Yes, believe it or not, GMC Hoops has decided to even cover scrimmages this year. Come back from time to time to view other stories on future scrimmages as we get rolling toward the start of the regular season.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 12, 2006
Scrimmages--Week Two

Bears Take On Tough Challenge In Seton Hall Prep In Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 12, 2006

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ--On Tuesday afternoon, GMC Hoops journeyed out to East Brunswick High School to watch the Bears take on a very tough challenge in the Pirates of Seton Hall Prep, a perennial boys basketball powerhouse in New Jersey. A couple seasons ago, in 2005, Seton Hall Prep won the Tournament of Champions by defeating another perennial power, St. Patrick's of Elizabeth. Then in 2006, Seton Hall Prep reached the T of C again, where it lost to Group IV State Champ and Cinderella Story, Linden in the Quarterfinal round.

Going back to 2004, the Pirates, which hail from West Orange in Essex County and the Iron Hills Conference, reached the Non-Public A State Final, where it lost to South Jersey Non-Public A Champ, St. Augustine's Prep of Richland. The previous two years, Seton Hall Prep was eliminated by Bergen Catholic in the Non-Public A North State Tournaments. The Pirates also are in contention year after year in the Essex County Tournament, where it battles with the likes of Bloomfield Tech, conference rival Columbia, Newark Science, Weequahic, Newark Eastside, Newark Westside, Shabazz, and East Orange. Last season, Seton Hall Prep reached the final four of the tournament, where it lost to eventual tourney champ and Group I State Champion, Bloomfield Tech.

Meanwhile, East Brunswick, which finished 18-10 and reached the Quarterfinal rounds of both the 2006 GMCT and the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament, lost its entire starting five from last year, which accounted for approximately 90 percent of the team's offense. Nevertheless, the Bears have a good deal of talent coming up from the JV level and several reserves returning including the likes of Eric Eckhardt, Andrew Golczewski, John McLaughlin, and Travis Heilman. Last season, the EB JV squad went 15-7 including a win at home over South Brunswick back in January. The Junior Bears reached the Quarterfinal round of the East Brunswick/GMC JV Tournament, where it lost to final four participant, Bishop Ahr.

Both of these teams face each other once or twice a summer in the Linden Summer League. Seton Hall Prep and East Brunswick have long been participants in the league, and compete on Tuesdays and Thursdays. While Seton Hall Prep presents a monumental task for any team that it plays against, the Bears always seem to compete quite well against them. Although that may not be reflected in the score, it often produces great benefits for the Bears during the course of the regular season. Tuesday afternoon's scrimmage was no exception. Yes, the Pirates won easily in terms of the score, but East Brunswick was competitive in a majority of the quarters including two periods where the Bear reserves battled Seton Hall Prep's reserves to a draw.

The Pirates, which lost in a recent scrimmage against Hillside, won five of the six quarters including all four in which the starters participated, and cruised to an overall, 96-57 score. The Essex County School, which has won the most Non-Public A State Titles with 12 and had the most Non-Public A State Finals appearances with 20, connected on 37 of 81 shots including 12 three pointers for 45.7 percent while going 10 of 16 at the foul line for 62.5 percent. On the other side of the ledger, East Brunswick made 24 of 62 attempts from the floor including six threes for 38.7 percent while only making just three of four at the foul line for 75 percent. Seton Hall Prep won most of the statistical categories including assists (26-17), steals (17-11), blocks (6-3), turnovers (21-34), and rebounds (40-33). East Brunswick had more charges (3-1).

Junior guard, and Scotch Plains native, Ashton Gibbs, endured some struggles early, but ended up with four field goals (4 of 10 FGs) including three treys. Even his other field goal was part of a three point play for 12 points. Gibbs also collected three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Teammate Gary Wallace chipped in with 2 of 6 field goals for four points while handing out six assists and collecting two steals and rebounds. Jordan Costner, the younger brother of Brandon Costner, who played at Seton Hall Prep a couple years ago, and is now on the roster at North Carolina State, hit three of his seven shot attempts while making a free throw for seven points while also collecting five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block.

Leading the way for EB was senior John McLaughlin who scored 10 points on five of eleven from the field, and collected seven rebounds, an assist, steal, and blocked shot. Reserve Matt Gases chipped in with four of six field goals for eight points along with two assists and two steals. Brad Reiner canned a pair of threes out of three shot attempts to end up with six points along with an assist. Travis Heilman made two field goals including a three for five points along with six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Eric Eckhardt had a field goal and EB's only three foul shots for five points along with six rebounds, an assist, steal, and charge. Scott Stolzenberg fought hard for four points, four rebounds, and an assist before going out after being poked in the eye. Jason Henning played well off the bench for the Bears with one of two field goals, three rebounds, and two nice assists in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Golczewski (2 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal), Steve Grossman (3 points on a three pointer, a rebound, assist, and a steal), and Mike Mello (2 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a rebound) rounded out much of the scoring for East Brunswick although another reserve scored six points while picking up two rebounds and two steals. The first quarter was controlled by the Pirates with a 14-4 score, but East Brunswick made them work for every point. Seton Hall Prep made 6 of 22 field goal attempts in the frame including two threes while EB only made one of ten shots while connecting on a pair of free throws. The Pirates also grabbed seven offensive rebounds as well, but that's to be expected with the huge size advantage the Iron Hills Conference school enjoyed.

The second period was much closer as the Bears made 5 of 12 field goals in the period for 41.7 percent, and ended the stanza with six of the last nine points to make it a respectable 16-10 for The Prep after the Pirates jumped out to a 9-2 lead with 5:26 left in the quarter. The third period was mostly played by reserves, and EB came out on top, 11-10. The Bears scored seven of the first ten points of the period including a three pointer by Brad Reiner that banked off the glass and in with around five minutes to goal in the period. East Brunswick ended up shooting 5 of 9 from the field for 55.6 percent. In the fourth, Seton Hall Prep rolled out to a 12-1 lead as the Pirates struck for five field goals and two foul shots while the Bears only got one free throw in two attempts from Eric Eckhardt at the 7:12 mark. The Prep's tear was capped by a three point play from Ashton Gibbs at the 3:19 mark.

Despite two nice assists by Jason Henning on scores by the Bears down the stretch, Seton Hall Prep won the fourth quarter by a score of 17-5. In the fifth quarter, the Pirates again won fairly easily, but East Brunswick was much more competitive with four field goals including a three pointer to stay within six at 15-9 with 38 seconds to play in the frame. However, Seton Hall Prep closed things out with a 5-0 run including a three pointer to end up winning the period 20-9. The sixth and final quarter saw East Brunswick jump out to a 14-11 lead with 1:47 to play as Brad Reiner, Steve Grossman, and Travis Heilman all connected for threes. However, Seton Hall Prep rallied with an 8-4 spurt to close things out with a 19-18 showing. East Brunswick opens the season at home on Friday night, December 15th against Red Division and Route 18 rival, Old Bridge. More analysis on this scrimmage is now available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 11, 2006
Scrimmages--Week Two

Vikings Handle Bridgewater In Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 11, 2006

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ--With the start of the second and final week of pre-season scrimmages, it was time to head out to South Brunswick High School to get a look at the Vikings prior to their season opener at St. Joseph's. Playing against a Bridgewater team that rallied to defeat them at the TBSA Fall League in late September, the Vikings were presented with a formidable foe that would tell a lot about how ready they were for the start of the 2006-07, which projects to be a very special one for them. In their next to last tune-up before regular season play begins Friday night, South Brunswick looked ready as it outscored Bridgewater in four of the six periods while tying in another for an overall, 92-77 victory in its scrimmage with the Panthers on Monday afternoon.

