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Piscataway
Regains Early Season Form In Knocking Off |
By Greg Machos
February 27, 2008PISCATAWAY, NJ—There were some that wondered whether or not Piscataway had it in them for a state tourney run after losing in disappointing fashion to St. Joseph's in the semifinal round of the 2008 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament at South Brunswick High School last Tuesday. However, many of those same people felt the same way about South Brunswick after the Vikings lost to Cardinal McCarrick in the semifinal round of the 2007 GMCT at Middlesex County College. In the end, the Vikes showed great character, and removed all doubts about its team with a memorable run through the 2007 Central Jersey Group IV bracket to its first sectional title since 1974, and its first state title appearance since Buddy Rose and the Vikings of 1968 sent then coach, Dick Vitale and his East Rutherford home with a loss in the Group I State title game. The moral of the story here is that the season isn't over, and there's still plenty to play for if you are the Chiefs.
In a Watchung Conference laden mine field of a section with the likes of Linden, Union, Plainfield, Elizabeth, and Irvington, not much respect is being thrown P-Way's direction, and that suits them fine. Last year, not many gave Piscataway much of a chance to winning it all in the GMCT, and they did. For being in the hunter role suits Piscataway much better. The Chiefs play with more of a chip on their shoulder when they feel slighted. Add the ingredient of revenge into the mix, and you have a team with steam coming out of its ears. The revenge factor comes from the fact that Wednesday night's North Jersey Section 2 Group IV Quarterfinal opponent, Watchung Hills, eliminated the Chiefs in the opening round of last year's sectional tournament in Warren just two days after Piscataway won its first GMC Tournament title in twelve years. The shoe was on the other foot this time around as Watchung Hills was visiting Piscataway just a few days after defeating Ridge for the Somerset County Championship. The Warriors, which compete in the Delaware East Division of the Skyland Conference, had a magical ride that included a buzzer beating shot from halfcourt to knock off rival Immaculata in the SCT Semifinals.
Watchung Hills has taken on some solid teams this season. In addition to playing the likes of Bridgewater-Raritan, Immaculata, Ridge, Montgomery, Hillsborough, and Franklin from the Skyland Conference, the Warriors have also played Union, and won on January 10th in Warren by the score of 60-54. Moreover, WHHS took on Plainfield, which it lost to on December 21st at PHS by a score of 81-74. Most recently, the Warriors battled Bayonne of the Coviello Division in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association in the opening round of this year's tourney, and won by a score of 58-55 to advance into the Quarterfinals to face P-Way. Over the course of the fall, GMC Hoops happened to catch Watchung Hills quite often at the 2007 HawksBasketball Fall-Ball Classic in Plainfield, and was impressed by the Warriors fundamentals, teamwork, and perimeter shooting. In that particular fall league, Watchung Hills reached the semifinals of the post-season tournament before losing to Plainfield. In the spring, Watchung Hills traveled down to Rebounds, and participated as well as performed very well in the 2007 Rebounds Spring League. The Somerset County school also held a pre-season tri-scrimmage that included Piscataway as well as Somerville back on November 30th. However, most of the Chiefs varsity squad did not participate since the team was preparing for its showdown against Hunterdon Central for the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV Football Championship the next day.
On this night though, like it did for the Chiefs a mere twelve months earlier, the magic carpet ride of the Warriors would end as P-Way served a ice cold slice of revenge in a 70-58 victory to advance to the semifinal round of the North Jersey Section 2 Group IV State Tournament, and host the Union Farmers on Friday in Chiefland. After a tightly played first quarter of action that saw Piscataway take a tenuous 11-8 edge, the Warriors scored six of the first nine points of the second to knot the game at 14-14, and even had the earlier lead on an Eric Kane jumper, 12-11 before the Chiefs wrestled the lead back on a three pointer by junior reserve guard, Jeff Adkins. Speaking of Adkins, not only did the Chiefs play perhaps their best game offensively in quite some time if not all season, but the Chief reserves made huge contributions at the right time. Besides Adkins early three, Thomas Bennett, who ended up with five points on two field goals, and one of two free throws, was instrumental in the last stages of a 17-5 end of first half tear with a jumper that got a kind bounce at the 2:54 mark for a 20-16 lead, a steal and assist on a James White layup at the 1:30 mark, and then a drive from the left wing for another layup moments after Kane delivered the Warriors final points of the first half for a 28-19 lead.
