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Middlesex
County College Surges In 2nd Half To |
By Greg Machos
December 4, 2007EDISON, NJ--GMC Hoops continued its first full season of men's college basketball coverage with a basketball game involving a team with former players from the Greater Middlesex Conference. The 2007 College Hoops Tour took a stop over at Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey, to watch the Blue Colts take on Bergen Community College in JUCO action. Last year was a fine season for Middlesex County College. The Colts were not only nationally ranked, but also as high as second in the final 2006-07 season poll, and reached the Championship Game of the Region XIX of NJCAA before losing to Gloucester County College, 94-84. Middlesex County College amassed a record of 24-3 on the season, and finished first in the Garden State Athletic Conference as well as Region XIX Division III North with a 12-0 record. With the departures of such players as Hensley Charles, who is now at West Virginia State University, Juan De Los Santos, who is now looking to finish up his academic requirements, Jarred Sanders, Jasmine Rogers, and Shaquir Johnson among others, you would think that this would be a rebuilding year for MCC.
However, it is more like a reloading year for the Blue Colts. Second year head coach, and former Piscataway alumn, Corey Lowrey has some nice additions to his team from inside Middlesex County including former Piscataway standout, Manny Perotte, who teamed up with returning player Rodney Freeney in the 2003-04 Chiefs backcourt that took then undefeated South Plainfield to the wire in the 2004 GMC Tournament Quarterfinals. In addition, there are recent North Brunswick graduates, Brandon Rogers and Laud Anderson, who led the Raiders to their first state tournament berth in four seasons, and their first tourney win since the days of Bridgemohan, Howard, Cipot, and Byrom in the late 1990s. You also have reserves such as former J.F. Kennedy player and recent graduate Jason Morris as well as former J.P. Stevens graduate, Mike Scocca and recent EB graduate, Rashaad Morris. Two other newcomers are Edwin Burgos of Perth Amboy and Paul Ioannides of Woodbridge. Besides Freeney, Sean Ogunnoiki is another returning GMC player for MCC while Lowery again went outside the county to get fine talent including the likes of Kevin Womack of Plainfield, who was a member of the 2004 Cardinal team that reached the state final before losing to Lenape in the Championship as a junior.
Marc Tracy of Franklin is another athletic player coming to MCC. Tracy, a center for the Warriors, who are coached by former New Brunswick head coach, Odie Page, was one of the top players in Somerset County during 2006-07. Kory Roberson of St. Mary's brings some more Union County talent from the Mountain Valley Conference while Jamin Hammad came all the way from Shreveport, Louisiana. Finally, Lowrey tapped into his former stopping grounds at Hillside High School to get Antwan Brinson, who graduated from the school in 2005, and was ranked 51st among NJ Hoops top 100 players that year. Brinson led the Comets to the Elizabeth Summer League Championship over South Brunswick before going on to lead Hillside into the 2005 North Jersey Section 2 Group II Sectional Final, where it lost to Wellington Smith and Summit in the Championship, 61-58. Middlesex County College entered this game with three wins in its first four games with its only loss coming at the hands of Globe Institute of Technology in their opener. Over the first four contests, Middlesex averaged 86.5 points per game while yielding 76.5 points per game. In three of the four games, the Blue Colts scored 88 or more points. Meanwhile, Bergen Community College has begun the year with five losses in their first six games.
This game would be a microcasm of how the two team's seasons have been going in opposite directions thus far in 2007-08. After watching the Lady Colts of Middlesex County College easily dispose of Bergen, 66-41, the MCC Men's team jumped out to an early 29-15 lead thanks to a 16-2 tear over a 4:03 span. On the verge of getting run out of the gym, Bergen Community College rallied to the tune of a 13-2 spurt of its own to close to within three points at 31-28 with 7:37 to go in the first half. However, Middlesex regained control of the matchup with an 18-7 showing the balance of the period for a 49-35 halftime lead, and then put the game away for good in the second half by outscoring the visitors from North Jersey by a two to one margin for a 99-60 rout. In the game, the Blue Colts shot 30 of 64 from inside the arc for 46.9 percent, and 7 of 16 from beyond the arc for 43.8 percent for a combined 37 of 80 shooting for 46.3 percent. Moreover, MCC shot 18 of 26 from the charity stripe for 69.2 percent. Other statistical areas showed the Colts collect 47 total rebounds including 19 on the offensive boards, 23 assists, 22 steals, six blocks, and six charges. The nineteen offensive rebounds were converted into 16 second chance points while the 30 turnovers the home team forced on Bergen were converted into 44 points. Meanwhile, Bergen converted the 24 turnovers by MCC into 13 points while getting eight second chance points off the 15 offensive rebounds it collected.