For the game, South Brunswick shot 38 of 89 from the field including six threes for 42.7 percent, and connected on all ten attempts from the foul line while Bridgewater went 30 of 77 from the floor including five threes for 39 percent while making 12 of 15 attempts from the foul line. The Vikings outrebounded the Panthers by a 49-39 margin and handed out more assists with a 25-17 advantage. More impressive was the fact that South Brunswick had just four turnovers entering the fourth quarter, ended up with only six in four periods, and twelve for the entire six quarters of the scrimmage. Bridgewater didn't do too badly in terms of the average number of miscues for a varsity game with 17, but relative to the Vikings effort, the Panthers fared worse.

Bridgewater only surpassed South Brunswick statistically in the area of blocked shots with a 11-4 advantage. Devon Young led the charge after a slow start (2 of 9 shooting in the middle of the second quarter) with 11 of 22 field goals for 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal while Martin Soaries chipped in with 6 of 9 field goals including a pair of threes, and a bonus free throw for 15 points along with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Brian Morgan fired in four threes (4 of 5 for 80 percent from downtown and 4 of 6 field goals overall) for 12 points, two assists and a steal. Ray Dasant went 6 of 9 from the floor for 12 points along with six rebounds and a block. Then, in the last two periods of the scrimmage, Mohammed Sanu finished strong with 5 of 7 field goals and a free throw for 11 points to go along with six rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Malcolm Soaries didn't score, but handed out five assists, and swiped a steal while Vinnesh Manchanda was solid down low with 2 of 4 field goals for four points along with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Junior Jordan Tiecher also went 2 of 4 from the field and 2 of 2 at the line for six points along with three rebounds and an assist. Rounding out the scoring for South Brunswick were Arman Wilson (4 points, 7 rebounds, an assist, steal, and blocked shot), Mike Sobers (4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists), and Sean Lease, who returned to play this season after sitting out last season (2 points, three rebounds, and a steal). Troy Confessore (two rebounds and an assist) also played, but didn't score.

Meanwhile for Bridgewater, James McNally, who averaged 18.3 points per game during the fall at TBSA, played well with 8 field goals made including a three pointer in 16 attempts taken from the floor while making three free throws for 20 points on top of nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. South Brunswick had some difficulties early, but still managed to gain the edge over each of the first two periods. Despite going 6 of 20 for 30 percent from the field, South Brunswick got 3 of 6 shooting including two threes from senior guard, Martin Soaries for a 14-8 edge in the first period. The Vikings held Bridgewater to only 4 of 13 field goals for 30.8 percent, and forced the Panthers to commit five turnovers. In the second, SBHS opened things up with a three point play from Martin Soaries for a 17-8 lead at the 6:40 mark, but the Panthers rallied with seven straight points to pull with two at 17-15 with 3:56 to go in the frame.

However, the Vikes pulled things out as they scored six of the next eight points over a span of two and a half minutes for a 23-17 lead. Mike Sobers capped the run with a pair of free throws at the 1:26 mark. Brian Morgan then connected on a three pointer to spark a 5-2 run to close out the quarter with South Brunswick in front, 28-19. Overall, the Vikings shot 11 of 35 from the floor including three treys for 31.4 percent while Bridgewater was actually a bit better with 9 of 24 shooting for 37.5 percent. South Brunswick made all three of its attempts at the foul line while Bridgewater was yet to attempt a free throw. It was the third quarter that turned out to the the real difference in this scrimmage. South Brunswick outscored Bridgewater 24-15 as Morgan connected two threes to spark an early 10-4 run. Ray Dasant and Devon Young closed out the period with scores to highlight an 8-2 flurry to finish the frame.

Bridgewater earned the decision in the fourth quarter with a 16-12 edge. James McNally got things going for the Panthers with one of two foul shots at the 7:28 mark, and then an offensive rebound and putback at the 6:43 mark for a 54-37 SBHS lead. The Panthers then closed out the quarter with a 7-4 run following a three offensive rebounds for a putback by the Vikings at the 3:12 mark to make the score, 64-50 after four periods. The last two periods were played by the reserves for the most part, and South Brunswick won those two frames as well with a 28-27 advantage including a 17-16 showing in the sixth and final period. In the fifth period, South Brunswick grabbed the early lead on Brian Morgan's last three of the matchup at the 6:37 mark. Jordan Tiecher then followed that up with an offensive rebound and putback, and two free throws over the next 2:50 to make it a 7-3 edge in favor of the Vikes with 3:46 to go in the period.

Bridgewater did rally though with an 8-4 run over the final 3:46 including a pair of free throws with 19.0 to play in the stanza to end up tying the score at 11-11 in the only tied period of the scrimmage. Carrying the momentum they had made at the end of the fifth period, the Panthers, which hail from the Delaware East Division of the Skyland Conference, scored two field goals over the first 1:23 of the quarter to draw first blood. South Brunswick rallied back with a steal, layup and foul for a three point play by Mohammed Sanu at the 4:56 mark that made it 6-5. Arman Wilson, who had his only field goal of the game earlier in the period on a one handed dunk, netted two foul shots at the 4:27 mark to make it 7-6 in favor of SBHS. Bridgewater retook the lead in the quarter with a pair of free throws at the 4:10 mark to make it 8-7.

Sean Lease gave the Vikings the lead back with a pair from the charity stripe to make it 9-8 at the 3:42 mark, and then Sanu put in a couple scores to put the Vikes ahead 15-14 in the frame with 1:12 to play. South Brunswick got another field goal to take a 17-14 lead before the Panthers closed things out with a score that made it 17-16 in the final period of action. South Brunswick closes out its scrimmage schedule on Tuesday at home against Hillsborough, and then opens the season with its first two games on the road at St. Joe's and Perth Amboy. More analysis on this scrimmage is available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 8, 2006
Scrimmages--Week Two

Edison And Dunellen Compete In Hard Fought Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 8, 2006

EDISON, NJ--On Friday afternoon, GMC Hoops traveled out to Edison High School to see the Eagles take on Dunellen in a pre-season scrimmage. It was a clash of former Rahway coaches as Bernie Buniak, the head coach for the Destroyers, faced off with Charlie Mohr, head coach of the Eagles. Both of these squads could figure into the GMC Hoops Top Ten at some point during the year. Edison was 10-13 overall in 2005-06 including a 6-8 mark in the GMC Red after starting the season 1-6 in divisional play. In addition, the Eagles have a talented junior class that earned a fourth seed in the 2004-05 Perth Ambooy/GMC Freshmen Tournament and reached the Quarterfinal round before losing to eventual finalist, South Brunswick. Meanwhile, the Dunellen Destoyers lost eight players from last season including three starters and two key reserves.

