For the sixth straight year, GMC Hoops is getting a jump on the regular season with coverage of some of the teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference in pre-season scrimmage action. To see what scrimmages we'll be covering, view the 2007-08 schedule.

GMC Hoops Summaries--December 4, 2007
Scrimmages--Week Two

Monroe, Stevens Scrap With West Windsor-Plainsboro In Hawks Tri-Scrimmage

By Greg Machos
December 4, 2007

NORTH EDISON, NJ--On Tuesday, GMC Hoops traveled to North Edison, and John P. Stevens High School to watch the home team Hawks battle GMC White Division member, Monroe, and Colonial Valley Conference member, West Windsor-Plainsboro South in a tri-scrimmage. Expectations are unusually high on the North Side of Edison, where J.P. Stevens, with its fine class of juniors along with experienced veteran seniors such as Alex Cacoilo, put together a solid off-season with a nice performance at the Hoop Group HBC in June, followed by a second place finish overall at the inaugural TBSA Summer League, and then a 6-2 record against mostly non-conference competition in the 2007 TBSA Fall League. Meanwhile, the Falcons are looking to make the state tournament for the third straight time, a feat unheard of in that part of Middlesex County before current head coach, Bob Turco came along. Over the past two seasons, Monroe has compiled a mark of 37-19 including a 24-5 mark in 2005-06, and a 13-14 mark last year. At one point last season, MTHS was 8-3 before senior guard, Shamil Graham went down with a foot injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. Yet, Monroe scrapped to get into the states with a group that included several talented, but inexperienced sophomores.

Meanwhile, outside the conference, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which lies in Princeton Junction, a few miles to the South of South Brunswick High School, qualified for the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament with an overall record of 18-9 including a loss in the first round to North Brunswick, 68-50. This year, the Pirates are looking for newcomers to pick up the slack due to the loss of key seniors to graduation, and the transfer of Jordan Robinson to Rutgers Prep. More analysis on this scrimmage is now available in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere. GMC Hoops observed six quarters with each team playing the other two for two quarters. Monroe emerged the overall winner in this one with a 28-21 edge over West Windsor-Plainsboro South, and a surprising 19-4 decision over J.P. Stevens for a 47-25 overall scrimmage effort. Meanwhile, the Hawks were second with a 32-17 showing over WWPS for a 36-36 tie between the two other teams in their two scrimmages. West Windsor-Plainsboro ended up losing both of their exhibitions by a margin of 60-38. Looking at the statistics, Monroe went 18 of 43 from the field in both of their scrimmages combined for 41.9 percent including 5 o 12 from beyond the arc for 41.7 percent while going 6 of 12 from the charity stripe for 50 percent. Meanwhile, J.P. Stevens was a combined 16 of 57 from the field for 28.1 percent including 3 of 10 from three point range for 30 percent. The Hawks only went to the line for two shots and made one for 50 percent. Finally, West Windsor-Plainsboro South connected on 12 of 47 from the floor for 25.5 percent including 1 of 7 from downtown for 12.5 percent, and made 9 of 12 from the foul line for 75 percent, the best of all three squads in the scrimmage.

In other statistical areas, Monroe collected 35 rebounds, 13 assists, 5 steals, a block, a charge, and only committed 17 turnovers while J.P. Stevens picked up 27 rebounds, 10 assists, 9 steals, 3 blocks, and made 16 miscues. West Windsor-Plainsboro ended up with 36 rebounds including 16 on the offensive glass that turned into 14 second chance points, 7 assists, 9 steals, 4 blocks, 2 charges, and committed 14 turnovers. The Pirates were able to convert the combined 14 turnovers by the Falcons and Hawks into seven points.

Scrimmage #1--West Windsor-Plainsboro South vs. Monroe

In this scrimmage, Monroe played a lot of its reserves, but still ended up making 12 of 20 shots from the floor overall including 3 of 5 from three for 60 percent in both areas. Meanwhile, West Windsor-Plainsboro South was only 8 of 24 from the floor including 0 of 2 from three point land for 33.3 percent. The Pirates did get the edge though at the foul line going 5 of 7 for 71.4 percent while the Falcons went just 1 of 4 for 25 percent. In other statistical areas, WWPS grabbed 19 boards including nine offensive that resulted in ten second chance points. The Pirates also had the edge in turnovers (5-8), and scored five points off Monroe miscues including four points on fast breaks. West Windsor-Plainsboro South also got the edge in steals (6-2), blocks (2-0), and charges (1-0) while Monroe hade more assists (9-2). Surprisingly, the Pirates held advantages in six statistical categories despite losing both periods in the scrimmage, and by an overall margin of seven points. Monroe only held edges in shooting, three point shooting, and assists, but the shooting effort proved to be the decisive factor.

