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Middlesex
Escapes Upset From Simko-Less South Amboy, 50-44 |
By Greg Machos
January 19, 2008SOUTH AMBOY, NJ—While this game didn't appear to be important in many circles around the Greater Middlesex Conference, it was huge if you were a Middlesex, or South Amboy. Not only would this help determined seeding for the upcoming Central Jersey Group I State Tournament that begins in the final week of February, but it also had some stakes for the GMC Tournament seeding meeting that will take place in a few weeks. With a victory over Middlesex, South Amboy could make a legitimate argument to receive something better than the usual eighth seed that the Gold Division team gets every year. A victory for Middlesex would fuel an argument for a higher seed. Both teams had recently come up with lopsided wins over much larger schools such as Edison (South Amboy beat the Eagles, 71-53 on January 7th) and Woodbridge (Middlesex routed the Barrons, 64-39 on January 12th). In addition, each team has amassed a solid conference record with the Guvs entering the contest at 5-0 in the GMC while Middlesex entered the day at 7-2 overall in conference. Unfortunately for South Amboy, they would have to get the key win without the services of its best player, Mark Simko.
Simko, who scored 32 points in a victory over Edison, and earned GMC Hoops Honors for the week of January 7-12 with by getting the Player of the Week award, had to sit out the game for disciplinary reasons. According to head coach, George Krzyzanowski, "he sat out the previous game (Manville), and will sit out today." However, Krzyzanowski didn't show any concern. Instead, there was a confidence in his team, a belief that the rest of the Guvs would come together, and still give a good fight in this one. "We'll be O.K.," he said. Considering that senior forward, Larry Lenahan, who made four of six shots, and both his free throws for 8 points as well as 6 rebounds, had to go to the bench midway through the third quarter with four fouls, South Amboy did more than just hold their own, it was quite resilient. However, Middlesex, which had come off a 78-51 victory some 16 hours earlier on Friday night, had a bit more in a hard fought, 50-44 win. The victory helped Middlesex somewhat alleviate the pain from a resounding defeat to the Guvs on its home court in the Play-In round of the 2007 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, and also keep pace with the top teams in the conference heading toward this year's tourney. Senior forward, Nick Fariella led the way for Middlesex with 13 points on 4 of 10 shooting from the floor, and a 5 of 11 effort from the foul line while collecting 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, an assist, steal, and charge. John Stockton, who has struggled in the two other victories Middlesex has had when the GMC Hoops spotlight has shined on it in 2007-08, chipped in with 11 points including 3 of 5 from long range while also picking up 3 steals, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.
For the Governors, which not only fell to 9-4 overall on the season, but also 2-1 in the GMC Hoops Trophy Standings, Colin Krzyzanowski, the son of the Guvs long time head coach, led the way with 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting including three treys while also collecting 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, and a charge. Steve Poltritzky put his one of his best efforts of the year with not only 11 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, but he also shot well by making 3 of 4 attempts from the floor, and a very pleasing 6 of 7 from the line, where he hasn't enjoyed much success. Poltritzky also added an assist and a steal. Also playing key roles in this game for both teams was Middlesex junior forward, Mark Stockton, who struggled from the field, but still managed to put in 10 points on two field goals and a 6 of 8 showing from the line while pulling down six boards, and picking up an assist, and a steal. Sophomore guard, Joey Charmello also helped out for South Amboy also helped out with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. For more individual stats from this game, please feel free to check out the contest's stat page in the GMC Hoops Game Stats Section. For the game, each team scored in double figures in three of the four periodss with Middlesex winning the second and fourth frames while South Amboy won the first and third stanzas. However, the difference in this contest would be the final period when the Jays outscored the Guvs by a 14-8 margin to break away from a 36-36 third quarter tie.
Looking at the rest of the statistics, neither team really shot the ball well although South Amboy did fare better going 16 of 43 for 37.2 percent while Middlesex went just 17 of 52 for 32.7 percent. The Blue Jays did get an edge though by going 5 of 16 from long distance for 31.3 percent while the Governors went only 4 of 16 for 25 percent. The foul line was also another key factor as Middlesex made 11 of 19 shots from the charity stripe for 57.9 percent while South Amboy, which shot a much higher percentage, had ten fewer attempts as it went just 8 of 9 for 88.9 percent. In other statistical areas, the teams were about as close as the final score indicated with the Blue Jays earning slight edges in almost all the categories including rebounding (31-28) including the only decisive stat edge in the game, a 13-5 advantage on the offensive glass, assists (10-9), blocks (3-2), steals (9-6), and turnovers (17-20) while each team drew a charge. In the first period, South Amboy put Middlesex on the ropes early by limiting the Jays to just 3 of 15 shooting in the frame while making 6 of 16 itself. John Stockton did what he could to keep Middlesex close by making two threes for six of his team's eight points. Poltritzky got off to a fine start with 5 points and 6 boards to account for about half his production for the game. Lenahan chipped in with a perfect 2 of 2 from the floor for 4 points and 4 rebounds. Outside of the main participants in the first quarter scoring, both teams, which only committed a turnover each in the first, struggled to find offense as they combined to shoot just 3 of 24 in the opening frame.