However, Dunellen has several players returning this year including Mike Bartilotti and Lim Beltran, and the Destroyers have players from a JV squad that went 19-3 last season including Jim Schleppenbach and T.J. Wenzel. The teams battled for probably six quarters, but I only saw from the very end of the first quarter to the fifth before I had to go home and get ready for work. Those five quarters were evenly matched for the most part with Edison winning two of the periods, Dunellen winning two, and one ending in a 12-12 tie. However, on the basis of a strong first quarter, Edison won overall, 65-60. Both teams, which played in the HawksBasketball Summer SlamFest over the summer at Plainfield High School, fought tooth and nail for all five periods. Zach Manfre and Terry Roland of Edison, and T.J. Wenzel of Dunellen displayed tremendous hustle throughout. Getting there with about a minute to go in the first period, I managed to only get stats from the second quarter on.

Over that time, Dunellen went 19 of 48 from the field including five three pointers for 39.6 percent while converting 7 of 10 free throws for 70 percent. Meanwhile, Edison went 21 of 56 for 35.2 percent while making 7 of 9 from the charity stripe for 77.8 percent. Edison won the battle of turnovers with a 17 to 21 edge, but Dunellen won the rebounding war 31-23 behind the efforts of Wenzel, who grabbed 15 boards in the scrimmage. The Destroyers had more assists (13-9) while Edison had more steals (14-8). The Destroyers also had more threes (4-0) blocks (6-3) and charges (2-0). Manfre led all scorers during the period from the second quarter to the fifth with 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting from the floor, and 3 of 3 from the line. Manfre also collected seven steals, four assists, and two rebounds.

Mike Bartilotti led Dunellen with 14 points on 5 of 14 shooting and a perfect 4 of 4 at the line while Jim Schleppenbach chipped in with 13 points on 4 of 13 shooting including two threes and 3 of 5 at the foul line. Schleppenbach also picked up 6 assists, 5 steals, and 2 rebounds while Bartilotti added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Keith Lefchuck, a transfer from Rutgers Prep, connected on four of eight from the field including two threes for 11 points while adding six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Terry Roland chipped in for Edison with eight points on four of eight shooting from the floor as well as eight rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Lim Beltran, who put on a little more bulk since last season, matched Roland for Dunellen with 4 of 7 shooting for his eight along with three rebounds, an assist, block, and charge.

T.J. Wenzel only made one of four shots from the field, but provided great hustle, and collected three blocks, an assist and steal in addition to his 15 rebounds. Aldrin Nubla added a field goal and a charge for the Destroyers. Nathan Otokiti (3 of 5 field goals, 2 rebounds, and a block) and Barry Holmes (3 of 6 field goals, 1 of 1 foul shots, 4 rebounds, and a steal) both helped out the Eagle cause with six and seven points respectively. Josh Williams, Sherrod Shuford, and Ron Lordi each added a field goal while Lordi had three rebounds and a steal and Williams had two assists. Also playing for the Eagles was junior Andy Hernandez (a rebound and a block) and senior reserve Mike Mackus (a rebound). As mentioned earlier, I arrived in the Gym with about a minute to go in the first period with the score tied up at 10-10.

After my arrival, Edison closed out the period with a decisive 6-0 run that included a score from Zach Manfre to give the Eagles a 16-10 edge in the frame. Moving on to the second period, Dunellen won the stanza 10-8 on the virtue of 4 of 9 field goals including a three pointer and 1 of 4 free throws while Edison made 4 of 10 shots. Both teams combined for 12 turnovers in the quarter with Dunellen having seven versus five by Edison. The Destroyers opened the scoring with a fast break basket following an air ball by Josh Williams. The early sequence of events compelled Edison to call a timeout at the 6:51 mark. Dunellen was able to maintain a slim lead with two field goals including a three pointer by Keith Lefchuck that made the score 5-4 with 4:46 to play in the period. Mike Bartilotti and Jim Schleppenbach got into the act with buckets to push the margin to 9-4 with 3:32 to go in the quarter. The Ealges closed the frame with four of the last six points, but Dunellen won, 10-8.

The third period looked to be in the hands of the Eagles, but Dunellen managed to hit a clutch shot late to produce the only tied period in the scrimmage. With the quarter scoring knotted up at 4-4, Schleppenbach connected on a three pointer following an offensive rebound and assist by Lefchuck to make the score, 7-4 at the five minute mark. Edison made it a one point game at 7-6 before Zach Manfre picked up a steal and called timeout before going out of bounds to preserve possession with 4:13 left in the period. After the timeout, the Eagles were unable to score, and Dunellen increased its lead to three again as T.J. Wenzel and Schleppenbach put together some nice passes and teamwork on a layup by Lim Beltran. Dunellen had a chance to make it a five point lead, but Nathan Otokiti blocked a Schleppenbach shot attempt, rebounded the ball, and went the length of the floor for a layup to make it 9-8 as the Destroyers called for time with 2:35 to go in the stanza.

Following the stoppage, Edison took the lead as Manfre netted a pair of free throws at the 1:54 mark, and then the senior guard scored again to make it 12-9 with under a minute to go. Down by three, the Destroyers had a chance to tie in the waning moments of the third, and they got the ball in the hands of a proven shooter in Lefchuck, who canned a three pointer as time was running out to make it an even third. In the fourth quarter, Edison jumped out to an early 5-3 lead at the 6:44 mark before Mike Bartilotti tied things up for Dunellen with a score that made it 5-5 at the 6:15 mark. Beltran then followed that up with a nice move to the basket for a score as he was fouled. The senior forward missed the bonus free throw so the period scoring stood at 9-5. Bartilotti, who started to warm up after a sluggish start, netted a pair of foul shots at the 4:33 mark to make it 9-7. However, Edison pulled out the quarter with a 7-5 run including a decisive 5-0 spurt.

Terry Roland pushed the Eagle advantage back to four with a follow off a Manfre miss, and then with 1:41 remaining in the fourth, Manfre scored on a three point play to make it 14-7. Edison went on to win the frame, 16-12. The fifth and last period observed saw the Destroyers jump out to a 14-4 lead only to see Edison rally to make it respectable in the end. Lim Beltran opened the scoring for Dunellen on a drive to the hoop, but the Eagles got a pair of free throws at the 6:27 mark to knot things up at 2-2. Sparked by a Mike Bartilotti steal and layup, and another steal and score by T.J. Wenzel, the Destroyers embarked on a 10-0 tear that ultimately won them the period. After Wenzel's score at the 4:42 mark, Jim Schleppenbach got into the act with a pair of free throws to make it 8-2 with 4:25 remaining, and then Mike Bartilotti capped the decisive spurt with a jumper off a feed by Schleppenbach that made it 12-2 with 2:20 left as the Eagles called for time.

