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GMC Hoops Summaries--February 28, 2010
Week Ten--GMCT Championship

Strong Start Propels St. Joseph's To Fourth GMCT Title, 65-45

By Greg Machos
February 28, 2010

WOODBRIDGE, NJ--After the game was postponed on Friday due to a powerful winter storm, the Greater Middlesex Conference got back to normal, and held its Championship Game of the 2010 GMCT over at Woodbridge High School on Sunday afternoon. The title game matched up the two best teams in the field this year, St. Joseph's and Monroe. It was a clash of Falcons, and a battle for family bragging rights as for the first time in MCT/GMCT history, brothers coached against each other in the title game. Dave Turco was making an appearance in his fifth final while older brother Bob was making his first finals appearance as a head coach. After being pushed to the limit by Cardinal McCarrick and Spotswood in its previous two games in this tourney, St. Joseph's came ready to play. The Green Birds had played in the final in each of the past two seasons, and lost. So, this time, they weren't going to be denied.

St. Joe's opened the game with a 10-0 spurt over the first 1:40, and was never really threatened after that as they lead by 18 on two occasions in just the opening period. Monroe got to within a dozen in the second, and 14 in the late third period, but couldn't get any closer as the Green Birds won their fourth conference championship by the score of 65-45. It was the 16th time overall that the Falcons were in the finals while it was the first time for Monroe. St. Joe's outscored Monroe in three of the four quarters played. However, it was the 25-7 showing in the first that made the difference. The Purple Birds played competitively after that. St. Joe's only had six different players score while Monroe had nine break into the scoring column. However, no Monroe player scored in double figures while three did for St. Joe's.

Sophomore Quenton DeCosey (4 FGs, two threes, and 4 FTs) had a game high 18 points while senior Andrew Morgan (4 FGs, two threes, and 3 FTs) chipped in with 17 points. Steve Rennard, the tournament MVP (four threes, and 2 FTs) added 14 points as they trio of DeCosey, Morgan, and Rennard accounted for 75 percent of the team's offense. Robbie Ashamole also contributed with 9 points on three field goals, and his first career three pointer. Nick Contino (FG and a three for 5 points) and Eric Peterson (FG for 2 points) rounded out the scoring for the winners. Meanwhile, for Monroe, sophomore Danny Brix led the way with a team high 8 points on three field goals and two free throws. Timmy Brix added two field goals and a three for 7 points while Kenny Pace (2 FGs and 2 FTs) and Ahmid Williams (6 of 7 FTs) each had 6 in a losing cause. Zach Batchelor had a three for his only points of the game.

The reserves got a good deal of action in for Monroe as Mike Walp (2 FGs and a FT for 5 points), Alex Vizcaino (2 FGs for 4 points), Mike Mahmoud (a three for 3 points), and Victor Sorrento (FG and a FT for 3 points) rounded out the scoring for the Purple Birds. St. Joseph's connected on a record tying 10 three pointers in this title game. The Falcons tabulated their 65 points on 13 field goals, 10 threes, and 9 foul shots while Monroe had 12 field goals, three treys, and 12 free throws. St. Joseph's huge first quarter consisted of four field goals, five threes, and 2 of 2 from the line. Meanwhile, Monroe only managed three field goals in the entire quarter including a three. St. Joe's meant business right from the opening tip when Rennard connected on a three pointer from way beyond the top of the key for a 3-0 lead at the 7:40 mark. A short time later, DeCosey swiped a steal, and went in for the dunk to make it 5-0. Rennard then made another three from the left side at the 6:53 mark as Monroe called for a 30 second timeout.

After the stoppage, DeCosey capped the run with a jumper from the left side at about the 6:20 mark. Monroe would finally get on the board, but Morgan then hit a three for a 13-2 lead. Danny Brix then got going with a bucket for Monroe, but DeCosey found Morgan for a layup, and a 15-4 lead at the 5:36 mark. Morgan then connected on another three from the right side of the top of the key to make the score, 18-4 with 4:20 remaining in the period. Even though Timmy Brix would draw a charge at the 3:15 mark, Ashamole grabbed an offensive rebound and put in the follow, and DeCosey added two foul shots for a 22-4 lead with 2:32 remaining in the first. Mahmoud got Monroe within fifteen with his only points of the game on a three pointer at the 1:02 mark, but DeCosey responded with a three of his own with 47 seconds to play in the first for a 25-7 advantage heading into the second. DeCosey (9 points), Morgan (8 points), and Rennard (6 points) accounted for 92 percent of St. Joe's first period scoring.

In the second period, Monroe showed some signs of life with an 11-5 spurt over the first 5:20 to pull within twelve. However, St. Joe's closed out the period with the final five points to continue leading comfortably at the intermission. Danny Brix got things started with a one of two showing from the foul line at the 7:32 mark. The Purple Birds then scored seven of the next ten points as Timmy Brix scored on a jumper off a curl and Pace netted two free throws. Rennard accounted for the only St. Joe's scoring during this stretch with his third three of the game as the Green Birds led, 28-15 at the 3:19 mark. Morgan then gave St. Joe's a 2 to 1 lead with a layup that made the score, 30-15 at the 3:06 mark. Zach Batchelor then got his only points of the game on a three pointer from the left wing at the 2:40 mark to close the gap to 30-18. Unfortunately for Monroe fans, their team couldn't get any closer. Nick Contino got all five of his points in the final two minutes of the half on a three pointer and a layup for a 35-18 St. Joe's lead at the intermission.

St. Joseph's began the third much like it ended the second as DeCosey opened the second half with a three pointer from the top of the key for a twenty point lead. Danny Brix, who scored all of Monroe's seven points over the first 2:37 of the period, came back with a three pointer and a reverse layup to close the gap to 38-23. St. Joe's got another score for a 40-23 lead before Danny Brix made a layup for a 40-25 score at the 5:23 mark. Ashamole got on the board again with a bucket for a 42-25 lead with 4:05 to play in the period as St. Joe's called for a 30 second timeout. The Purple Birds then scored eight of the next 13 points over a span of 3:05 as Pace scored on a layup, and Williams got all of his points by making six of seven from the foul line including all three free throws after being fouled on a three point attempt. Eric Peterson got his only points for St. Joe's during this stretch with a basket while Rennard made his final three of the game. Monroe had kept battling, and had a chance to cut further into the 47-33 deficit.

However, with under a minute to play in the third, Zach Batchelor had forced a steal off Rennard that bounced off an official, and back into Batchelor's hands. The Monroe senior went in for a score, but decided to try and dunk the ball home rather than put in a layup. Consequently, he missed the shot. St. Joe's then got a baseline drive for a layup by DeCosey and another score to lead 51-33 at the end of the third. Those final four points of the third for the Green Birds actually sparked a 13-0 run that spanned 2:57 into the early fourth quarter for a 60-33 lead. Morgan added a score during the run while Ashamole blocked a shot by Williams, and after two free throws by DeCosey, the junior forward took a three from the top of the key, and got nothing but net. Ashamole's three was icing on the cake for St. Joseph's as it went on to lead by as many as 29 before Monroe's reserves made the game more respectable. With the 65-45 victory, St. Joe's won its first GMCT since the Jay Williams era (1998 and 1999). The Green Birds improved to 22-4 overall and 19-0 in conference play. Meanwhile, Monroe slipped to 22-4 overall and 18-2 in the GMC. Check out the photo slideshow of some of the action from this game. Analysis and video highlights will be forthcoming in the blog.

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