Post by 01- PirateDave on Mar 10, 2015 0:37:33 GMT -6
Boys Basketball
T.J. Gibbs (Sterling's brother) free throws lead No. 5 Seton Hall Prep into North Jersey, Non-Public A final
#14 TJ Gibbs
WEST ORANGE — The gym at Seton Hall Prep had been boisterous all afternoon as the No. 5 Pirates went blow-for-blow with No. 19 St. Joseph (Mont.) on Sunday for a trip to Rutgers in the North Jersey, Non-Public A final. But the Seton Hall Prep student section was silent when T.J. Gibbs stepped to the free throw line in the games waning moments. With the crowd in a lull, you could hear the junior guard's father, Temple Gibbs Sr., shouting one word of advice before nearly every free throw from the stands.
Breathe.
“He’s always telling me to breathe," Gibbs said after the game. "He’s always telling me to stay calm, keep my composure, keep my elbow tucked and just shoot the right way.”
Gibbs, one of the best free throw-shooters in the state, heeded his father's advice and lived up to his reputation. He made all eight of his free throws for the game, including six in the decisive fourth quarter en route to a 54-47 victory.
It was the biggest stage of the season thus far for Gibbs and the Essex County Tournament champion Pirates. But even with the stakes as high as they were, the blue chip prospect felt no pressure.
“Just staying calm. Just knowing, I’m right in my backyard. This is like my home. I’ve been here since I was seven years old," Gibbs said. "These are the moments that I dreamed about. These are the moments that I love and live for.”
While Gibbs finished with 15 points, he had to rely on his teammate to pick him up after a rough first half that saw him sit for the final minutes with foul trouble.
“We knew were going to go through some tough times. They were playing really physical, and they were playing really hard," Gibbs said. "But we knew together as a team, we were going to get through it. We’re a strong team, we’re a tough team. There’s nothing we haven’t seen before playing in Essex County. We just knew we had to keep playing.”
It was Kelly Hogan and Zach Keller thriving when the Pirates needed them most. Hogan fueled the offense through the first quarter and was dominant on the boards, while Keller took over the game in the second quarter when Gibbs was out with six straight points
“Early they got off to a run, and I just tried to do my best. We had a little bit of a height advantage," Keller said "Just to get some easy buckets. We just needed some easy buckets, so that’s just what I was trying.”
Things turned in the second half, and Gibbs started to take over the game offensively. And while Gibbs was quick to credit his teammates for their efforts, they were just as quick to praise their star guard as well — who had 11 of his 15 points in the second half
“I’ve said it before, sometimes we take it for granted some of the stuff he does," Hogan said. "But I mean, to have him on this team, we’re so lucky and it’s awesome to be his teammate.”
The Gibbs free throws wouldn't have meant much if the team's defense hadn't stepped up to make them stand up as the game-winning shots. That included forcing a turnover on one possession late and Keller grabbing a steal on the next to slam the door.
"They run some great offenses, so against that we were trying to switch some screens, do a couple different things just to slow them down a little bit," Keller said. "Because they can shoot, they can drive, they can finish."
Gibbs may have been calm on the free throw line at the end of the game, but he far from it as the team celebrated the victory. The next stage is even bigger for Seton Hall Prep — and Gibbs says the Pirates aren't done yet.
“This means a ton. It means getting a chance to go back to the RAC. That’s something both my brothers did, and that’s something I really want to achieve," Gibbs said. "I want to get a win at the RAC. I want to go play at Toms River, I want to go win the T of C"
T.J. Gibbs (Sterling's brother) free throws lead No. 5 Seton Hall Prep into North Jersey, Non-Public A final
#14 TJ Gibbs
WEST ORANGE — The gym at Seton Hall Prep had been boisterous all afternoon as the No. 5 Pirates went blow-for-blow with No. 19 St. Joseph (Mont.) on Sunday for a trip to Rutgers in the North Jersey, Non-Public A final. But the Seton Hall Prep student section was silent when T.J. Gibbs stepped to the free throw line in the games waning moments. With the crowd in a lull, you could hear the junior guard's father, Temple Gibbs Sr., shouting one word of advice before nearly every free throw from the stands.
Breathe.
“He’s always telling me to breathe," Gibbs said after the game. "He’s always telling me to stay calm, keep my composure, keep my elbow tucked and just shoot the right way.”
Gibbs, one of the best free throw-shooters in the state, heeded his father's advice and lived up to his reputation. He made all eight of his free throws for the game, including six in the decisive fourth quarter en route to a 54-47 victory.
It was the biggest stage of the season thus far for Gibbs and the Essex County Tournament champion Pirates. But even with the stakes as high as they were, the blue chip prospect felt no pressure.
“Just staying calm. Just knowing, I’m right in my backyard. This is like my home. I’ve been here since I was seven years old," Gibbs said. "These are the moments that I dreamed about. These are the moments that I love and live for.”
While Gibbs finished with 15 points, he had to rely on his teammate to pick him up after a rough first half that saw him sit for the final minutes with foul trouble.
“We knew were going to go through some tough times. They were playing really physical, and they were playing really hard," Gibbs said. "But we knew together as a team, we were going to get through it. We’re a strong team, we’re a tough team. There’s nothing we haven’t seen before playing in Essex County. We just knew we had to keep playing.”
It was Kelly Hogan and Zach Keller thriving when the Pirates needed them most. Hogan fueled the offense through the first quarter and was dominant on the boards, while Keller took over the game in the second quarter when Gibbs was out with six straight points
“Early they got off to a run, and I just tried to do my best. We had a little bit of a height advantage," Keller said "Just to get some easy buckets. We just needed some easy buckets, so that’s just what I was trying.”
Things turned in the second half, and Gibbs started to take over the game offensively. And while Gibbs was quick to credit his teammates for their efforts, they were just as quick to praise their star guard as well — who had 11 of his 15 points in the second half
“I’ve said it before, sometimes we take it for granted some of the stuff he does," Hogan said. "But I mean, to have him on this team, we’re so lucky and it’s awesome to be his teammate.”
The Gibbs free throws wouldn't have meant much if the team's defense hadn't stepped up to make them stand up as the game-winning shots. That included forcing a turnover on one possession late and Keller grabbing a steal on the next to slam the door.
"They run some great offenses, so against that we were trying to switch some screens, do a couple different things just to slow them down a little bit," Keller said. "Because they can shoot, they can drive, they can finish."
Gibbs may have been calm on the free throw line at the end of the game, but he far from it as the team celebrated the victory. The next stage is even bigger for Seton Hall Prep — and Gibbs says the Pirates aren't done yet.
“This means a ton. It means getting a chance to go back to the RAC. That’s something both my brothers did, and that’s something I really want to achieve," Gibbs said. "I want to get a win at the RAC. I want to go play at Toms River, I want to go win the T of C"
good luck to all!