Closing out the period strong, Edison scored 11 of the last 15 points to not only make the quarter scoring look more closer, but also to preserve the overall scrimmage edge. Both teams fought hard, and looked ok for the most part. Neither team will open the season on Friday night, December 15th. Dunellen will open at home against Union Catholic on Saturday, December 16th while Edison hosts Piscataway on Monday night, December 18th. More analysis on this scrimmage is available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 7, 2006
Scrimmages--Week One

Cardinal McCarrick And Piscataway Have Defensive War In Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 7, 2006

PISCATAWAY, NJ--Simply put, this scrimmage was a defensive slugfest. Despite missing the first 3:39 of the scrimmage, I saw more than enough to still come away with that impression. For the most part, the scrimmage between Cardinal McCarrick and Piscataway was even with both teams winning two quarters apiece. McCarrick won the first and last quarters by 17-9 and 15-12 margins while Piscataway won the middle two with 13-7 and 10-9 advantages. The Eagles earned the overall edge with a 48-44 showing. Before going down with a leg cramp, Vince Rosario sank six field goals including four three pointers, and made two foul shots for 18 points to lead all scorers in the 28:12 that I was there.

The Eagles are looking to take back the Blue Division after finishing third last year. Considering how rough and tumble the division was last season, third place doesn't sound so bound especially when you throw in the fact that McCarrick still managed to reach the NJSIAA Non-Public B South State Tournament before bowing out against nemesis Wildwood Catholic. However, knowing that the Eagles had won eight straight division titles prior to last season, you know Joe Lewis and his kids aren't satisfied with that. Meanwhile, Piscataway is looking to rebound after a difficult 2005-06 season, which saw the Chiefs go a very rare 4-20. Coach Guy Jensen feels that his current crop of juniors, "are getting it," both in terms of academics and on the basketball court. The Chiefs had as many as 17 players come up to the HawksBasketball Summer SlamFest, and had a good showing in the Fall-Ball Classic despite many players taking on fall sports such as football.

Mike Burwell only went 2 of 10 from the floor for McCarrick in the three plus quarters of the scrimmage that I saw. Burwell didn't get on the board until late in the third period, but he really impressed defensively as he collected seven shot blocks and eight boards over the time I watched. Talking with Coach Lewis after the game, I learned that Burwell, who played at Highland Park the previous two seasons, had about a dozen rebounds and eight blocks. Julio Rosario connected on all four of his attempts from the field while picking up three steals, two rebounds, and two assists in the 28:12 that I saw. Rolffi Canela, who has stepped up his game offensively, particularly over the summer at the Rebounds Camp and the fall league at The Basketball Shooting Academy, ended up with a three pointer, three assists, and a steal.

Colin Romer was the only other McCarrick player to score in the stretch that I saw although Carolos Garcia and Brant Widgeon also got into the scrimmage as well. The Eagles shot 14 of 36 from the field during the 28 minute or so span for 38.9 percent while netting 5 of 10 free throws for 50 percent. Meanwhile, for Piscataway, Tristan Benjamin (8 points) had a decent game going 4 of 9 from the field for 44.4 percent in the time that I saw. Benjamin also connected on 2 of 4 free throws for 50 percent while grabbing six rebounds, blocking two shots, and collecting two steals and an assist. Brian Waluk chipped in with a 2 of 4 effort from the floor including a three pointer, and made one of two foul shots for 6 points. Waluk also had two assists and a rebound.

Joel Creyton struggled from the field, but still managed to pick up five points on 3 of 3 from the foul line, and grabbing eight boards while handing out two assists. James White (4 points), J.D. Griggs (3 points and 5 rebounds), Mike Woodall (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals), and Thomas Bennett (2 points on 2 of 2 from the foul line) were some of the other players that participated for the Chiefs, which went only 14 of 50 from the field for 28 percent, and 9 of 18 from the charity stripe for 50 percent. Keep in mind that I got in late, and it was hard for me to determine who was on the floor for P-Way since a number of their players didn't play during the fall, and no one had practice jerseys with numbers on them. Both teams had their share of turnovers, but that was expected considering how each team's defense played. Piscataway got the slight edge in that area (19-23) while McCarrick had the advantage in blocks (8-3), charges (1-0), and assists (10-8). Piscataway held a 25-23 edge in rebounding and both teams had six steals apiece.

When I arrived, the score was McCarrick 9-5 with 4:12 to go in the first period. McCarrick then closed out the frame with eight of the last twelve points as Julio Rosario got two of his field goals, Vince Rosario made one of two at the line, and Rolffi Canela knocked in a three pointer. Meanwhile, Piscataway went 1 of 10 from the floor in the final four plus minutes, and only managed to get two free throws from Joel Creyton at the foul line with 37 seconds left to make it 14-9. The second quarter was Piscataway's as they held McCarrick to three field goals while shooting much better at 5 of 12 from the field for 41.7 percent and 3 of 6 at the foul line. The Chiefs opened up the stanza with seven of the first nine points as Tristan Benjamin scored the first bucket on a field goal off a pass from Creyton at the 6:19 mark. Then, the forward handed out an assist himself on a three point play by J.D. Griggs with 4:07 to go in the half to make the score, 7-2.

The Eagles tried to get back into the matchup as Rosario scored on a layup and then a three pointer to spark a 7-4 rally that made the score, 11-7 with 1:35 left in the second. However, Piscataway scored the last two points of the period to make it 13-7. The third quarter saw the Chiefs take the initial lead as Benjamin scored another layup while Brian Waluk netted a three pointer to make the score, 5-0 with 6:15 remaining in the frame. Joel Creyton then added one of two free throws with 5:36 left to make the score, 6-0. McCarrick tried to creep back into it with four of the next six points to make it an 8-4 score, Benjamin netted a pair of free throws at the 4:23 mark to make it 10-4. Then, Cardy Mac rallied with a 5-0 spurt that consisted of one of two free throws from Rosario, a steal and layup by Julio Rosario, and Mike Burwell's first field goal since my arrival to make the score 10-9. The Eagles forced another turnover, and had a chance to win out the quarter, but Rosario missed a field goal attempt as time expired for the 10-9 Chief advantage.

In the fourth quarter, McCarrick jumped out to 11-3 lead before Piscataway closed the period and the scrimmage strong with a 9-4 showing to make it a 15-12 edge for the Eagles. Mike Burwell got his last field goal of the scrimmage as he took a pass from Rolffi Canela, and banked a shot in the lane while being fouled for a three point play at the 7:06 mark for the early Cardy Mac lead. Vince Rosario added to that with a three pointer off another assist by Canela for a 6-0 lead before Brian Waluk got the Chiefs on the board with a three point play at the 5:55 mark to make it 6-3. Burwell then added a pair of foul shots, and Rosario netted another three pointer from the left wing to make it 11-3 with 4:45 remaining. Piscataway then retaliated with five of the next six points over a span of 1:28 to make the score, 12-8.

