Thomas, NJ All Stars Eliminated At Peach

Lance Thomas' solid game is not enough for the New Jersey All Stars

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- While the presence of Lance Thomas was an unexpected bonus this week for the New Jersey All-Stars, he literally didn't have much help.

With only six players dressed and playing their fifth game in a 48 hour stretch, the All-Stars limped to a 1-4 finish at the Nike Peach Jam, suffering a 75-58 drubbing from the SYF Players on Thursday morning.

It was clear from the outset that New Jersey didn't have much in the tank on Thursday. The All-Stars fell behind 27-17 midway through the first half and a strong SYF finish mushroomed the lead to 46-30 at the intermission.

The lead reached 68-43 midway through the second half on a jump hook by SYF center Evan Schmidt.

Thomas again was a bright spot for New Jersey. He recorded 18 points and five rebounds, and played with his usual vigor on both ends of the floor.

The All-Stars' other main contributor, swingman Gilbert Brown (Pittsburgh), was held to just nine points. SYF scouted him well and got up in him any time he caught the ball, severely limiting his effectiveness off the dribble.

"It's been a rough couple of days," Thomas admitted. "We only had six players, we gave it all of our heart and in some cases, people never came out of the game. Even though we showed a lot of character, people couldn't play to their highest level due to fatigue."

"We could have easily given up earlier in the week," Thomas continued. "We didn't quit, we still pressured the ball and played defense."

However, the middle of New Jersey's defense was soft as a marshmallow, and opponents like SYF exploited that weakness all week long, getting high percentage looks seemingly at will.

SYF, which finished first in Pool B at 4-1, placed four players in double figures. Guard Tyrone Appleton-Meyer got things off to a strong start, scoring all 16 of his points in the first half. Swingman Greg Hill netted 10 of his 14 in the opening half as well. Scott Martin (12 points) and E'twaun Moore (10 points) also hit for double figures.

As for New Jersey, they'll head back to the Garden State with a degree in the school of hard knocks. The lone bright spot of their Peach Jam experience was a frantic come from behind victory on Tuesday night over the New York Gauchos.

"That was a really big win for us," Thomas said. "But I would have rather been 4-1 than 1-4."