Tuesday, January 27, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Senior Joe Russo scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half as Bayonne erased a 15-point deficit and knocked off Union City, 78-70, on Monday night.

BAYONNE -- Coming off a tough win over Dickinson and with a showdown to determine the best team in the HCIAA-Coviello Division looming against St. Peter's Prep on Wednesday, Bayonne found itself in a tricky spot on Monday night.

The Bees were up against a determined opponent in Union City; they were staring at a 15-point deficit late in the second quarter and were trailing by 14 points at halftime.

Was there a strategical adjustment that Bayonne head coach Mickell Taylor could pass on to his team to help it out of the hole?

“Yeah, I told them to play defense,” said Taylor, whose team was getting torched in transition through the first two quarters. “Coming off a great win over Dickinson, I guess they were stuck in Dickinson. I told them that team [Union City] was going to come to play. We were not going to win based on our name. We have the second best record in the county, but you still have to play.”

Union City's Jonathan Argueto had seven three pointers among his game-high 25 points.

One of Bayonne’s other early problems was getting a hand in the face of Union City’s Jonathan Argueto, one of North Jersey’s top standstill shooters. With Bayonne’s multiple turnovers in the early going, Union City spent a lot of time in the open floor, making it easy for Argueto to get lost in the transition. He knocked down seven three-pointers in the game and his trey from the wing with 6:13 left in the third quarter kept the Soaring Eagles in front by a comfortable margin at 44-28 and UC was still up by 15 points, 47-32, after Abdul Ais’ free throw 1:04 later.

But the way Union City built its lead, forcing turnovers and holding its own on the glass, started to show some cracks as fatigue set in. The Eagles are not deep, Bayonne is and the Bees’ comeback started midway through the third quarter. A quick 6-0 spurt that was capped by Jimmy Smith’s third chance tap after a Union City turnover got Bayonne back with single digits at 47-41.

Even with foul trouble starting to catch up with the Eagles late in the third quarter, they were still in front by a 55-48 score heading into the fourth. An intentional foul called after Bayonne had closed to within three points sent Argueto to the line. He made both free throws and a three-pointer from the corner on the bonus possession and Argueto’s three to start the fourth quarter gave Union City its final double digit lead at 58-48 17 seconds into the final period.

Tarique Holmes (17 points) was one of three Bees to finish in double digits.

But Bayonne scored seven straight points in just 44 seconds and drew to within three points when Tarique Holmes made a steal and a three-pointer. Senior center Joe Russo, who was relegated to the bench for most of the first half with two fouls, also started to establish himself inside in the fourth quarter and his drop-step basket with 6:26 left had the Bees within 60-57 with 6:26 left before Smith took over.

Smith made a steal and a layup, put back a missed shot and made a free throw to put Bayonne in front for the first time since it scored the first basket of the game.

“I knew we had get back in the lead and I had to pick up my team,” said Smith, who scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half. “We had to step it up because we came out slow. In the first half I don’t think we played good defense and we gave too much space to their shooter [Argueto].”

The game was tied three times in the final five minutes and Union City took its last lead at 67-65 when Jose Matta made both ends of a one-on-one with 2:33 left, but Russo’s putback tied the game for the last time with 2:15 left and Holmes’ layup off of Smith’s defensive rebound and baseball pass with 1:52 to go.

Abdul Ais finished with 16 points for Union City, which fell to 11-4 on the season, 4-4 in the HCIAA.

“We knew we could fight back and we knew that we were going to come out in the second half and do that,” said Russo, who scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime, and put Union City’s lone interior player, Ramon Martines, in foul trouble early in the third quarter. “That was a big plus. We needed to get that big man out because he was one of the guys that was really hurting on the offensive and defensive boards.”

After trailing by double digits for most of the game, Bayonne didn’t even bother to make it interesting in the final minute. After Anthony Arias made a free throw with 1:29 left to keep Union City within a point at 69-68, Bayonne scored nine straight points, including 5 of 6 free throws, in 53 seconds to go up 78-68 before Ais made a layup at the buzzer.

“Too many turnovers. Our guards knocked down some shots, but we just don’t care of the ball as well as we should. Our guys have played hard all year and I am not complaining about that. We are not deep and we got a little tired, but the difference tonight was too many turnovers,” said Union City head coach Drew Morano. “We had chances. We had a three from the elbow that could have put us up seven with four minutes to go, we missed a layup to go up three with about 2:45 to go and we had chances. We are not making a good percentage from the foul line, but it’s the turnovers that are really hurting us.”

Argueto led all scorers with his 25 points and Ais (16 points) and Arias (11 points) made it three Eagles in double digits. Matta added 8 points and Martines and Orlando Lopez each made two field goals for Union City, which fell to 11-4 on the season and 4-4 inside the HCIAA.

The return of Tarell Glover has made Bayonne even deeper as it now stands at 11-3 on the season and 6-2 in the HCIAA.

Bayonne improved to 11-3 on the season and 7-2 in the HCIAA with Smith’s 19 points leading the way, but once they got rolling the Bees spread the ball around. Holmes finished with 17 points, Russo added 13 and Ahmir Bailey and Elvonney Poole each chipped in with 9 points apiece. Darius Gordon had four points and Bayonne has also been bolstered by the return of Tarell Glover, who missed the first seven games of the season. Glover finished with 7 points and provided steady play at the point.

Now Bayonne can officially look ahead to Wednesday night when they visit St. Peter’s Prep. First place is not actually on the line because there is a two-game spread in the loss column, but bragging rights certainly are as Prep has two Bayonne residents, Kevin Walker and Ronald Roberts, in its starting lineup. The teams also have the inside track on the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the HCIAA postseason tournament.

“It’s going to be exciting and the kids are pumped up,” said Taylor. “I am pumped up for every game whether it is Prep, St. Anthony’s or whoever we play, but this is going to be a big one.”

Asked weather St. Peter’s, the No. 1 team in the NorthJerseySports.com Great 8 rankings, is the best team in Hudson County including St. Anthony, which plays outside the HCIAA, Taylor did not flinch.

“Besides us, yes,” said Taylor. “Definitely besides us, yes. Wednesday is going to be big.”

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