The Eagles got a scare late when Rosario went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury at first with 0:45 seconds to go in the scrimmage, but it was later learned that he just had a cramp. Piscataway outscored McCarrick 4-3 over the final 3:17 to make it a 15-12 score in the period. The JV squads also went at it for a couple of periods. In an evenly played matchup for the most part, both teams ended up knotted at 16-16 after the first quarter although McCarrick had a chance in the waning moments to pull out the edge. In the second and final period, Piscataway jumped out to a 15-10 lead, and then held on despite a three pointer by the Junior Eagles to make things interesting for the 15-13 edge in the quarter, and 31-29 edge in the scrimmage. Piscataway will open its season on December 18th at Edison while Cardinal McCarrick will begin the season at home versus J.F. Kennedy of Iselin. More analysis on this scrimmage is available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 6, 2006
Scrimmages--Week One

North Brunswick And Somerville Battle In Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 6, 2006

SOMERVILLE, NJ--On Wednesday afternoon, GMC Hoops managed to get out to Somerville High School to watch some of the action from the varsity scrimmage, and all of the action for the JV scrimmage between North Brunswick and Somerville. Last season, the Raiders were 9-12 on the season, and in 2004-05 they were 6-16. However, during that time, North Brunswick was cultivating good young talent. In 2005, the Raiders had a JV squad that advanced to the Quarterfinals of the East Brunswick/GMC JV Tournament, where they lost to St. Joseph's, 53-49 after defeating second seeded Colonia in the second round, 63-60.

In that same, season, North Brunswick had a freshman squad that was seeded ninth, and lost to eventual semifinalist Piscataway in the second round of the Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tournament. Then, in 2006, the Little Raiders freshmen team put together a tremendous season by finishing third in the Freshmen Tournament after losing a hard fought battle against second seeded Bishop Ahr in the semis and defeating White Division rival, Colonia in the Consolation Game. Over the summer at Middlesex County College, the Raiders reached the final four of the post-season tournament, and lost in the finals to a squad from Plainfield High School (NJ Skyliners). So, if North Brunswick can get more consistency, perhaps this could be the year the Raiders return to the state tournament as well as contend in the GMC White and GMCT.

Meanwhile, over by the Somerville Circle on Route 22, the Pioneers have continued to be the premiere team in the Skyland Conference's Raritan Division, where they have dominated for a number of years. Last season, the Ville qualified for the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament as a two seed, but was unceremoniously knocked out in its first round game by Shore Regional of the Shore Conference, 41-37. Overall, Somerville finished 20-6 including a 10-0 record in division, and a 12-1 in conference. The Pioneers also won the Union Catholic Holiday Tournament by defeating Millburn and host school Union Catholic. A former member of the old Mid-State Conference, Somerville has qualified for the Central Jersey Group II Tournament in each of the last five seasons including final four appearances in 2002 and 2005.

Unfortunately due to my school schedule, and a mixup getting to the school, I missed the first two periods of the varsity scrimmage, but still managed to see the rest including both quarters of the JV scrimmage. Of the two frames of the varsity scrimmage I saw, each team won a period with Somerville getting a 27-25 edge in the overall score. In the two stanzas seen, Somerville got its 27 points on four three pointers, seven field goals, and 1 of 2 free throws while North Brunswick got its 25 points on one three pointer, ten field goals, and two free throws. The Pioneers won the third period, 17-12, as they made three of their four three point field goals along with four two point baskets while North Brunswick had five field goals and a 2 of 2 effort at the foul line.

In the fourth and final period, North Brunswick came out with a lot more urgency on defense as they kept Somerville quiet from beyond the arc over the last 6:15 while the Raiders connected on a three pointer and five field goals. The Pioneers just had one three early on in the period, three field goals, and a one of two showing at the foul line as North Brunswick garnered a 13-10 edge in the frame. North Brunswick got scoring from six different players in the time observed including seven points on a three pointer and two field goals by senior, Brandon Rogers, three field goals for six points by sophomore Michael Cole, four points on two layups by junior Pushaun Brown, and a short jumper in the lane by Jeff Ashamole for his two points. A reliable source also later noted to GMC Hoops that Cole, an All Ninth Grade Team selection in 2006, ended up with ten points in the entire scrimmage.

In addition to his seven points, Rogers also picked up a couple of nice assists and a charge while grabbing several rebounds. Brown, the younger brother of recent graduate, Patrick Brown, played a key role in the decisive early fourth quarter run that gave the Raiders the period with two steals and two of several assists. Ashamole was impressive on the defensive end with six blocks including four in the final quarter alone while Cole also added a block and a few rebounds. As mentioned earlier, I didn't arrive in the gym until about 4:45 PM, which was at the beginning of the first quarter of the JV scrimmage. So, we start our story in the third period of the varsity scrimmage.

After neither team scored for the first 1:19, Somerville drew first blood with a three pointer from the left wing for a 3-0 lead. The Pioneers then followed that up some thirty-one seconds later with another perimeter shot for a two pointer, and a 5-0 lead with 6:10 to play in the frame. North Brunswick retaliated with a 4-0 run of its own as Pushaun Brown scored on a layup, and then Brandon Rogers followed that up with a nice pass inside to Michael Cole for a layup that made the score, 5-4 with 5:13 to play in the period. The Raiders then tried to apply some pressure, which the Pioneers broke with ease for an uncontested layup that forced North Brunswick Head Coach, Ed Breheney, to call timeout with 4:56 to go in the quarter, and Somerville leading, 7-4.

Following the timeout, Rogers got the Raiders back on the board, and within one on an offensive rebound and putback to make the score, 7-6 with 4:17 to play in the third. Somerville then embarked on a quarter deciding 8-2 spurt over the next 1:34 to take a 15-8 lead. The Pioneers opened up the key flurry with a three pointer from the left wing to make it 10-6 at the 3:31 mark, and then followed that up with another trey from the left corner at the 3:04 mark to make it 13-6. Somerville had another chance to score shortly afterward by stealing a pass in the North Brunswick backcourt, but Brandon Rogers prevented a score with a charge at the 3:01 mark. North Brunswick then got a score to pull within five at 13-8 before the home team from Somerset County picked up a steal and scored to make it 15-8 with 2:43 remaining in the quarter.

The Raiders tried to climb back into it with the next four points including a pair of free throws at the 1:33 mark, and a score in the lane by Jeff Ashamole with just inside a minute to play in the stanza. However, the Pioneers closed out the scoring with a nice outlet pass downcourt for a layup with four seconds to play in the third to earn the 17-12 advantage in the period. Moving on to the fourth, both teams started out quietly with no points in the first 1:45 before Somerville once again drew first blood with yet another three pointer from the left side for a 3-0 lead. At this point, North Brunswick's defense clamped down on the perimeter, and Pushaun Brown took over. The junior point guard sparked a 7-0 rally with a pass to Rogers in the left corner for a three pointer to knot the scoring at 3-3 with 5:47 left in the scrimmage. Then, Brown came up with back to back steals that led to scores for a 7-3 lead.

