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 15, 2007
Opening Weekend

Zukowski Leads Fourth Quarter Surge As Union Catholic Downs Dunellen, 53-46

By Greg Machos
December 15, 2007

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ—In a see-saw affair, Union Catholic, which lost in their season opener against a very talented Rahway team, rallied to defeat the Dunellen Destroyers on Saturday night in Scotch Plains. Led by the efforts of Keith Zukowski, who scored 21 points on seven field goals, a three pointer, and four foul shots, the Vikings rallied from a 34-29 deficit with 55 seconds left in the third, and then after numerous lead changes and ties, pulled away late with a 7-0 spurt for a 53-46 victory. Over the last 8:55 of the contest, Union Catholic outscored Dunellen by a 24-12 margin despite the fact that there were eight lead changes and six ties over the final 7:02 of the contest. Moreover, Zukowski spurred his team to victory not just by scoring the most points, but getting them when they counted most as he scored 17 of his points in the final 8:55 on a three pointer, five field goals, and 4 of 5 at the line. Buczinski, who had 17 points on three field goals, three treys, and two foul shots, came up with the go ahead score on an offensive rebound and follow of a missed foul shot by Mike Marciano at the 1:10 mark.

For the game, Union Catholic, which made 8 of its last 12 foul shots to get the win, connected on 14 field goals, 5 three pointers, and ten foul shots while Dunellen made 15 field goals, three treys, and seven foul shots. Leading the way for Dunellen was 6'4" senior center, Brock Mundy, who scored a team high 18 points on nine field goals. Jim Schleppenbach, who has been gradually coming back since suffering a torn miniscus in the second half of a January 15th loss to Roselle Park at home last season, chipped in with 11 points on three trifectas and a field goal. Senior forward, T.J. Wenzel added a field goal and four foul shots for six points while senior power forward, Matt Cianfrone and junior guard, Nick Francisco registered four points each as Cianfrone connected on two field goals while Francisco made a field goal and two foul shots. Jonard Hall, a sophomore forward, rounded out the Destroyer scoring with a fourth quarter jumper for a field goal along with a foul shot. Due to the late start and overtime finish of the Tip-Off Classic game covered by GMC Hoops between Bridgewater-Raritan and Don Bosco Prep, the web site didn't arrive at Union Catholic until there were 55 seconds left in the third, and the Destroyers leading, 34-29.

Dunellen, which lost in its opener on Friday night to South Amboy, 69-50, decided to hold for one last shot to end the third quarter. After holding it for the majority of the last 55 seconds of the frame, the Destroyers turned the ball over into the hands of Zukowski, who drove to the basket for a layup that made the score, 34-31 entering the fourth and final period. Both teams didn't score for about the first minute of the fourth until Zukowski struck again with his only three of the game at the 7:02 mark to tie things up at 34-34. Hall then got his only field goal of the game on a mid-range jumper from near the foul line to put Dunellen back on top, 36-34 at the 6:41 mark. However, on the very next Union Catholic possession, Zukowski struck again by netting a mid-range jumper of his own from the left wing to square things up again at 36-36 with 6:26 to play. On the Destroyers next possession, Nick Francisco gave a bounce pass to Wenzel cutting to the basket on the right side, and the senior, who played quarterback this season at DHS, scored his only field goal of the contest on a scoop shot in the key for a 38-36 lead at the 6:04 mark. Continuing to go back and forth, the Vikings would come right back down, and score again thanks to Zukowski, who used a screen on Wenzel to drive to his right for a layup to knot the score again at 38-38 with 5:48 to go.

DHS would score again about a half minute later as senior reserve, Rembert Armistad, dished to a cutting Mundy on the left side of the key for a two handed layup that put the Destroyers ahead by two 40-38 with 5:18 remaining in regulation. Zukowski got back at it again though with another score on the Vikings next possession to tie things up once more at 40-40. Dunellen then got the ball back, and into the hands of Hall, who was fouled at the 4:50 mark, but missed both foul shots so the score remained tied at 40-40. Union Catholic then took its first lead since our arrival on a pair of foul shots at the 4:14 mark to make it 42-40, but then Wenzel made one of two at the line with 3:58 to play, and Schleppenbach followed that with his third and final trey of the contest for a 44-42 Destroyer lead with 3:21 remaining. Nearly thirty seconds later though, Zukowski gave the Vikes a one point lead again on a basket while being fouled for a three point play that made the score, 45-44 at the 2:54 mark. The game continued to seesaw as Dunellen came right back and scored on its next possession as Wenzel took a cross court pass from Schleppenbach, and made a nice entry pass to lead Mundy for a one handed layup from the right low block to put the Destroyers back on top, 46-45 with 2:30 left.

Unfortunately for Dunellen, Mundy's layup would be the final points of the game as Union Catholic scored the last eight points of the contest on a field goal and 6 of 10 from the line for the win. On the very next UCHS possession, Zukowski, who was now garnering a lot of attention from the Dunellen defenders, penterated into the paint, and made a nice jump pass to a teammate for a layup attempt that drew a foul with 2:10 remaining. The Vikings then got one of two from the foul line to square things up again at 46-46. Neither team would score for the next 55 seconds as Wenzel hit rim on a jumper from the left wing with about a minute and a half left, and then Union Catholic got the ball into freshman Marciano's hands, which resulted in a foul at the 1:15 mark. Marciano, the younger brother of John Marciano, a 7'0" center, who played originally at Seton Hall Prep before transferring to Roselle Park his senior year last year, and is now on the roster at Dartmouth, then misfired on both free throws, but on the second miss, Buczinski grabbed the offensive rebound, and put in the follow for a 48-46 edge with 1:10 to play. Dunellen still had a chance to tie, but Marciano came up with a big defensive play by blocking a shot by Wenzel at the 58.1 mark, and then Mundy missed the front end of a one and one at the 55 second mark.

Following a Dunellen timeout by head coach, Bernie Buniak at the 52.4 mark, Zukowski got the ball in his hands, and was fouled at the 28.3 second mark. The senior then made the first free throw, and on the second he missed, but in an unusual set of circumstances, the ball got stuck on the back of the rim, which led to an alternate possession, and Union Catholic had the arrow, and got the ball. Of all the things that happened to the Destroyers down the stretch that was perhaps the killer blow since if DHS got the rebound, it still had a chance to tie since it was a one possession game at 49-46. However, the Vikes got the ball into the hands of Zukowski again, who was fouled, and sank both foul shots moments later with 25.7 left to essentially seal the game at 51-46. Buczinski then wrapped things up with two more from the charity stripe at the 12.6 mark for the 53-46 victory. With the victory, Union Catholic, which competes in the Mountain Valley Conference's Mountain Division, evened its record to 1-1 overall while Dunellen dropped to 0-2 for the first time since the early years of this web site. The Destroyers will be back in GMC Gold Division action on Monday when it travels to Perth Amboy Tech for a 5:30 PM game.

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