By ROB JONAS
SCHENECTADY – Gregory Van Epps had a difficult time finding his shot, but he found it at the right time.
The senior guard drained the go-ahead three-pointer with 12 seconds left to lift Mohonasen to a 76-74 Suburban Council victory over Schenectady Friday, January 26, at the Pat Riley Center.
“I just believed in myself and let it fall,” said Van Epps.
Mohonasen coach Josh Peck said the play was initially designed to have one of his forwards crash the basket, with Van Epps as the second option. Jalani Abdul-Aziz had the ball on the baseline, but he passed it to Van Epps, who drained the three-pointer from the top of the key.
“It wouldn't have been set up without Jalani making that pass,” said Van Epps.
Schenectady (4-9) had a chance to win the game in the final five seconds, but Jay-Quan Johnson's three-pointer bounced off the rim.
“I wish he had that shot at the end. He deserved to have that shot go in,” Schenectady coach John Miller said of Johnson, who led all scorers with 24 points.
Van Epps scored seven of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Mohonasen (8-6) complete an epic comeback against a determined Schenectady squad. The Mighty Warriors trailed by 14 points at halftime and by eight points early in the fourth quarter before rallying for only their second win in their last six games.
“There's no quit in these guys,” said Peck. “We're learning how to be unselfish with the ball, and it showed tonight.”
Schenectady looked like it was on its way to breaking its four-game losing streak in the first half. A pair of 11-2 runs – one to start the game, and the other in the second quarter – helped the Patriots jump out to a 41-27 halftime lead.
“I thought that was our most complete half of the season,” said Miller. “We made all of our free throws, we made all but two of our three-pointers and we did a great job of finding our man on defense.”
Schenectady was especially effective at shutting down Mohonasen's leading scorer, Duncan Tallman, in the first half. First, the Patriots made Tallman give up the ball by double teaming the junior guard. Then, they took the ball at Tallman, which forced him to commit a couple of quick fouls late in the first quarter. Tallman watched the rest of the first half from the Mohonasen bench.
Without Tallman on the floor, Schenectady was able to take the rest of Mohonasen's offense out of its rhythm. Johnson capped a 9-0 second-quarter run with a fast break layup and a pair of foul shots to put the Patriots ahead 36-21. Tyrone Pettway added a three-pointer just before halftime to give Schenectady its 41-27 advantage.
“You can't simulate their quickness in practice,” said Peck. “When they got us in their man or in that zone (defense), we just got stuck.”
Everything changed at the start of the third quarter, though. A series of unforced Schenectady errors and a pair of three-pointers from Tallman cut the Patriots' lead to 41-36, and the Mohonasen comeback was on. Tallman scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter to spark the Mighty Warriors' offense.
“If you give him an inch, he'll make you pay for it,” said Miller.
Schenectady tried to keep a safe distance from Mohonasen. Every time the Mighty Warriors got within a possession of tying the score, the Patriots got a key basket from Johnson, Elijah Jensen or Cameron Coles to make it a two-possession game.
Gradually, though, Mohonasen clawed its way back until the Mighty Warriors tied the score at 70-70 on Avery Deas' three-point play with 3:17 left in the fourth quarter. Deas then put Mohonasen in front for the first time all night by making one of two foul shots with 2:03 remaining.
Johnson promptly put Schenectady back in the lead by draining a pair of free throws after getting fouled on a drive to the basket. A driving layup by Coles with 1:03 left in regulation gave the Patriots a 74-71 advantage.
Mohonasen took control from there. A basket down low by Deas trimmed Schenectady's lead to one point. The Patriots recovered from a pair of turnovers by blocking Mohonasen's layup attempts to keep the score at 74-73, but they couldn't get a hand on Van Epps' three-pointer.
Deas led four Mohonasen players in double figures with 18 points. Chase Monroe came off the bench and scored 14 points, while Tallman and Van Epps each added 13 points.
Besides Johnson's 24-point effort, Schenectady received 17 points from Coles in a reserve role, and Johnsen made four three-pointers on his way to a 13-point night.
By ROB JONAS
COLONIE – Troy isn't through in the race for the Suburban Council Blue Division title.
Nazaire Merritt and Latyce Faison each scored 18 points to lead the Flying Horses to a 53-48 victory over Christian Brothers Academy Friday, February 9.