First, Brown stole a pass, and handed out an assist on a layup scored at the 5:25 mark, and shortly afterward, he swiped a steal again, and went in by himself for the layup and the four point lead with 5:05 left. Following a Somerville timeout at the 5:02 mark, the Pioneers got back on the board with a steal for a layup that made it a two point game again at 7-5 with 3:53 to play. Michael Cole scored a bucket some eight seconds later for a 9-5 lead. The Ville pulled within three on one of two free throws at the 3:29 mark following Ashamole's third block of the quarter, and then one as they scored a bucket to make it 9-8. However, that would be as close as the Pioneers would get in the final frame as Brandon Rogers scored on a nice baseline move for a reverse layup at the 2:37 mark to make it 11-8, and then following a Somerville jumper at the 1:22 mark, Michael Cole clinched the period win with an offensive rebound and putback at the 0:47 mark that punctuated some great Raider hustle for the 13-10 score.

Meanwhile, in the JV scrimmage, Somerville won both periods 9-4 and 13-8 for a combined 22-12 win. In the third period, Somerville held the Junior Raiders scoreless for a span of 4:25 while also putting away the frame with a three pointer at the one minute mark. Then, in the final period, the Junior Pioneers jumped out to a 7-2 lead on a field goal, three pointer at the 5:56 mark, and a drive through the lane for an easy layup at the 5:00 mark. North Brunswick tried to rally with six of the next eight points to pull within one at 9-8 on a high arching jumper at the 1:16 mark, but Somerville closed out the scrimmage with the final five points on a jumper at the 0:52 mark, and a score inside with ten seconds left for the 13-8 advantage in the stanza.

In the scrimmage, the Junior Pioneers collected their 22 points on two threes and eight field goals while North Brunswick garnered its twelve points on six field goals. Both the Junior Varsity and Varsity for North Brunswick came out to compete in the final period more than they did in the previous period. Nevertheless, the Raiders overall held their own for two quarters against a perennial playoff team. North Brunswick starts its year at home versus Sayreville on December 15th. More analysis on this scrimmage will be available shortly in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 5, 2006
Scrimmages--Week One

Strong Finish By Ewing Gets Edge Over Joes In Turnover Laden Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 5, 2006

METUCHEN, NJ--After missing Monroe's scrimmage against Hightstown on Saturday, the scrimmage schedule didn't have any indications that GMC Hoops would get another chance to see a Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division team, but when New Brunswick decided to cancel on the scrimmage originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the St. Joseph's Bird Cage, Ewing not only filled the void for the Falcon schedule, but also gave us another look into the CVC.

The Blue Devils, which are coached by the only current female coach of a boys basketball program in New Jersey (there were actually two at the beginning of the 2004-05 season), won the Patriot Division last season despite not qualifying for the state tournament. By defeating rival Princeton, 68-62 in early February, the Blue Devils salvaged their season with a regular season division championship. Meanwhile, the Falcons won the GMC Red Division regular season title by edging out a South Brunswick team that surged down the stretch into the GMCT. While the Falcons lost a lot of key players from last year's 21-6 squad including Sean Baptiste, who is now playing at FDU, and Kenny Widgeon, they have Darrell Carroll, Lamar Fisher, and Kyan Hines returning as well as a cast of talented new faces.

However, Carroll, Fisher, and the cast of new Falcons went through some growing pains in the scrimmage against Ewing on Tuesday. In a game that saw both squads combine for 54 turnovers, St. Joseph's committed 28 miscues, and opened the game shooting 1 of 13 from the field. After recovering nicely over the middle two periods, the Falcons fell behind in the fourth and final frame as Ewing put together a scrimmage deciding 12-0 tear over the first four minutes of the period for ultimately a 14-5 edge in the stanza, and a 53-43 edge in the match. Ewing won three of the quarters (10-5 in the first, 15-14 in the third, and 14-5 in the fourth) as the Blue Devils picked up 15 steals, and converted the Falcon mistakes into 18 points.

Moreover, the defending Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division champs, shot fairly well from the field going 23 of 47 including three treys for 48.9 percent. On the other hand, St. Joseph's improved a bit in the second quarter going 6 of 12 for a 19-14 edge in that frame, but ended up shooting only 14 of 47 including three treys for 29.8 percent. The Falcons fared much better at the line going 12 of 19 at the foul line including a 7 of 11 showing by Carroll for 63.2 percent versus only 4 of 11 from the charity stripe for 36.4 percent by Ewing. While both squads hit from downtown three times, the Blue Devils held the edge in every other statistical department: Rebounds (34-25), Assists (17-12), Steals (15-14), Blocks (4-2), Charges (2-1), and Turnovers (26-28).

Ewing also pulled down eleven offensive rebounds that they converted into eight second chance points, and sixteen fast break points in addition to the eighteen that were scored off of Falcon turnovers. Darrell Carroll led the way for St. Joe's with 17 points on 5 of 12 field goals and 7 of 11 free throws along with 11 rebounds for a double-double. In addition, Carroll collected four assists, two steals, and a charge. Lamar Fisher struggled from the field by going 3 of 10, but connected on 4 of 6 free throws for 10 points in addition to four rebounds and four steals. One of the bright spots for St. Joseph's particularly in the second quarter was Nick Marquis, who ended up shooting 3 of 6 from the field (all three point field goals) for nine points in addition to an assist and a steal.

Sophomore reserve Gerard Lewis scored the final five points of the scrimmage on two field goals including one for a three point play to salvage a difficult fourth period for the Falcons while senior forward, Andrew Colon rounded out the St. Joseph's scoring with 1 of 4 field goals for two points on top of a rebound and a steal. Freshman Steve Rennard (3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal), sophomore Nikko Vastola (an assist, steal, and block), and juniors Steve Brandenburg (an assist) and Paul Konopacki (2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block) also played, but didn't score. Kyan Hines, Taurin Wheeler, and Ian Acampado were not in the lineup for the Falcons. It was an omen of things to come as the first quarter of this scrimmage commenced.

St. Joe's had turnovers in each of its first three possessions and went 0 of 6 from the field over the first 3:14 as Ewing jumped out to a 6-1 lead. As a matter of fact, the Blue Devils shot 5 of 8 from the floor, had five assists, and five steals in the opening frame while St. Joseph's didn't get its first field goal until Paul Konopacki found Lamar Fisher with a nice quck bounce pass for a layup with 1:10 left in the period. Ewing ended up taking a 10-5 lead as the Falcons managed to hang around thanks to 3 of 6 from the foul line, and ten Blue Devil turnovers. Things didn't start off that well for the Falcons when the second period got underway too. Within the first two minutes of the second, Ewing grabbed a 5-0 lead on its first three pointer of the game, and a subsequent field goal.

At this point, the fortunes for St. Joe's turned as Lamar Fisher got his second field goal of the contest on a three point play at the six minute mark to make it 5-3. The Fisher three point play ignited a 16-2 surge for a 16-7 lead with about two minutes left in the stanza. Nick Marquis, who stood out for the Falcon squad that competed at Rebounds, and earned an honorable mention for the GMC Hoops/Tempstar Player of the Week for the Fall Season, connected on his first three shot attempts (all from downtown) to be the catalyst in St. Joseph's best run of the entire scrimmage. However, Marquis helped give back the momentum to Ewing with two turnovers that were converted into scores as the Blue Devils finished the quarter with a 7-3 burst over the final two minutes for a 19-14 Falcon edge, and a 24-24 tie at the half.