Individually for Middlesex, five players scored in double figures led by second year starter, Rodney Freeney, the current all time leading scorer in Piscataway history. For the game, Freeney made 9 of 16 shots overall from the field including a three pointer along with a 3 of 4 effort at the line for 22 points. In addition, Freeney collected five assists, three steals, two rebounds, and a charge. Backcourt mate, Manny Perotte chipped in with 13 points on 3 of 11 shooting, and a perfect 6 of 6 from the line along with seven assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds, and a charge. Kevin Womack chipped in with a double-double of 11 points on 5 of 12 field goals and 1 of 3 free throws, and 13 rebounds along with four blocked shots, three steals, and two assists. Antwan Brinson and Brandon Rogers each registered 12 points, but by different means. Brinson went 4 of 8 from the floor and 4 of 7 from the foul line while Rogers made 3 of 4 from inside the arc, and a perfect 2 of 2 from downtown as well as 1 of 2 at the line. Brinson also collected 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 charges, and an assist while Rogers picked up two steals, a block, and a charge. Sean Ogunnoiki came off the bench for seven points on 3 of 9 shooting from the floor including a three pointer along with four rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Mark Tracy made 2 of 3 from the floor, and 1 of 2 from the foul line for 5 points as well as 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists.
Jamin Hammad contributed with 1 of 3 from the field and a perfect 2 of 2 at the charity stripe for 4 points along with 7 rebounds, and a block while several reserves saw action, and got into the scoring column. Laud Anderson got a field goal for two points as well as a rebound, assist, and two steals. Edwin Burgos added a three pointer along with a rebound. Jason Morris came in late to make on of two three point attempts for 3 points along with a rebound, assist, and a steal whie Mike Scocca made 2 of 3 shots for 4 points as well as 4 rebounds, and an assist. Rashaad Morris (two assists and a rebound) also played, but didn't score. The game started out close as both teams went back and forth a bit although Middlesex did manage to hold the edge for much of the early going. Tracy started things off with an offensive rebound and putback attempt that resulted in a foul, and one of two foul shots for a 1-0 lead at the 19:49 mark. Bergen replied with one of two of its own a little more than a minute later for a 1-1 tie with 18:48 to go in the half. Womack then gave the Blue Colts the lead back with an offensive rebound and putback off his own miss for a 3-1 edge at the 18:30 mark. A half minute later, Womack was at it again, but this time, he picked up an assist on Freeney's first field goal that made the score, 5-1 at the 18:00 mark. BCC would respond though with the next four points on a field goal at the 17:45 mark, and an offensive rebound and putback to tie things up at 5-5 with 17:14 remaining in the first half.
Over the next 1:05, the Blue Colts scored six of the next eight points for an 11-7 lead. Perotte sparked the mini-run with a short jumper in the key to make it 7-5 at the 17:02 mark. Then, after a BCC layup that forced Middlesex to call for time at the 16:45 mark with a 7-7 tie, Freeney got on the board again with a score, and Perotte scored again on a steal for a layup attempt that resulted in two free throws at the 16:09 mark. On the next Bergen Community College possession, the North Jersey college got on the board with a bank shot from the right side that made it 11-9 at the 15:52 mark. Tracy answered with an offensive rebound and assist on a layup by Ogunnoiki at the 15:02 mark for a 13-9 lead. The visitors rallied though for four straight points to tie things up at 13-13 with 14:02 remaining in the half. Bergen capped the mini-run with a steal for a layup, but as quickly as it had tied the contest, Middlesex took the lead back as Brinson made one of two at the line for a 14-13 lead. Moments later, MCC caught a break as BCC's bench was assessed a technical foul that resulted in two free throws by Perotte at the 13:56 mark for a 16-13 edge. Those three foul shots sparked the key 16-2 flurry that put BCC on the ropes. Brinson would follow with a layup off a nice inbounds play, and then came up with a steal and assist on another layup by Ogunnoiki to put the Blue Colts ahead by seven, 20-13 with 13:02 to play before halftime.
The drought would continue for Bergen Community College as Rogers drew a charge to give MCC the ball back at the 12:13 mark. A bit more than a half minute later, Freeney connected on a jumper from the right wing off the inbounds for a 22-15 with 11:40 left in the first half. The sophomore guard then drew another charge on Bergen to follow an offensive rebound and putback by Womack that made it a nine point game at 24-15 with 11:07 to go in the half. On the ensuing Middesex possession following Freeney's defensive stop, the Colts got on the board again as Womack made one of two at the line for a 25-15 lead at the 10:45 mark. Tracy would grab the offensive board on the missed second shot, but MCC couldn't convert. Nevertheless, Middlesex County College would bolster its lead even more with four more points on layups by Rogers and Womack that capped the first half tear, and gave the home team a 29-15 advantage with just inside midway through the first half as Bergen called for time. Following the timeout, BCC replied with 13 of the next 15 points to make it a game again. Igniting the run was an offensive rebound and putback at the 9:42 mark that trimmed the deficit to a dozen at 29-17. Twenty seconds later, Bergen got on the board again with a three pointer from the left corner that close the gap to under double digits at 29-20 with 9:22 remaining in the half.
