St. Joe’s too much for Monroe in boys basketball GMCT

By: Redd E. Patrick
   The Monroe High School boys basketball team concluded the worst season in school history with the worst loss of the season, a 74-27 decision to St. Joseph’s in the opening round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, but there could be a silver lining to that ending.
   Huh?
   Yeah, third-seeded St. Joseph played top-seeded McCarrick last night in the GMC Tournament championship game at South Brunswick High School.
   "I don’t know if that’s a silver lining," said Monroe’s veteran coach Pete LoPresti, whose team was seeded 30th. "But if we’re going to lose like that, you hope it’s from the team that wins it all."
   In a game matching the Falcons vs. the Falcons, the Monroe Falcons came in at 0-19 with a team of players who all live in Monroe. The St. Joseph’s Falcons (17-6), based in Metuchen, have players from all over Middlesex County.
   "That was one of the best teams we’ve faced this season," said LoPresti. "They played a real tough schedule in and out of the GMC and I think they’re at their very best right now. They can do so many things. It was very hard for us to stop them."
   In the St. Joseph’s game, Kyle Sorensen and Dan Norris finished with nine points each for Monroe, Peter Grad had six, while Dan Palma and Rob Arvidson each had five. Norris, who averaged 5.0 points per game on the season, averaged 12.5 over his last four.
   "They’re so tough," LoPresti said. "They have some big physical kids inside, which is our strength, but they have some real tough guards and some excellent shooters. We couldn’t defend them. They just took it to us."
   In the championship game against McCarrick, LoPresti sees a real tight contest.
   "Each team plays a different style, but they’re both very good at what they do," LoPresti said. "McCarrick has a big scorer in Mika Wilson and a bunch of guards who just go after you. St. Joseph will have to handle that pressure, and if they can, they can create problems in the halfcourt set."
   LoPresti does not have a rooting interest, but deep down, you have the feeling he may be pulling for St. Joseph, the team which ended his season.