In addition to the fine work done by Bennett, junior forward Aaron Hush continues his fine late season play. Despite not scoring any points in the game, Hush delivered a huge blocked shot early in the second quarter that brought the partisan P-Way crowd to its feet with quite a roar. Finally, Wayne Newsome, who only had one field goal in the contest, got those points at one of the most critical times of the contest. After Piscataway had built up a 45-27 lead with about four minutes to go in the third, Watchung Hills showed determination and intestinal fortitude with a 14-4 rally that pulled them within eight again at 49-41 with less than a minute to play in the third. Enter Newsome, who got the ball on the left side, and scored on a layup from along the baseline to halt the growing Warrior momentum, and make the score, 51-41 going into the fourth period. For the game, Piscataway connected on 26 field goals including five three pointers, and netted 13 free throws for its 70 points while Watchung Hills buried 24 shots including six from long distance, and made eight from the charity stripe for its 58 points. The brunt of P-Way's damage came in the middle two periods when its scored 40 of its points in two 20 point laden quarters. As a matter of fact, from the time the game was tied in the second quarter at 14-14, the Chiefs outscored Watchung Hills by a 31-13 margin over a span of about a quarter for its largest lead of the game.
Piscataway would outscore Watchung Hills in three of the four quarters, and register double digit points in each frame while the Warriors only managed to do that in three. White, who has the ability to take over games with his offense besides playing his trademark stingy defense, led the way for the Chiefs with not only a team high, but also a season high 18 points on six field goals including three treys, and made three free throws. Junior forward, Tristian Benjamin, who was suspended for disciplinary reasons earlier in the season, but returned several weeks ago, and has been gradually getting back to his early season form, chipped in with 13 points on four field goals, and five foul shots while pulling down 9 rebounds. Bryan Waluk put in one of his best offensive efforts of the season with three field goals including a three pointer for seven first quarter points, and got a putback in the second period for nine in the first half before ending up with 11 points on four field goals including that three, and two free throws. Senior forward, Omar Smith, also contributed to the balanced with double digit scoring as he came up with 10 points on four field goals and two free throws. J.D. Griggs also helped out with 6 points on three field goals while junior Justin Blake rounded out the scoring with a field goal.
According to the article written in the Star-Ledger, the Chiefs, which outrebounded the Warriors for the game by a 41-15 margin, had put together a 26-8 edge on the boards by the intermission while holding the visitors from the Skyland Conference to just 30.8 percent shooting. While P-Way lost some of its intensity in the second half, the offense played the way it needs to play in order for not only the Chiefs to be successful, but also to have any shot of winning in this very tough bracket. In the first quarter, both teams combined for the lowest single period output of the game as the Chiefs jumped out to the three point lead. Over the first 3:21 of the opening frame, Piscataway took a 7-4 edge as Waluk got his three pointer, and a layup off an assist from White while Watchung Hills got baskets from Kyle Rawson (15 points on six field goals including a three pointer, and two free throws) and forward Justin Matisak (9 points on four field goals and 1 of 2 free throws). Following a P-Way timeout that avoided a five second call at the 4:39 mark, both teams scored four points each to end the period as Griggs and Waluk each got field goals for the Chiefs while Rawson added another bucket for the Warriors. In the second period, the offenses began to pick up with both teams combining for 31 points in the frame. Watchung Hills began the period strong with the first four points for a one point lead at 12-11 with approximately six minutes to play in the half.
