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GMC Hoops Summaries--January 3, 2008
JV Game Of The Week--Regular Season Resumes

Piscataway Overpowers J.P. Stevens Behind Griggs And Rose, 55-33

By Greg Machos
January 3, 2008

NORTH EDISON, NJ--To start off the 2008 portion of the 2007-08 GMC Boys Basketball season, GMC Hoops traveled to J.P. Stevens High School to take in a JV/Varsity Doubleheader between the Chiefs of Piscataway, and the hometown Hawks. The first game featured a Piscataway squad that was undefeated through its first five games against a Junior Hawks squad that had two varsity reserves. The Junior Chiefs are very talented, and that should give the rest in the Greater Middlesex Conference plenty of notice that the Piscataway basketball program will still be in good health long after the likes of James White, Omar Smith, J.D. Griggs, and Brian Waluk are gone. With the likes of Malcolm Griggs (J.D.'s younger brother), Antoine Beverly, Scott Kinney, and Jamar Rose along with varsity reserves Jeff Adkins, Justin Blake, Thomas Bennett, and Aaron Hush plus next year's lone returning starter, Tristian Benjamin, expect the Chiefs to still be there come February 2009. Meanwhile, for J.P. Stevens, junior Herb Smith and freshman Kareem Jones give the Hawks some additional depth on the varsity.

So far this season, the Piscataway JV squad has defeated Edison, Old Bridge, and South Brunswick in regular season play while winning both of its games at the Immaculata Christmas Tournament to earn the Championship. Stevens on the other hand took its lumps so far this season including a recent 58-18 loss to St. Joseph's on December 20th. This game would be no different for the Junior Hawks. After taking a 6-4 lead at the 4:48 mark on a 6-2 spurt over a span of nearly three minutes, P-Way took charge for good with a 15-4 tear to end the period for a 19-10 first quarter lead. In the second, the Junior Chiefs labored a bit as the Junior Hawks showed some fight not only in this quarter, but for the first two and a half periods before succumbing. J.P. Stevens outscored Piscataway by an 8-6 margin to give itself hope going into the locker room only trailing by a 25-18 score. However, in the second half, the Junior Chiefs finally put the game away with a 30-15 showing over the final two periods including a 14-6 effort in the third to take a commanding 39-24 lead, and went on to win, 55-33 in the GMC Hoops JV Game of the Week. Piscataway ended up outscoring Stevens in every period while forcing the Hawks to turn over the ball some 29 times in the contest. Leading the way for P-Way was Malcolm Griggs, a highly touted player even before his freshman year, who clicked on 6 of 12 shots from the floor including 1 of 3 from downtown, and 1 of 2 at the foul line for a game high 14 points along with 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and an assist.

Chipping in for the Junior Chiefs was junior 6'0" guard, Jamar Rose, who had a stat stuffers delight of a game. Making 4 of 5 shots from the floor, and his only free throw attempt, Rose scored 9 points while also compiling 9 rebounds, 6 steals, and 2 assists. Scott Kinney, the son of Star-Ledger high school sports writer, Mike Kinney, also contributed with 7 points on two field goals and a three pointer despite some struggles from the floor. Kinney also collected a rebound. Meanwhile, for J.P. Stevens, Jones stood out with a team high 8 points on 4 of 7 shooting from the floor to go along with 5 rebounds and a steal. To see all the individual stats, please check out the stats page for this contest in the GMC Hoops Game Stats Section. For the game, the Junior Chiefs made 24 of 51 shots from the floor for 47.1 percent including 3 of 13 from beyond the arc for 23.1 percent. P-Way also made 4 of 7 from the line for 57.1 percent. On the other hand, JPS connected on 14 of 31 shots for 45.2 percent including 1 of 5 from three point range for 20 percent. At the line, the Junior Hawks connected on just 4 of 16 free throws for 25 percent. In other statistical areas, the Junior Chiefs had advantages in turnovers (23-29), rebounding (30-15), offensive rebounding (11-4), assists (12-8), steals (14-13), and blocks (2-1). It was a clean sweep of every statistical category except charges where neither team drew any.