After shooting 62.5 percent in the opening period, Ewing shot only 6 of 13 in the second for 46.2 percent, but overall at this point, the Blue Devils were over fifty percent as they went 11 of 21 from the floor. Meanwhile, St. Joseph's was only 7 of 25 for 28 percent for the half despite shooting 50 percent in the second. The third period was perhaps the most competitive of the four periods as both teams combined for 29 points and Ewing only edged St. Joe's by a point, 15-14. However, the Blue Devils broke away from an early 4-4 tie with a 7-2 spurt over a span of 2:17 for an 11-6 lead as Falcon coach, Dave Turco called for time with 3:31 to go in the third. Following the timeout, St. Joseph's tried to climb back into it with an 8-4 run to close out the period, but Ewing prevailed, 15-14 for a 39-38 lead going into the fateful fourth.

The fourth quarter was where the game was decided as Ewing held St. Joseph's scoreless for the first 7:32.4 of the quarter before Gerard Lewis scored a layup off an assist by Nikko Vastola. Lewis, who was also fouled on the play, netted the bonus free throw to make it 12-3 with 27.6 to play. Both teams exchanged scores to round out the scoring as Ewing won the final frame decisively, 14-5 for a 53-43 victory in the scrimmage. Ewing got all the bounces in the fourth. For instance, at the 6:41 mark, a Blue Devil player was fouled inside as he just threw up the ball, and the shot went in for an eventual three point play and a 5-0 lead in the frame. Ewing then got a three pointer at the 4:48 mark for 8-0 lead, and then two more scores in the subsequent 1:48 for the commanding 12-0 lead. St. Joe's will open the 2006-07 campaign with a key divisional matchup against GMC Red favorite, South Brunswick on December 15th. More analysis on this scrimmage is available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 1, 2006
Scrimmages--Week One

Metuchen Surges Past Rutgers Prep To Get Scrimmage Edge, 55-49

By Greg Machos
December 1, 2006

METUCHEN, NJ--GMC Hoops began its 2006-07 odyssey by embarking on its first of nine scrimmages this pre-season. For this first pre-season match-up, a trip was taken to the Dawg Pound in Metuchen to watch the Bulldogs take on Rutgers Prep. The last time we saw Metuchen, it was a scene of heartbreak as the Bulldogs lost to Bordentown in the Central Jersey Group I Championship at Franklin High School back in March. Now, Metuchen will look to go further not only in the states, but also in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, where it lost to Colonia, 55-46. The Bulldogs will have to do it without the services of Steve Thomas, Nick Storts, and Marqus Blakely, who all graduated in June. Blakely is now on the roster at Vermont, which recently enjoyed an upset on the road at Boston College while Storts is attending school at the University of South Carolina.

Nevertheless, expect the Bulldogs to remain strong this year with the likes of DeJuan Miller, Lamar Nichols, and Jon Brown all returning along with reserves Corey Preston, Phil Lewis, Sebastian Szynwelski, and Chris Pisano. There is also a plethora of new faces that provide good ability, and depth. Sophomore Cody Preston had a solid fall at the 2006 HawksBasketball Fall-Ball Classic in Plainfield while youngsters such as Akheem Greene and Evan Carberry aren't afraid to mix things up inside. This was going to be a good test to start off the pre-season for Metuchen. Rutgers Prep was one of the top teams among Prep Schools and Somerset County last year, and competed well in the 2006 HawksBasketball Summer SlamFest with an upset win over top seeded and undefeated Hillsborough in the Quarterfinal round of the post-season tournament. The Argonauts have been on a steady rise under the direction of Tony Mento, and have a familiar face on their roster this year in sophomore Kenny Bland, who was a pivotal member of J.P. Stevens' freshmen team that won the 2006 Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Tournament back in February.

More importantly though, it was the very first scrimmage of the year for a team that had many players still in transition mode from fall sports. Miller, Nichols, and Brown all played for the football team, which reached the semifinals of the Central Jersey Group I state tournament before losing to three time defending champion, and perennial state football power, Florence of Burlington County. In addition to that, Chris Pisano, who was not dressed to play in the scrimmage, was a key contributor to the Metuchen boys soccer team's success that included an appearance in the Group I state final against perennial power, Harrison. These players as well as several others are still getting their basketball sea legs. And, for three periods the rust truly showed for the defending GMC Blue Division Champs, and two time Central Jersey Group I runner-up.

Over the first three frames of the scrimmage, Metuchen struggled. The Bulldogs only connected on 10 of 31 field goal attempts for 32.3 percent, two of six foul shots for 33 percent, and committed 16 turnovers. Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep pounded the offensive boards, and made more shots to grab a 32-22 lead. However, led by the strong effort of senior guard, Lamar Nichols, who ended up shooting 9 of 16 from the field for 18 points while pulling down nine rebounds, handing out five assists, blocking two shots, and collecting a steal, Metuchen surged with a 22-10 showing in the fourth quarter to retake the lead 44-42, and then pulled away with an 11-7 effort in the final bonus period for the 55-49 win. For the game, Metuchen connected on 23 of 53 field goals including two threes for 43.4 percent, and 7 of 12 free throws for 58.3 percent. Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep struggled from the field, particularly in the second half as the Bulldog defense did a better job of clamping down. The Argonauts ended up making 22 of 61 shots for 36.1 percent while converting 4 of 9 foul shots for 44.4 percent.

Metuchen shot particularly well in the final two periods going 13 of 22 from the field for a blazing 59 percent while finding the mark at the line with a 5 of 6 showing for 83.3 percent. In addition, the Bulldogs forced Rutgers Prep to commit 19 turnovers including twelve over the first two periods of the scrimmage. Meanwhile, the Argonauts were able to keep the game close through their solid effort on the offensive boards. Grabbing fifteen offensive rebounds on the game, Rutgers Prep converted them into 22 second chance points The team from Franklin Township in Somerset County also cashed in other opportunities with points off turnovers and fast break points. Rutgers Prep converted 25 Metuchen turnovers into ten points while also scoring twelve points off the fast break. Overall, Metuchen garnered a slim edge on the glass, 32-31 while handing out more assists (17-9), blocking more shots (6-2), and drawing more charges (1-0). Rutgers Prep had more steals (11-8), and fewer turnovers (19-25). Metuchen won the second, fourth, and fifth quarters for a 3-2 edge in periods won.