Jesse Ross (4 points on two field goals) began the second quarter scoring with a drive for a floater that banked in for an 11-10 Chief lead at the seven minute mark. A minute or so later, Eric Kane (game high 23 points on eight field goals including five threes, and two free throws), who did everything he could to keep the Warriors in the game with a splendid offensive performance, connected on a jumper from the left wing for a 12-11 lead. On the very next P-Way possession, Adkins got a kick out from Blake on the left side of the top of the key, and drained a trey that put the Chiefs ahead again at 14-12 with 5:46 to go in the half. The small lead would be brief though as the Warriors knotted the game at 14-14 midway through the second. However, the Chiefs would take the lead back, and most importantly for good at the 4:15 mark when Benjamin scored on a follow for a 16-14 edge . Rawson then made one of two at the line for a 16-15 score with 4:05 to play in the first half before a full timeout was called by Watchung Hills head coach, Gene McAteer with just inside four minutes remaining before halftime. Following the stoppage, Piscataway took a three point lead at 18-15 when Waluk scored on his putback at the 3:45 mark. Matisak then made another one of two at the line for an 18-16 lead with 3:20 left before Bennett struck for his jumper that dropped in thanks to a kind bounce at the 2:54 mark, and then Piscataway added four more points for a 24-16 advantage with 2:09 to go in the half when McAteer called for time again.
Following the timeout, the Chiefs went back to work as Bennett got his steal and assist on White's layup with a minute and a half before the intermission for a 26-16 lead, and then after a Kane three pointer from the left corner closed the gap to seven at 26-19 with about 40 seconds to go in the half, Bennett struck again with his nifty drive from the left wing for a layup, and a 28-19 advantage, and then in the waning moments of the half, Waluk grabbed a rebound of a missed Watchung Hills shot at the defensive end, and then took a quick glance at the clock as he pushed the ball up the court, drove into the paint, and kicked the ball out to the right corner for White, who launched a trifecta that was true for a 31-19 lead at the break as the Chief faithful were riled up into a frenzy. The start of the second half saw much of the same things that ended the first half as Piscataway continued its assault on the Somerset County Champions with a 14-7 spurt over the first four minutes or so of the third quarter for a commanding 45-27 lead. Thirty seconds into the new half, White scored on a putback of a missed shot by Smith that made the score, 33-20 following a Watchung Hills basket. Kane then clicked on a jumper that made the score, 33-22, but Benjamin came up with a key three point play at the 6:38 mark for a 36-22 advantage. Nearly a minute after that, Benjamin netted two free throws for a 38-22 score with 5:45 left in the third.
On a subsquent Watchung Hills possession, Kane struck again for a trey from his favorite spot, the left corner to keep the Warriors in some sort of striking distance as Piscataway now led, 38-25 with 5:12 to go in the period. Following another Warrior timeout, both teams traded scores as Griggs put in a layup, and Matisak answered with a field goal of his own for a 40-27 P-Way edge at the 4:23 mark as Chief four year head coach, Guy Jensen, called a 30 second timeout. Following the stoppage, Piscataway reeled off five more points on a layup by Benjamin off an assist by White, and a three pointer from the right wing by White himself for a 45-27 lead. Showing the heart that made them this year's Somerset County Champs, the Warriors fought back with a 14-4 tear to close to within single digits again at 49-41 in the final minute of the third. However, P-Way would go up by ten again entering the fourth as Wayne Newsome scored on a drive along the left baseline for a 51-41 advantage. In the fourth, Watchung Hills opened the final stanza with a score, but the Chiefs replied with five straight points including a steal for a layup by Smith as he was fouled for a three point play that made the score, 56-43 with 5:55 to go.
Staying resilient, Watchung Hills battled back again with a 5-0 run of its own including a three pointer from the right wing by Kane to close to within eight once more at 56-48. White fueled the comeback attempt by missing the front end of a one and one before Piscataway called for time at the 5:06 mark of the fourth. Following the timeout, the Chiefs made it a ten point lead again with a score, but the Warriors got those points back with a pair of free throws by Jim Chimielewski to make it 58-50. Unfortunately though for the throng of students and supporters that took the drive down from Warren to see the game, Watchung Hills would get no closer. The reason for that was the fact that White would drain a three point bucket from the right corner for a 61-50 lead at the 2:30 mark, and then net two free throws with 2:07 to go that made the score, 63-50. From there, both teams scored eight points each to round out the final, 70-58 result.
With the victory, Piscataway improved to 21-4 overall, and now have a record of 4-2 against opponents outside of the Greater Middlesex Conference. Meanwhile, Watchung Hills ends its terrific season with a 23-4 overall mark. You can view some of the video highlights from this matchup in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.
Team |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Piscataway (21-4) |
11 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 70 |
Watchung Hills (23-4) |
8 | 11 | 22 | 17 | 58 |
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