and final period. Freshman Steve Rennard of St. Joseph's (4 of 10 FGs including a trey and 2 of 4 FTs for 11 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal) had a game high 11 points while Eric Eckhardt (2 of 12 FGs and 5 of 6 FTs for 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal) of East Brunswick joined Henning with a team high nine points. The Falcons did a tremendous job shutting down John McLaughlin, who is one of the top scorers for the Bears, and registered a memorable 30 point performance in a 57-55 double overtime loss against Colonia on December 23rd. McLaughlin ended up going just 2 of 10 from the floor, and one of two at the line for just 5 points while collecting five boards, two blocks, two steals, and an assist.

Andrew Golczewski was also held in check with just 3 of 8 shooting from the floor for 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Steve Grossman was just 2 of 7 from the field including a three pointer and 2 of 2 at the line for 7 points while picking up 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Travis Heilman was held scoreless with no field goals in five shot attempts while registering a rebound, assist, and a steal. Junior forward Scott Stolzenberg (0 of 2 FGs and 0 of 2 FTs, and a rebound), Mike Mello, and Brad Reiner also played, but didn't score either. Meanwhile, Ian Acampado came off the bench to get a field goal for two points along with a rebound, assist, and a steal, and Taurin Wheeler added one of two at the line for a point as well as a rebound to round out the Falcon scoring. Andrew Colon (three rebounds) also played, but didn't score for St. Joe's. To give an idea how much the Falcons dominated this contest for three periods, all you would need to know is that East Brunswick scored more points alone in the fourth quarter than in the three previous periods combined.

Over the first 4:03 of the game, St. Joseph's jumped out to a 6-2 lead on scores from Rennard (off an assist by Fisher), Konopacki, and Fisher (off an alley oop pass by Rennard). Henning trimmed the deficit to 6-4 with a layup, but the Falcons went back up by four again on a bank shot by Rennard off an assist by Konopacki to make it 8-4 as EB called for time at the 2:39 mark. Fisher then netted a pair at the foul line for a 10-4 lead with 2:17 left in the stanza, and then the two teams exchanged their only threes of the game. Grossman did the honors first for East Brunswick to make it a 12-7 game, but then Rennard, who was three of six in the quarter including a three pointer for seven points, retaliated with a three off a skip pass from the baseline by Carroll with 1.6 seconds left in the frame to make it a 15-7 game going into the next period. As a team St. Joe's went 6 of 15 from the floor including Rennard's three for 40 percent while making both its attepts at the charity stripe. Meanwhile, East Brunswick was just 3 of 12 from the field including Grossman's three for 25 percent. Surprinsgly, each team only committed one turnover in the quarter.

The second quarter saw the Falcons take control of the game with a 10-6 run. Most of the Falcon points were scored in the first 3:20 of the frame as St. Joseph's built on Rennard's trifecta with eight straight points to begin the second to take a 23-9 lead before Golczewski ended the 11-0 tear with a short jumper in the key off an assist by Henning to make it 23-9 in favor of the home team with 4:40 to play before the half. Golczewski's bucket sparked a 6-0 EB run that closed the gap to just ten at 23-13, but then Acampado got his only points of the contest with a follow that made it 25-13 going into the intermission. In the quarter, St. Joseph's was only 4 of 12 from the field for 33 percent while making both of its foul shots, and only committing three turnovers. On the other hand, the Bears were 3 of 9 from the floor for 33 percent as well while making four turnovers. For the half, the Falcons shot 10 of 27 including a three pointer for 37 percent while making all four of its foul shot attempts, and making only four turnovers. Meanwhile, EB was only 6 of 21 shooting including a trey for 28.6 percent, and committed five turnovers.

Emerging from the locker room for the third quarter, St. Joseph's seemed to place an insurrmountable distance between itself and East Brunswick with a 12-6 showing in the period for a commanding 37-19 lead. Despite the fact that Wheeler picked up his third foul at the 7:36 mark, the home team managed to force three EB turnovers in a span of 1:36 while Carroll made one of two at the line for a 26-13 lead. McLaughlin got his only point at the foul line on the night with 5:18 left in the frame for a 26-14 St. Joe's lead. Konopacki answered with one of two of his own at the charity stripe as he benefited from grabbing an offensive rebound off his own miss, and getting fouled at the 4:44 mark. The athletic forward then followed that up with a steal for a layup to make it 29-14 with 4:25 remaining in the third. Exactly thirty seconds later, Carroll added to EB's misery with a spin move in the right low block for a score to make it 31-14 at the 3:55 mark. Over the next 1:45, the Bears tried to climb back into the matchup with a 5-2 run that included two free throws by Eckhardt at the 2:10 mark to make it 33-19 as Carroll picked up his third foul.

Seemingly undaunted, St. Joseph's closed out the third with the last four points on layups by Hines and Fisher to take an eighteen point lead into the fourth. With some folks already leaving for the exits, East Brunswick refused to give up, and when Carroll was forced to leave the game with his fifth foul following a technical he picked up after emotions got heated underneath St. Joe's basket, and near the Falcon student section, the Bears saw their opportunity to get back in this one. First, Eckhardt made one of two on the personal. Then, Grossman followed that up with a pair on the technical. Getting the ball out of bounds, the Bears got the ball to McLaughlin for his final score of the game to complete the unusual five point play and suddenly make things interesting at 37-26. Sparking a rally, the play got the visitors and their faithful going again. Henning took a pass from Grossman, and scored a layup that rolled in to make it 37-28 with 5:55 to play. After Wheeler got his only point of the game at the 5:44 mark, McLaughlin picked up his fourth foul at the 5:32 mark, and the Falcons called a timeout to avoid a turnover at the 4:46 mark, EB made it a 13-1 tear with two more scores including a basket by Gases off an assist by Henning to make it 38-32 with 3:16 to play.

Rennard got the lead back up to seven with one of two at the line that made it 39-32, and a little less than a minute after that, struck again at the line for one of two to make it 40-32 with 2:19 to play. But, the Bears wouldn't go away as they sensed the game was winnable. Eckhardt dribbled in on an isolation/clear out play for a bucket to make it 40-34 with under two minutes to play, and then Grossman got his final field goal of the game off an assist by Henning to make it a four point, 40-36, St. Joseph's lead with 58.6 seconds left. However, the Bears couldn't get any closer than four points as the home team pulled out a hard fought, 47-40 victory to avenge an earlier defeat, and put itself in a good position going into the upcoming seeding meeting on Friday morning. With the win, the Falcons moved up to 15-7 overall, and into sole possession of second place in the Red Division with a 9-4 mark. In addition, St. Joseph's is now 10-4 in conference play, and with the Bears and Piscataway defeating both Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop Ahr respectively, you have to like the Falcons chances for a third seed when the tournament pairings are issued. Meanwhile, East Brunswick drops to 12-8 overall, 8-5 in divisional play, and 11-6 in the GMC.

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