Kenny Bland didn't start for Rutgers Prep, but did see some minutes for the Argonauts. The talented sophomore shot 2 of 5 from the field while picking up a rebound and a blocked shot. The former J.P. Stevens standout had more significant time in the JV scrimmage, where he scored six points on 2 of 4 field goals and 2 of 2 foul shots while picking up three steals, two rebounds, and a blocked shot in a 13-11 decision for the Junior Argos over the Junior Bulldogs. Returning to the Metuchen roster, point guard Jon Brown overcame a slow start and ended up shooting 5 of 8 from the field including a three pointer for 11 points along with six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and a charge. DeJuan Miller experienced similar sluggishness, and like Brown, he ended up strong with 4 of 10 shooting along with 5 of 6 free throws for 13 points while collecting 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and a steal. Corey Preston, who was one of the few familiar faces at the Fall-Ball Classic for the Bulldogs, chipped in with a three pointer and a field goal in four shot attempts for five points along with a rebound and an assist.

Sebastian Szynwelski overcame being overanxious offensively early on, and did a fine job on the boards in the second quarter to help out with 2 of 5 field goals for four points, four rebounds, and a steal. Phil Lewis only made one of five shots for two points, but grabbed three rebounds and handed out three assists. Evan Carberry, who put in a solid effort on the boards against Roselle Catholic in Metuchen's regular season finale at Hawks back in October, rounded out the scoring with two free throws in the final seconds of the bonus fifth period for his only points. Also playing, but not getting into the scoring column were Cody Preston (0-3 field goals and 0-1 free throws), George Doukas had a steal, and Mark Switzer also saw minutes on the floor. As mentioned early on in the article, Metuchen had some difficulty in shaking off the rust at the beginning of the contest while Rutgers Prep looked more ready.

In the first period, the Argonauts took a 13-8 lead on 6 of 13 field goals including a three pointer, four offensive rebounds that led to four second chance points, four points off turnovers, and four fast break points. On the other side of the ledger, Metuchen was just 4 of 13 from the field and 0 of 3 from the charity stripe. The only saving graces for the Bulldogs was the fact that they managed to force Rutgers Prep to turnover the ball seven times, and guard Lamar Nichols, the GMC Hoops Sixth Man of the Year Award winner for the 2005-06 season, connected on three of his first five shots for six points, which accounted for 75 percent of Metuchen's opening period tally. Both teams started out quite cold from the floor in the first 2:32 of the period as the Argonauts made only 1 of 5 field goal attempts despite three offensive rebounds, and Metuchen came up empty in its first four shot attempts for a 2-0 Rutgers Prep lead with 7:28 to play in the ten minute stanza.

Rutgers Prep then pushed the lead up to 4-0 before Metuchen responded with a 4-0 run of its own as Nichols opened the Bulldog scoring with a layup from Brown, and then Brown himself got into the act with a steal for a layup as he was fouled, but he missed the bonus free throw to keep the score tied at 4-4 with 6:18 to go in the period. The Argonauts then got their only three pointer of the game to make it 7-4 while DeJuan Miller failed to convert a foul shot attempt at the 5:10 mark. Rutgers Prep then followed that up with two layups off steals of errant passes by Miller to make it 11-4 before Nichols ended the 7-0 Argonaut spurt with a layup that was then followed by a charge by Jon Brown at the 2:52 mark to keep the score at 11-6. Both teams then exchanged scores to round out the first quarter scoring as Rutgers Prep led, 13-8. In the second period, the combination of better defense, and cold shooting led to the lowest scoring frame of the scrimmage with ten total points as Metuchen garnered a 6-4 edge in that period.

Over the first 7:20 of the second period, both teams combined for just two points as Rutgers Prep increased its lead to just 15-8 with 2:40 to go. Sebastian Szynwelski was the lone bright spot during this span for the Bulldogs with his only four rebounds of the game. DeJuan Miller ended a initial scoring drought of 18:32 when he canned two free throws at the 1:28 mark to give Metuchen its first points of the stanza. He then followed that up with a jumper to end the quarter scoring and make it 17-14 in favor of Rutgers Prep going into the third. Over the first two quarters both teams really battled some difficulties shooting the basketball. Although the Argonauts enjoyed the lead, they only made 8 of 25 field goals in the span including just 2 of 12 in the second period alone for 16.7 percent while Metuchen was just 6 of 21 from the field including 2 of 8 for 25 percent in the second. Things would go up from there for Metuchen as the Bulldogs finished the game shooting 17 of 32 while things continued to get progressively worse for Rutgers Prep as they went only 14 of 36 from the field. As a matter of fact, after opening the game 6 of 13 from the floor in the first period, the Argonauts only shot 16 of 48 for 33 percent the rest of the way.

The third quarter saw Rutgers Prep put in perhaps their best scoring effort of the game with a 15-8 advantage in the frame to boost its lead to 32-22. The Argonauts scored 11 of the first 17 points of the period including two free throws at the 3:29 mark to make it 28-20. Then, after Lamar Nichols missed a free throw at the 2:41 mark, Rutgers Prep closed out the stanza with four of the last six points for a 32-22 lead. Nichols, who accounted for 60 percent of the field goals made by the Bulldogs through the end of quarter number three, continued to be the glue holding Metuchen together, and keeping the Bulldogs from falling too far behind with a six of ten field goal shooting performance for 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a block over the first three periods. Following the break in which the JV teams battled for two periods, Metuchen returned to the floor with a purpose, and played like a completely different squad.

The fourth quarter began with a strong flurry by the Bulldogs. Over the first 2:28 of the period, Metuchen went on a 7-0 tear that was sparked by a baseline move from Lamar Nichols, and then followed by a three pointer from the left corner by Jon Brown that had a friendly bounce, and went in, and a jumper from the foul line by DeJuan Miller at the 7:32 mark that made the score, 32-29. After two scores by Rutgers Prep that pushed the Argonaut advantage back to seven at 36-29, Metuchen put together another 7-0 rally ignited by a Corey Preston three pointer and a subsequent field goal to knot the game at 36-36 with 6:10 remaining in the quarter as Rutgers Prep called for time. Following the timeout, Metuchen took control with eight of the next twelve points for a 44-40 lead with 1:26 to go in the frame as Nichols took a great feed from Miller to score a basket while being fouled. Nichols missed the bonus free throw, and Rutgers Prep scored to close out the period with Metuchen leading 44-42.

In the final period of action that was covered, Metuchen came out strong again with nine of the first twelve points of the period during an 8:24 span for a 53-45 lead. DeJuan Miller capped the effort with a three point play before Rutgers Prep came back with a well executed fast break basket at the 1:36 mark, and then called for time. Freshmen Evan Carberry finished the game off with a pair of free throws in the waning seconds for the six point, 55-49 edge. Meanwhile in between halves of the varsity scrimmage, the JV battled in a defensive war. While the Junior Bulldogs were scrappy, and played hard on defense, they really struggled shooting the basketball with a 4 of 19 showing from the floor for 21.1 percent, and a 3 of 9 effort at the charity stripe for 33 percent while Rutgers Prep was a bit better with 5 of 14 from the floor for 35.7 percent, and 3 of 5 at the foul line for 60 percent. Metuchen will start the year at home against Blue Division rival, Spotswood on December 15th. See the JV roundup for a capsule on the JV scrimmage, and analysis on this scrimmage in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.

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