The GMC Summaries Page will be updated soon with all the articles from games seen so far this year.

GMC Hoops Summaries--January 25, 2012
Week Six--Gold Division Showdown

Summers Helps Timothy Christian Surprise P-Way Tech, 49-47

By Greg Machos
January 25, 2012

PISCATAWAY, NJ--It wasn't suppose to happen this way. With the best two players Timothy Christian has being held to a combined 18 points by a Piscataway Tech team that defeated the Tigers by 21 back in the first meeting in December, not a lot of people thought TCS would come away with the upset of the ninth ranked Raiders. However, thanks to sophomore Brandon Summers, the Tigers managed to hang around all the way until the end, and then pull off a huge upset in the GMC Gold.

Summers made 7 of 8 shots from the floor en route to a career high 18 points including a baseline jumper from the right side with 1:45 remaining to give the Tigers a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way in a hard fought, come from behind, 49-47 victory at Piscataway Tech. It was the eleventh straight win for Timothy Chrisian, which hasn't lost since the last meeting between these two teams before Christmas. Kristian Svendsen chipped in with 10 points while Dan Decker added 8. Entering the contest, the TCS dynamic duo were one of the top scoring tandems in the GMC.

The Raiders, which led 33-22 in the third quarter, got 34 of its 47 points from forward Will Joyce (18 points) and guard Galen Smith (16 points). However, Joyce was held to four points in the second half, and Smith had no threes over the final two periods as the Tigers closed the game with a 27-14 surge in the last 13:43. P-Way Tech enjoyed a 19-15 edge in two point field goals, and a 6-3 edge in points scored from long distance, but TCS had more players get into the scorebook (7-5) and had a 16-3 edge from the foul line.

This rematch, which was much more of an intriguing matchup after the Tigers had reeled off ten in a row heading in, started much like the first one did with a low scoring first half followed by a P-Way Tech surge to end the second and start the third. Tied at 14-14 with 3:15 to go in the first half after a layup by Svendsen, the Raiders went on a 19-8 tear over a span of 5:32 to take an eleven point lead a little more than two minutes gone by in the second half. Piscataway Tech broke away from the second quarter tie with an 11-2 spurt to close out the first half as Smith sparked the run with a triple while Joyce got a layup at the 2:37 mark, and then a steal for a layup at the 2:21 mark. Joyce got another bucket down low with 13 seconds left before Smith closed the half with a steal for another layup to give the Raiders a 25-16 advantage at the intermission.

The first quarter had been even with both teams scoring ten. TCS scored off the opening tip before P-Way Tech scored four unanswered to grab a 4-2 lead. After the Tigers tied the game on a score by Summers, the Raiders scored 6 of the next 10 points including a three pointer from Smith with 1:30 remaining in the frame for a 10-6 lead. Summers and Parker then closed out the period with scores to even the game up at 10-10. The Raiders then opened the scoring in the second with another basket by Joyce, and clinged to that lead thanks to blocked shots by McClendon (on Decker) and Joyce (on Svendsen). The Tigers countered with a defensive play of its own as Decker blocked out his offensive struggles to draw a charge on Aziz Austin at the 4:23 mark.

Zach Csorny (4 points) then made two free throws to tie the game at 12-12 with three and a half minutes to go in the first half. Joyce put the Raiders ahead on their next possession, but Svendsen knotted the game again at the 3:15 mark. Up to this point, the Tigers showed plenty of determination of staying in this one despite the fact that Decker hadn't made a field goal and was 0 of 3 from beyond the arc. However, Piscataway Tech put Timothy Christian on the ropes with its late second quarter and early third period run. Fortunately for the Tigers, and their enthusiastic fans in attendance, the Raiders couldn't put them away. Turnovers and missed baskets by P-Way Tech helped keep the game from getting out of hand like the first one. TCS played solid defense as well.

Svendsen opened the second half with a layup, but Turell McClendon, who was limited to just 6 points, responded with a layup of his own for a 27-18 lead with a little more than a minute gone by in the third. The Raiders followed up with six of the next eight points as Smith drove and dished to Joyce for a layup, drove in for a layup himself, and then Khairi Mosely (4 points) made two free throws for a 33-22 lead with a little more than five and a half minutes to go in the third. Timothy Christian began to rally here with a 11-2 run over a span of 4:51 to pull within a basket at 35-33. During the stretch, Summers had a basket and made 3 of 4 from the line while Csorny added two free throws, and Decker connected on his first and only three of the game that got the TC crowd going.

Joyce ended the period with a bucket to give the Raiders a 37-33 lead entering the fourth, but the Tigers started the final frame with the first four points including a layup by Summers at the 7:08 mark, and two free throws by Parker at the 6:20 mark after the visitors went into the bonus. Mosely put the Raiders on top agian with a layup at the 6:02 mark, but Summers replied with a bucket of his own to square the game again at 39-39. P-Way Tech appeared to gain control of the now tight contest with four straight points including a layup by Smith at the 4:30 mark for a 43-39 lead. However, Timothy Christian wasn't going away this time. Svendsen drew a foul and made two free throws at the 3:56 mark, and then after McClendon scored on a layup for a 45-41 lead with 3:01 to play, the Tigers reeled off the next three points to take the lead for good.

Svendsen started the decisive burst with a layup while being fouled at the 2:49 mark. He missed the bonus free throw, but Summers swiped a steal, and got the ball to Will Gaskin for his only two points of the game on a reverse layup that tied the score at 45-45 with 2:34 remaining in regulation. After Piscataway Tech called a timeout with 2:25 to go, TCS took the lead for the first time since scoring off the opening tip when Summers got the ball on the right baseline for a 12 footer with 1:45 to play. With their supporters standing and whooped up into a frenzy, the Tigers continued to feed themselves off the energy by drawing a charge at the 1:29 mark. Following another P-Way Tech timeout, Timothy Christian took some time off the clock before Decker was fouled and made one of two from the line with 39.7 seconds left for a 48-45 lead.

Smith pulled the Raiders within one when he drove through the middle and hit a floater with 20.7 seconds remaining. After Piscataway Tech called for another timeout, the Raiders fouled Parker on the ensuing inbounds, and he made one of two for a 49-47 lead with 18.8 seconds to go. Tentative down the stretch, the Raiders committed a turnover as Gaskin swiped a steal and was fouled with 11.4 seconds to go. He missed both ends of the double bonus, which gave Piscataway Tech another chance, but it couldn't take advantage. After Summers deflected an inbounds pass back out of bounds with 7.8 seconds to go, McClendon drove to the basket for a layup attempt that wouldn't fall. The Raiders tried to put in the follow, but couldn't as Svendsen fell to the ground with the rebound as time expired.

With the victory, Timothy Christian improved to 14-1 on the season and moved into a first place tie with Piscataway Tech at 9-1 in the GMC Gold. The Raiders dropped to 9-4 overall. See the play-by-play, analysis, and video from this contest in the blog.

RETURN TO THE GMC HOOPS HOME PAGE

If you are finished checking the GMC Boys Basketball Summaries, and would like to see other parts of the website.  Click below to return to the home page.

• Return to the GMC Hoops Homepage

If you have any questions about, or any suggestions for this website, please feel free to either fill out our guestbook, or contact me at gmachos@gmchoops.com.