The Falcons won the first quarter by an 11-5 count, and then by a much closer, 17-16 margin for the 28-21 overall edge. In the first period, the Falcons were blazing shooting 5 of 8 from the field for 62.5 percent including one of two from three for 50 percent. Meanwhile, West Windsor-Plainsboro South was just 1 of 9 from the floor for 11.1 percent, but made 3 of 5 at the line for 60 percent. West Windsor-Plainsboro was actually scoreless for the first 4:37 of the frame as it missed its first seven shots from the field. Meanwhile, the Falcons went up 4-0 on layups by Barreto off an assist from Mitchell, and by another player off an assist by Bascom. The Pirates finally got on the board at the 3:23 mark with a one of two showing at the line that resulted from a foul underneath. Moments later, West Windsor-Plainsboro South got its first field goal of the frame on a steal for a layup at the 3:15 mark for a 4-3 lead. MTHS would get another score before the Pirates were fouled on a layup attempt, but missed the one and one, and despite the offensive rebound, couldn't score as the jumper on the follow was off the mark, and grabbed by Bascom with 2:22 left in the frame, and the Falcons leading, 6-3. WWPS would then get a steal off a pass, and drive in for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and resulted in two free throws for a 6-5 lead at the 1:28 mark. However, Monroe made two key defensive plays including a steal for a layup at the 30 second mark, and then a steal by Bascom turned into a three pointer at the buzzer for the 11-5 quarter win.

In the second and final period between these two teams, the Falcons went 7 of 12 from the floor overall for 58.3 percent including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc for 66.7 percent. Meanwhile, the Pirates shot better in this quarter, which was even more competitive than the first one. West Windsor-Plainsboro South ended up shooting 7 of 15 in the period for 46.7 percent and a perfect 2 of 2 at the foul line. Both teams combined for four turnovers as the Falcons had three while the Pirates had only one. The visitors from Mercer County got on the board first in this one with a layup at the 7:37 mark for a 2-0 lead. Monroe would get a field goal to tie it, and then one of two at the line from Bascom at the 6:51 mark for a 3-2 edge. The Falcons had a chance to go up by more, but a WWPS player drew a charge on Bascom at the 6:27 mark as the score remained 3-2. MTHS would then score 6 of the next 10 points over a span of just 1:42 for a 9-6 lead as Bascom passed to Blish for a jumper from the left wing to highlight the run at the 4:45 mark. Bascom then found Blish again on a subsequent inbounds play for a three pointer from the left wing for a now 7-0 run, and a 12-6 lead at the 4:40 mark. West Windsor-Plainsboro South would fight back though with two offensive rebounds and putbacks for a 12-10 Monroe lead at the 3:12 mark.

The Falcons had a chance to get some more breathing room when Brix was fouled at the 2:39 mark, but he failed to connect on the front end of a one and one. However, Brix's fellow sophomore teammate, Bascom, who has made strides since the Rebounds Spring League, picked him up by dribbling, spinning, and banking shot for a 14-10 Falcon lead at the 2:10 mark. On the next Pirate possession, West Windsor-Plainsboro got on the board with a pair of foul shots at the 1:53 mark for a 14-12 Monroe lead at the 1:53 mark. Bascom then capped his fine performance with an assist on a three pointer from the left side that made the score, 17-12 with a minute left. The Pirates, which were more of the aggressor in the period, then closed out the stanza with a layup at the 53.1 mark, and then an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer for the 17-16 Falcon quarter edge.

Scrimmage #2--West Windsor-Plainsboro South vs. J.P. Stevens

J.P. Stevens managed to salvage its day by winning its scrimmage with West Windsor-Plainsboro South thanks to a 14-6 showing in the first, and an 18-11 effort in the second for a 32-17 outscoring overall. Over the two periods, the Hawks shot 14 of 32 from the field for 43.8 percent including 3 of 5 from three point land for 60 percent. On the other side of the ledger, the Pirates were only 5 of 22 from the field for 27.3 percent including 1 of 5 from beyond the arc for 20 percent. The Mercer County school did have the advantage at the line going a perfect 4 of 5 for 80 percent while Stevens didn't even attempt a foul shot. In other statistical areas, Stevens was outrebounded 17-13, but collected more assists (10-5) and steals (5-3) while making fewer turnovers (6-10). West Windsor-Plainsboro South grabbed seven offensive rebounds that it converted into four second chance points while it took the six miscues by the Hawks, and turned that into only two points. Myles Reuben was the star for Stevens going 3 of 6 from two point range, and a perfect 3 of 3 from downtown for a 6 of 9 effort that tabulated into 15 points along with 3 rebounds, and a steal.

