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GMC Hoops Summaries--February 13, 2010
Week Eight--GMCT Play-In Round

Edison Rallies In Fourth To Beat South Plainfield And Advance, 62-56

By Greg Machos
February 13, 2010

EDISON, NJ--For the second straight year, the Edison Eagles pulled out a thrilling victory in the play-in round of the GMC Tournament. Last year, it was a last second 55-53 victory over 23rd seeded New Brunswick. This year, it was a come from behind victory over South Plainfield. It was the third straight season that Edison was in the Play-In Round, and each year the Eagles won. Two seasons ago, EHS defeated Highland Park (59-46). With 5:38 to go in the game, South Plainfield had just completed a 12-0 spurt to take a 45-36 lead. However, twentieth seeded Edison rallied with a 26-11 surge to end the game for a 62-56 victory.

Sophomore Greg Grippo scored a team high 21 points on six field goals, a three pointer, and six foul shots to lead the Eagles. He scored eleven of his points in the fourth quarter. Senior guard, Yamir Caroo, chipped in with 18 points on three field goals, three treys, and three foul shots. Another sophomore, Kevin Luckenbach, contributed with 11 points on two field goals, a three pointer, and four foul shots. South Plainfield, which matched its highest point total of the season in the loss, got a monster game from senior center, Owolo Benjamin, who made fifteen field goals for a game high 30 points while teammate, Denzel Mensah added 13 points on five field goals, and three foul shots.

Each team outscored the other in two of the four quarters played. Edison outscored SPHS in the first and fourth periods while the Tigers outscored the Eagles in the middle two frames. South Plainfield, the 25th seed, made 24 field goals, a three pointer, and five free throws while Edison made 13 field goals, five threes, and 21 foul shots. Three pointers and especially free throws were the difference in this one. The Eagles outscored the Tigers from beyond the arc by a margin of 15-3 while making 21 of 24 from the charity stripe including 14 of 16 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers just made 5 of 15 overall from the free throw line including three of nine in the fourth quarter. Malcolm Austin didn't score in double figures for South Plainfield, but he did make a lot of things happen out there for the Tigers over the final 13:34 of the game. Austin, a senior guard/forward, scored all seven of his points, and collected four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block during that stretch.

In that same span, Benjamin connected on 7 of 11 shots for 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Grippo, one of the top sophomores in the GMC this year, also played well during this period scoring 15 of his points on 5 of 10 shooting from the floor and made five of six from the line while swiping four of his five steals on the game. Speaking of steals, the Eagles had 15 in the contest as Caroo and Luckenbach also had five thefts. Over the last thirteen and a half minutes of the game, Edison connected on 8 of 18 from the floor while South Plainfield was 12 of 22. Both teams were one of three from long range. The Eagles, however, were 16 of 18 from the charity stripe while the Tigers were just 4 of 11. SPHS also committed nine turnovers while EHS made only six.

Edison jumped out to a 16-10 first quarter lead only to get outscored by a 17-9 margin in the second period to trail, 27-25 at the intermission. Due to a scheduling glitch, GMC Hoops arrived on the scene with second half play just underway. The Eagles then scored four straight points to start the third while Mensah misfired on two foul shots at the 6:32 mark for a 29-27 EHS lead. Benjamin got South Plainfield going with a bank shot from the left side that tied the contest up at 29-29 with 5:34 to go in the period. On a subsequent Edison possession, Tyrrel Morgan (two field goals and a free throw for 5 points) gave a bounce pass to Grippo for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and produced two free throws for a 31-29 lead with just under five minutes to play in the third.

South Plainfield missed on a chance to tie the game as the Tigers committed a turnover at the 4:43 mark. Edison couldn't take advantage though as a Grippo pass sailed out of bounds at the 4:24 mark. Caroo then got on the board with a field goal, but then Austin got going with his only three of the game (and the team's only three) on a shot from the right wing to make the score, 33-32 at the 3:02 mark. Junior guard, Troy McNair (4 points) made one of two at the line to tie the game up at 33-33. Sharif Ross (a field goal for two points) got the offensive rebound, but traveled at the 2:37 mark. Edison then took the lead as Caroo passed to Luckenbach for a three pointer from the left wing for a 36-33 score at the 2:08 mark. The Tigers then finished the third with six unanswered points including baskets by Benjamin, Ross, and Austin for a 39-36 lead.