Scoring five of the next seven points in just a span of 1:06, Bergen Community College had suddenly put together a 10-2 spurt for a 31-25 MCC lead at the 8:16 mark. BCC then made it a one possession game on a three pointer again from the left corner for a 31-28 Middlesex lead at the 7:37 mark. Unfortunately for Bergen, that would be the close it would get for the rest of the game as it was outscored by a tally of 68-35. Sparking the late first half onslaught was Ogunnoiki, who capped his scoring in the game with a three pointer from the right side set up by an assist from Perotte at the 7:25 mark for a 34-28 lead. Neither team scored for about 1:45 before Perotte found Freeney for a short jumper along the left baseline that made the score, 36-28 at the 5:39 mark. Middlesex County College scored four more points over the next 1:39 including a one of two effort at the line by Brinson for a 40-28 lead with exactly four minutes to go before the intermission. Bergen finally got on the board again with one of two from the foul line for a 40-29 MCC lead before Hammad made two free throws of his own for a 42-29 Blue Colt advantage at the 3:11 mark. BCC would make two free throws a short time later to make it a 42-31 Middlesex lead at the 2:35 mark, but the home team ended the half with seven of the final eleven points of the half for a 49-35 halftime lead despite both Brinson and Hammad picking up three fouls.
Looking at Middlesex County College's first half stats, the Blue Colts shot 18 of 38 from the floor for 47.4 percent including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc for 50 percent. In addition, MCC went to the line, and made 10 of 14 for 71.4 percent, and only committed 11 turnovers. Middlesex compiled 25 rebounds including 14 on the offensive end that were converted into 8 second chance points while scoring 19 of its points off Bergen C.C. turnovers. Meanwhile, BCC scored just eight points off the Colt miscues, and collected six offensive rebounds that turned into six second chance points. The home team also picked up six fast break points and four charges. Freeney led the charge with 11 points on 5 of 12 shooting from the floor including a three while handing out two assists, swiping a steal, and taking a charge. Perotte also added 11 points on 3 of 7 from the floor including a trey, and a perfect 4 of 4 at the line while also collecting 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and a charge. Womack chipped in with 7 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block while Ogunnoiki added all 7 of his points, 4 rebounds, and an assist. Rogers and Brinson contributed with 4 points each as the former made 2 of 3 from the floor and picked up a steal and a charge while the latter made one of two from the floor, and 2 of 4 from the line in addition to collecting 2 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and a charge.
In the second half, Bergen started things off on the right foot with a nice dish down low for a two handed layup to pull within twelve again at 49-37 with just eleven seconds gone by. Nearly a half second later, BCC had an opportunity to cut into the deficit even more, but Brinson drew a key charge that kept the score at 49-37 with 19:23 left in the game. Brinson then followed that up with an offensive rebound and putback attempt off his own miss to pick up a foul. The former Hillside standout then made both free throws for a 51-37 lead at the 19:09 mark. Freeney then continued Middlesex's run with a steal and assist on a one handed dunk by Tracy for a 53-37 lead with 18:20 left. Tracy continued the momentum with a steal and assist on a two handed layup by Brinson to force Bergen Community College to call a timeout at the 17:41 mark with MCC now leading, 55-37. On the ensuing BCC possession following the stoppage, the visitors got a three pointer from the left wing to close within fifteen at 55-40 with 17:14 to play. The Blue Colts wouldn't relent as they essentially put the game away with an 8-2 spurt over the next 2:39 for a 63-42 lead. Highlighting the run was a layup by Womack, and then a tip-in by Freeney that was set up by a steal and subsequent missed layup by Brinson to make it a 59-40 lead at the 15:47 mark. Capping the spurt was an Ogunnoiki steal that was passed to Freeney, who then dished to Brinson for a two handed jam at the 14:35 mark for the twenty-one point Colt edge.
From there, Middlesex County College cruised to the tune of a 36-18 surge including 20 bench points for the convincing 99-60 victory. With the win, the Blue Colts move up to 4-1 overall, and are scheduled to take on Brookdale Community College on December 6th before a key early season test against perennial JUCO power, Lackawanna College on Saturday, December 8th. Meanwhile, upcoming for GMC Hoops is a trip out to Ewing, New Jersey to see the Lions of The College of New Jersey take on the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark in NJAC action. Representing the GMC in that game are former standouts, Corey Gilmore of South Plainfield, and now of TCNJ, and Phil Barnes of Middlesex, and now of Rutgers-Newark. Take a look at the updated GMC Hoops College Schedule.
Team |
1 | 2 | Total |
Middlesex County College (4-1) |
49 | 50 | 99 |
Bergen Community College (1-6) |
35 | 25 | 60 |
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