Also chipping in for JPS was Kenny Bland, who despite making only 3 of 11 shots, ended up with 7 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist. Alex Cacoilo connected on 2 of 3 shots for 4 points as well as picking up 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Teryl Dunlap (1 of 1 FG), Nick Pol (1 of 2 FG and 0 of 1 3PT FG), and Darnell Sorrell (1 of 3 FG) all pitched in with two points each while Pol added two assists, a steal, and a rebound. In the first period, Stevens made 6 of 14 shots for 42.9 percent including 2 of 4 from three point land for 50 percent. Meanwhile, West Windsor Plainsboro-South, which was 1 of 9 in the first period against Monroe, was 1 of 10 here for 10 percent, and a combined 1 of 19 in the opening quarter of both their scrimmages for a paltry 5.3 percent. However, the Pirates were 4 of 5 at the charity stripe. The Hawks jumped out to the early lead on a field goal, and a trey by Reuben off an assist by Bland for a 5-2 lead before West Windsor-Plainsboro missed the front end of a one and one at the 6:22 mark. The Pirates would get another chance on the free throw as Reuben stepped in too early, but it didn't make a difference as WWPS came up empty. Twenty-seven seconds later, the Pirates would close to within one on an offensive rebound and putback off a missed jumper for a 5-4 Stevens lead at the 5:55 mark.

Nearly thirty seconds later, West Windsor-Plainsboro South would take the lead on a pair of free throws at the 5:26 mark for a 6-5 advantage. However, on a subsequent Hawks' possession, Reuben struck again from long distance by connecting from the right side off an assist by Tahir Swinton for an 8-6 edge at the 4:55 mark. A little over a minute later, Stevens went up by four as Bland connected on a jumper off an assist from Pol for a 10-6 lead at the 3:53 mark. JPS was looking to go up even further, but WWPS drew a charge on Cacoilo with 2:34 left in the period to keep the deficit at four. While the Pirates would go scorless over the final 5:26 of the period, J.P. Stevens pulled away with a 9-0 run including four points in the final 1:18. First, Cacoilo got a rebound and assist on a layup by Pol at the 1:18 mark for a 12-6 lead. Then, Sorrell closed out the period with a jumper inside the arc off an assist by Medler for a 14-6 win in the quarter. In the second period, Stevens shot 8 of 18 from the floor for 44.4 percent including a three pointer while West Windsor-Plainsboro South was a bit better, but still below par going 4 of 12 from the field for 33.3 percent.

Reuben picked up where he left off, and so did his team as the junior forward scored on a layup at the 7:12 mark for a 2-0 lead. On the next Pirate possession, Reuben swiped a steal and went in for a layup that made the score, 4-0 at the 6:47 mark. Seventeen seconds later, the Hawks were on the board again as Cacoilo found Pol, who dished to Bland for a well executed play and layup for a 6-0 lead with exactly six and a half minutes remaining in the scrimmage. WWPS didn't get on the board until the 5:46 mark when the Pirates made a pair of free throws for a 6-2 Stevens lead. Matt Margon then grabbed an offensive rebound, and turned it into points as he got the ball to Reuben for his final three pointer to make the score 9-2. West Windsor-Plainsboro would score again on a layup before calling for time at the 5:02 mark with the score standing at 9-4. Following the timeout, neither team would score for exactly two minutes until Bland came up with an offensive rebound and follow while drawing the foul for a three point lay that made the score, 12-4 at the 3:02 mark. The Pirates tried to make things interesting with a 5-0 run over the next 1:47 to close within three at 12-9, but Cacoilo made a nice, nifty move inside for a layup that gave the Hawks some breathing room at 14-9 with 1:15 to play. Following a Pirate score that closed the gap to three again with under a minute to go, Cacoilo went back to work with a nice scoop shot off the inbounds for a 16-11 lead with 23 seconds left. Dunlap then put a cap on the Stevens scrimmage win with a one handed dunk on the fast break for the 18-11 period edge.