SPHS picked up right where it left off in the third with the first six points of the fourth. Benjamin opened the scoring with an offensive rebound and follow off his own miss for a 41-36 lead at the 7:30 mark. Austin then swiped a steal, and handed out an assist on a Mensah layup for a 10-0 run, and a 43-36 lead with 6:55 to play. McNair missed two free throws, but Austin got the offensive board, and later handed out another assist on a layup by Benjamin to cap the 12-0 tear, and take a nine point lead with a little more than five and a half minutes remaining. However, Edison began to chip away. The Eagles were able to stop the clock, and go to the line starting with two free throws by Caroo at the 5:12 mark after a Morgan score off an assist by Marques Kelly (7 points) for a 45-40 South Plainfield lead.

Benjamin then missed two free throws at the 5:11 mark, and Grippo drove in for a layup with 4:58 to play for a 6-0 run, and South Plainfield's lead had fallen to three at 45-42. The Eagles were starting to become more aggressive on defense by forcing turnovers, and just trying to make things happen. Nevertheless, the Tigers managed to stay in front for a bit longer thanks to a two handed dunk by Benjamin off an assist by Austin for a 47-42 lead at the 4:45 mark. Edison came right back though with a drive for a layup by Grippo off a pass from Luckenbach to close the gap to 47-44 as the Eagles called for time with 4:39 to play. Following the timeout, Grippo swiped a steal and went in for another layup to pull EHS within one at 47-46 with 4:34 to go. Edison shot itself in the foot though as Caroo was assessed a technical foul, and Austin took advantage with two free throws for a 49-46 SPHS lead at the 4:25 mark.

Mensah then added a score for a five point advantage before Kelly stepped to the line to make two free throws for a 51-48 South Plainfield lead with 4:04 to go. Grippo then forced another turnover when he swiped a steal, and drove in for a layup to make it a one point game again at 51-50 with 3:59 to go in the contest. Benjamin gave the Tigers some much needed breathing room with a score, but McNair missed a one and one, and Edison got possession on a jump ball, and got new life with 3:30 to play. Following an Eagles timeout at the 3:01 mark, Grippo connected on a jumper from the left corner off an assist by Kelly for a 53-52 SPHS lead at the 2:46 mark. Mensah made one of two from the line for a 54-52 Tigers lead with 2:06 left, but Kelly grabbed an offensive rebound of a Grippo miss, and drew a foul on the follow attempt that resulted in two free throws for a 54-54 tie at the 1:52 mark.

Moments later, Grippo swiped another steal for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and produced one of two from the line at the 1:40 mark for a 55-54 lead. Mensah then traveled at the 1:27 mark, and Luckenbach drew a foul with 1:18 to play. Following an Edison timeout, the Eagles, which were in the double bonus now, got two free throws from the sophomore guard for a 57-54 lead. Caroo then made one of two at the line for a 58-54 lead with 53.9 seconds left. Luckenbach then returned to the charity stripe to make two free throws for a 60-54 lead at the 34.6 second mark. South Plainfield tried to keep their fading hopes alive when Benjamin scored on a follow of an Austin miss, but after a Tigers timeout, Grippo went to the line and sealed the 62-56 win with two charity shots at the 13.9 second mark.

With the victory, Edison improved to 8-13 overall and 8-13 in conference play this season. The Eagles, which have gone 8-7 since starting the season at 0-6, advanced to play 13th seeded Colonia in the preliminary round of GMCT on Tuesday. Meanwhile, South Plainfield fell to 4-16 overall including a 3-16 mark in the GMC. Analysis will be forthcoming in the blog.

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