Neither team scored right away. As a matter of fact, the first points of the contest didn't arrive until the 6:10 mark of the first quarter when Colin Krzyzanowski scored on a drive from the right side for a layup that made it 2-0. Middlesex had a chance moments earlier to draw first blood when Fariella grabbed an offensive rebound, and drew a foul on a putback attempt, but he misfired on both foul shot attempts at the 6:31 mark. A short time later, South Amboy increased its lead when Poltritzky scored on an offensive rebound and putback off a Matt Richmond miss for a 4-2 edge at the 5:30 mark. Middlesex wouldn't get on the board until nearly three minutes passed in the game when John Stockton connected on a trifecta from the right wing for a 4-3 Guv lead at the 5:05 mark. Lenahan then scored on a layup off a lob pass by Krzyzanowski for a 6-3 lead, and then Poltritzky drove down the right side of the key for an off-balanced layup and foul. Following a Middlesex timeout at the 3:47 mark, the senior forward, made the bonus free throw for a conventional three point play, and a 9-3 advantage. The Blue Jays would close to within three on a 5-2 run consisting of a three pointer by John Stockton, and a layup by Mark Stockton, but the Guvs pushed the advantage back up to six again as Krzyzanowski banked in a trey from the left wing for a 14-8 South Amboy lead heading into the second. In the second period, the Jays performed better by making 5 of 16 shots including two more threes while limiting South Amboy to just 1 of 8 shots in a 13-4 showing that gave them a three point, 21-18 lead at the half. Mike Perone played a pivotal role for Middlesex with not only a three pointer at the 3:34 mark, but also handed out three assists in the quarter.
Like the first period, both teams were cold at the outset in the second. As a matter of fact, when South Amboy called a timeout at the 5:51 mark, the score was still as it was when the first quarter ended, 14-8. However, following the stoppage, the Blue Jays got on the board with 5:15 to go in the first half as Perone dished to Mark Stockton for a layup, and a 14-10 South Amboy lead. About a minute later, the Governors would go back up by six on a layup by Poltritzky, but Perone soon followed with his three pointer that made it a 16-13 game with under four minutes to go in the half. South Amboy, which made eight miscues in the frame, then committed two turnovers including a five second violation on Krzyzanowski at the 2:57 mark. Capitalizing on the latest Guv mistake, the Jays made it an 8-2 run, and tied the game as Perone passed to John Stockton on the left wing for his third and final three point bomb of the game that made the score, 16-16 at the 2:36 mark. Following another South Amboy timeout, which was ironically called to prevent a turnover, Guv reserve, John Zammit failed to inbound the ball, and was flagged for a five second violation at the 2:06 mark. Nearly forty seconds later, Middlesex took its first lead of the game as the John Stockton made an entry pass down low to Ryan Farley for a layup that made the score, 18-16 with 1:27 left in the half. However, the Blue Jay lead only lasted for a short time as South Amboy converted a late first half possession on two free throws by Poltritzky with 12.5 to go before the break. Nevertheless, the Jays managed to quickly get back down the floor, and Perone dished to Fariella for a layup as he was fouled for a three point play that not only gave the visitors from the GMC Blue a 21-18 lead, but also huge momentum going into the locker room at halftime.
Looking at the first half scoring, John Stockton led the way for the Blue Jays with 9 points on 3 of 6 shooting with all three field goals made being treys while Poltritzky paced South Amboy with 9 points on three of four from the floor, and suprisingly perfect 3 of 3 at the line while getting his six first quarter rebounds. Moving on to the halftime stats, both teams were having trouble finding the basket with Middlesex making only 8 of 31 shots over the first two quarters for 25.8 percent while South Ambooy was just 7 of 24 from the floor for 29.2 percent. One thing that helped the Jays overcome their shooting woes was the fact that they made 4 of 12 from beyond the arc thanks largely in part to he elder Stockton. The Guvs, on the other hand, were only 1 of 8 from downtown. At the line, South Amboy was able to bridge the gap somewhat by making all three of its foul shots thanks to Poltritzky's much welcomed performance. In other statistical departments, both teams began having turnover issues in the second with Middlesex still gaining the halftime edge (7-9). Although rebounds overall were even at 17-17, the Blue Jays managed to gain the upper hand via the offensive glass with an 8-4 edge. In addition, MHS had advantages in assists (7-4), steals (3-2), and blocks (2-1). Neither team drew a charge in the opening half. Returning to action, each team picked it up somewhat offensively as both teams combined for 55 points in the second half with Middlesex edging South Amboy, 29-26 for the six point win. The third quarter was the best period offensively as both squads combined for 33 points with the Guvs getting the lion's share for an 18-15 edge that squared the contest back up at 36-36.