Scrimmage #3--Monroe vs. J.P. Stevens

This scrimmage was thoroughly dominated by the Falcons, which played like a team that had a lot to prove on this day. Monroe won the first quarter by a 12-4 margin, and then the second by a 7-0 edge for a combined 19-4 advantage in the scrimmage. MTHS went just 4 of 15 from two for 26.7 percent, and 2 of 7 from three for 28.6 percent for a combiend 6 of 23 for 26.1 percent while making 5 of 8 at the line for 62.5 percent. However, that would be enough as J.P. Stevens went 2 of 25 overall from the floor for 8 percent including 2 of 20 from inside the arc for 10 percent, and 0 of 5 from three point range. The Hawks only made one foul shot attempt, and didn't make it. In other statistical areas, Monrore outrebounded Stevens by a 23-14 margin, made fewer turnovers (9-10), handed out more assists (4-0), and drew more charges (1-0) while JPS had more steals (4-3) and blocks (3-1).

The Falcons were led by Ivan Baretto, who made 3 of 6 shots from the floor, and connected on all three of his foul shots for 9 points while picking up 6 rebounds. Ken Pace, Jr. chipped in with 4 points on one of two field goals and 2 of 3 at the line along with a rebound, assist, and a steal. Both Justin Mitchell and Tim Brix Jr., connected on three pointers to round out the Monroe scoring while Mitchell collected six rebounds and a steal, and Brix picked up four rebounds, an assist, a block, and a charge. Stevens had only two players get into the scoring column as Alex Cacoilo went 1 of 4 from 2 points along with a rebound and a steal, and Darnell Sorrell made one of three from the floor for 2 points along with 3 rebounds. The junior triumvirate of Kenny Bland (0 of 4 FGs), Myles Reuben (0 of 4 FGs), and Nick Pol (0 of 5 FGs) were a combined 0 of 13 from the floor. In the first quarter, Monroe went 3 of 8 from the floor including one of three from deep for 37.5 percent while making 5 of 7 at the foul line. Meanwhile, Stevens was mired in an offensive fog as it only made 2 of 13 from the floor for 15.4 percent despite making fewer turnover (4-5). Pace got the Falcons off and running with two free throws at the 7:37 mark for a 2-0 lead. JPS would then get its only points of the scrimmage with a 4-0 run over a 1:19 span for a 4-2 lead. First, Sorrell got Stevens on the board with an offensive rebound and putback, and then Cacoilo got the Hawks on the top with a steal for a layup that made the score, 4-2 at the 6:18 mark.

Sadly for the Hawks though, those would be the final points of their entire scrimmage with the Falcons as the visitors from Monroe Township stymied them for the final 14:18 of the exhibition seen by GMC Hoops. After going scoreless for 2:42, MTHS tied things up as Pace found Barreto cutting in towards the basket from the left wing, and dished to the senior guard for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and resulted in two free throws to square things at 4-4 with 4:55 left in the period. On the next JPS possession, Pace came up with a steal for a layup that gave his team the lead for good at 6-4 with 4:34 to play in the quarter. The Falcons had a couple opportunities to take the lead a short time later, but missed out on their chances. Mitchell first missed a one and one at the 4:16 mark, and then Steve Blish missed the front end of a one and one, and despite and offensive rebound by Mitchell, the Purple Birds couldn't convert at the 4:10 mark. Finally, Monroe broke the stalemate that was still hanging in the balance despite the Hawks offensive futility. Pace was at the center of things again with a rebound and assist on a three point play by Barreto for a 9-4 lead at the 3:02 mark. Almost 1:15 later, the Falcons got a three pointer from Mitchell at the top of the key off a Blake Bascom assist for the final points of the stanza. To add a little icing on the cake, Brix came up with a nice defensive play by drawing a charge on Bland at the 46.7 mark as the Falcons closed the quarter with a 10-0 run, which ultimately became a 17-0 tear to finish the exhibition.

In the second period, scoring would be at a premium as neither team could really find the basket. Monroe was just 3 of 15 from the floor in the period for 20 percent including 1 of 4 from three point land for 25 percent while going 0 of 1 at the line. Once again though, it was good enough to win the frame as J.P. Stevens went 0 of 12 from the floor including 0 of 3 from long distance. Both teams combiend for ten turnovers as Stevens made 6 while Monroe made 4. Both teams couldn't get on the board early as neither team scored for the first 2:13. The Falcons called for time at the 5:27 mark with still no score. Following the timeout, Monroe finally went ahead 2-0 at the 4:37 mark on a Barreto layup. Brix then made good on a three point attempt from the right corner off an assist by Blish for a 5-0 lead at the 3:12 mark. Barreto then capped the quarter scoring as well as the Falcons mastery of the Hawks with an offensive rebound and putback that made the score, 7-0 at about the two minute mark. JPS had a chance to get on the board moments later, but Bland misfired on a front end of a one and one, and despite calling a timeout a short time later, the Hawks were unable to get reorganized, and on the board in a 7-0 shutout.

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