In the first quarter, Piscataway was able to jump out to a fairly good lead thanks to 8 of 12 shooting from the floor for 66.7 percent including 2 of 4 from three point land while only making 1 of 4 at the free throw stripe, and committing four turnovers. J.P. Stevens didn't shoot that badly either going 5 of 9 in the frame, but Smith missed two layups in the period, and the team had 6 turnovers. P-Way jumped out to an early lead as Beverly, who had all of his points in the first period, scored a field goal for a 2-0 advantage. JPS then scored six of the next eight points to take a 6-4 lead as Jones capped the run by grabbing a rebound on the defense end, and coming right back up the court for a finger roll layin with 4:48 to go in the stanza. Moments later though Aaron Riggins got on the board with a bucket to tie the game at 6-6 before Stevens JV coach, and former hoops standout at J.F. Kennedy in Iselin, called for time with 4:31 to play in the period. Following the timeout, neither team scored for the next 1:07 before Malcolm Griggs connected on a three pointer from the left corner for a 9-6 advantage with 3:24 to play in the frame. The Junior Chiefs continued to assert their will on the Junior Hawks with seven of the next nine points including a steal and drive from midcourt by Rose for a layup as he was fouled for a three point play to give his team a 16-8 lead at the 1:53 mark. P-Way then scored three of the final five points of the period for the nine point, 19-10 edge going into the second.

Despite having the momentum from the strong ending to the first quarter, Piscataway was lethargic in the season, and let J.P. Stevens hang around. In the second stanza, the Junior Chiefs were just 2 of 9 from the floor including 0 of 3 from beyond the arc while Stevens made 3 of 5 shots from the field, and 2 of 4 from the charity stripe to make things a bit interesting going into the intermission. The Junior Hawks drew first blood in the stanza as they got block from a player at the defensive end, which he rebounded, and took back upcourt for a layup that made the score, 19-12 after neither team scored for about the first two and a half minutes of the second. Riggins then made two foul shots at the 5:05 mark to make it a nine point game again at 21-12. On the next Junior Hawk possession, JPS got into the bonus, but couldn't take advantage by missing the front end of a one and one at the 4:53 mark. Neither team would score for the next 1:06 until Beverly swiped a steal that eventually led to a scoop shot by Rose at the other end for a layup that gave P-Way a 23-12 lead at the 3:47 mark. Five seconds later though, Stevens was at the line, and made two free throws for a 23-14 lead with 3:42 left in the first half. The Junior Hawks then scored four of the last six points including another rebound at the defensive end, and drive upcourt for a layup, and the foul (but missed the bonus foul shot) for a 6-2 half ending run, and a 25-18 Junior Chief lead at the break.

Looking at the halftime scoring, Griggs led all scorers with 9 points on 4 of 5 shooting including a three pointer. He also collected 3 steals, a rebound, and an assist. Rose chipped in with 2 of 3 field goals, and his only foul shot for 5 points along with 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and an assist. Beverly added his four first quarter points on 2 of 4 shooting to go along with an assist and a steal as the P-Way trio comprised of 72 percent of their team's offense. Jones led Stevens with all eight of his points on the night coming in the first half on 4 of 6 shooting as well as 3 rebounds. Smith had just 2 points along with 2 rebounds, and a steal. Moving on to the halftime stats, P-Way shot 10 of 21 from the floor for 47.6 percent including 2 of 7 from beyond the arc for 28.6 percent while Stevens made 8 of 14 for 57.1 percent. At the charity stripe, the Junior Chiefs were just 3 of 6 for 50 percent while the Junior Hawks were only 2 of 5 for 40 percent. Turnovers were the big story here as both teams combined for 25 in the half including 11 by Piscataway and 14 by JPS. P-Way got the slight edge in rebounding (10-8), assists (7-4), and steals (7-5) while Stevens had the edge in blocks (1-0). In the third quarter, the Junior Chiefs finally put some distance between themselves and their opponent by scoring 14 of the 20 points in the frame.

Griggs went to work right away in the third with two offensive rebounds for a follow that drew a foul, and resulted in one of two at the charity stripe for a 26-18 lead with just 32 seconds gone by in the second half. P-Way then scored six more points for a 7-0 run in the first 2:46 for a 32-18 lead as Kinney scored on a layup off an assist from Rose, Griggs scored on a putback, and then Burke capped the run with a drive through the middle for a layup before Stevens called for time at the 5:14 mark. Piscataway then edged the Junior Hawks by a 7-6 margin the rest of the way for a eight point advantage in the period, and a comfortable 15 point lead entering the fourth. In the final period, the Junior Chiefs put the game away with seven of the first nine points of the period for a 21-8 surge in the first 11:12 of the second half, and a 49-26 lead with 4:48 remaining. Although Stevens would try to make things more respectable with a 7-6 run the rest of the way, P-Way came away with a solid victory to remain unbeaten at 6-0.

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