However, the second half didn't exactly start out cleanly as both teams exchanged turnovers in just the first eighteen seconds of the third. Four seconds later, Krzyzanowski drew the first charge of the game, but the Guvs weren't able to cash in on the opportunity, and later, Middlesex went up by five as Perone swiped a steal, and scored a layup at the 7:10 mark. Perone continued to play a key role in Middlesex's fortunes as he handed out another assist on a layup by John Stockton for his final field goal of the game, and a 25-18 lead. But the Guvs would soon fight back with a 7-0 personal rally by Charmello, who connected on a three pointer, and then scored two layups to knot the game again at 25-25 at the 5:07 mark. Lenahan then got a pass underneath from Richmond, and drew a foul that produced two free throws for a 9-0 spurt, and a 27-25 lead at the 4:40 mark. Moments later though, the South Amboy senior forward would pick up his fourth foul of the game, which Fariella took advantage of with a pair of free throws at the 4:25 mark for a 27-27 tie. Lenahan stayed in the game, at least for the time being, and actually scored on the next Guv possession off a drive and dish by Charmello for a 29-27 lead with 4:11 remaining in the third. Fariella would tie the game right back up on the next Jays possession with a drive for another layup as he was fouled, but he missed the bonus foul shot this time, and the score remained deadlocked at 29-29. Neither team would score for the next minute or so until Fariella registered another bucket on an offensive rebound and putback of a John Stockton miss for a 31-29 lead with 2:58 to play in the third. Poltritzky then made two free throws to tie the game back up at 31-31 at the 2:09 mark before both teams exchanged scores including a Farley layup from Billy Lester, and a Charmello putback of his own miss for a 33-33 tie at the 1:04 mark of the third. Fariella would again score as he was fouled though, and despite missing another bonus foul shot, Middlesex went ahead 35-33. Mark Stockton then made one of two at the line for a 36-33 lead at the 31.7 second mark before Krzyzanowski sank another late quarter three to tie the game at 36-36 heading into the fourth.
In a game that saw a total of nine lead changes and eight ties including five lead swaps and six ties in the final 5:07 of the third, the lead changed hands for the final time within the first 51 seconds of the fourth as Perone came up big again wtih a three pointer from the left wing off a kickout from Fariella for a 39-36 Blue Jay lead. Thirty-three seconds later, Lenahan would return for the final foray of the game, but early on, it didn't make an impact. Following a South Amboy score that closed the gap to one, Middlesex got some much needed breathing room thanks to a 4-0 mini-run that included two offensive rebounds for putbacks by Farley for a 43-38 lead before Krzyzanowski came up clutch again with a three pointer for a 43-41 Jays advantage at the 4:04 mark. Nearly a minute later, the game got controversial as the officials assessed a flagrant foul on Krzyzanowski although he appeared from the GMC Hoops angle to be going for the ball. However, later on the in the day, a discussion with other spectators at the game revealed that the South Amboy Guv senior guard may have not been going for the ball after all. Nevertheless, Mark Stockton stepped to the line, and made one of two for a 44-41 lead with 3:12 left in regulation. Poltritzky then fed Lenahan for a layup that made the score, 44-43 at the 2:25 mark, but Fariella made it a two point game again with one of two at the line with 2:13 remaining for a 45-43 lead. However, the contest, which saw neither team enjoy a lead larger than seven points, was still in the balance with an opportunity for the Guvs to tie things up as Poltritzky drew a foul, and went to the line with 1:08 left. Unfortunately, he missed the first, but made the second for a 45-44 Middlesex lead. South Amboy couldn't get any closer though the rest of the way as the Blue Jays got two free throws by Mark Stockton after pushing the ball upcourt for a layup attempt at the 1:03 mark, and then another pair by the younger Stockton at the 25.1 mark following a rebound of a Krzyzanowski miss for the final 50-44 margin.
With the victory, Middlesex, which had lost to Bishop Ahr earlier in the week, won its sixth game out of its last seven, improved to 11-2 overall, and 8-2 in conference play while South Amboy fell to 9-4, and 5-1 in the GMC.
Team |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Middlesex (11-2) |
8 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 50 |
South Amboy (9-4) |
14 | 4 | 18 | 8 | 44 |
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