The win moved Troy (12-4 league, 12-7 overall) within one game of CBA (13-3, 16-3) for first place in the Blue Division with one game left in the regular season. The Flying Horses own the tiebreaker, having swept the Brothers in their two league meetings this season.
“We've been playing nailbiters all year,” said Troy coach Greg Davis. “We just keep it close and try to pull it out in the end.”
Merritt and Faison came alive in the second half to rally Troy from a six-point halftime deficit. The two junior guards each poured in 14 points to turn the tide.
“I had a talk with Latyce at halftime and told him it was time to go,” said Merritt, who scored a team-high 19 points in Troy's 70-64 victory over CBA in their first meeting on December 12. “Big shout out to Latyce.”
“He's just had an unbelievable year for us,” Davis said of Merritt, who leads Troy with a 16 points-per-game average. “He's had to play behind some talented guards, but this has been his time to shine.”
Faison didn't start the game for Troy, but once he got going, Davis wasn't about to take him out.
“We're basically under the impression that whatever is going to work that night, that's what we're going to do,” said Davis.
The Brothers kept the pace to their liking in the first half as they built a 23-17 lead, but the Flying Horses pushed the tempo at the start of the third quarter and used it to go on a 13-4 run that put them in front for the first time. The lead changed hands several times before Faison drained a three-pointer that gave Troy a 38-35 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
“I think they stepped up their defense (in the second half),” said CBA coach Dave Doemel. “We needed to pass the ball a little bit better. We made a couple of bad passes there, and they took advantage of it.”
Troy pushed the lead to 42-36 early in the fourth quarter before a basket by Andrew Signor and a three-pointer by Pryce Wasula brought CBA back within one point. A long jump shot from Faison and a driving layup by Lateef Johnson gave the Flying Horses some breathing room, and key free throws in the final 17 seconds from Merritt sealed the victory.
“They're not a good team to play catch-up against,” said Doemel. “Merritt is a great player.”
Jordan King poured in 20 points for CBA, while Signor and Peter O'Toole each added nine points. Twelve of King's 20 points came in the first half.
Troy concludes the regular season Tuesday, February 13, against Schenectady, while CBA battles Albany.
By ROB JONAS
TROY – How does a team make only four field goals and turn the ball over a bunch of times in the second half and win a playoff basketball game? Make free throws.
Senior Isaiah Moll went 8-for-10 from the foul line in the final 3:30 to help No. 4 Colonie fend off No. 5 Troy 51-47 in the Section 2 Class AA quarterfinals Saturday, February 24, at Hudson Valley Community College.
“I'm just glad we got the win,” said Moll, who led the way with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
Colonie (18-4) led by as many as 14 points in the first half before Troy (14-8) battled back behind a defensive effort that yielded 10 steals and 13 Colonie turnovers.
“We didn't execute, but Troy makes you do that,” said Colonie coach Ken Dagostino.
“We knew we had to change the tempo on defense,” said Troy coach Greg Davis. “We were able to force some turnovers, and we executed on the (fast) break. We just missed some shots at the end.”
Moll was on fire in the first quarter. He made a couple of jump shots early on and then connected on a four-point play as part of a 9-0 run that gave Colonie a 13-5 lead.
Troy started shifting its defenders around to help out on stopping Moll, but that opened the floor up for Aaron Satin. The junior made a pair of three-pointers and added a fade-away baseline jump shot as Colonie extended its lead to 26-12 midway through the second quarter.
“He's capable of it. We see it every day in practice,” Dagostino said of Satin, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Troy cut Colonie's 14-point lead in half with a 7-0 run, but Moll drained a three-pointer and added a layup off the glass to give the Garnet Raiders a 31-21 halftime advantage. Those would be the last two field goals Moll made in the game.
Troy's defense forced Colonie into turnover after turnover in the third quarter. Defenders would come in from the side or behind to knock the ball out of the Garnet Raiders' hands. Though the Flying Horses only scored nine points in the period, it was enough for them to get within striking distance.
Senior Alonzo Alexander opened the fourth quarter with a corner three-pointer, and senior Joe Casale knocked down a short jump shot to pull Troy within two points. Satin drove for a layup – Colonie's fourth and final field goal of the half – to briefly stem the tide, but another three-pointer from Alexander and a leaner by Latyce Faison tied the score at 40-40 with 5 minutes left.
Senior Will Aybar made a pair of free throws to give Colonie a 42-40 lead. Nazaire Merritt answered with a three-pointer to put Troy in front 43-42, but Moll made both ends of a one-and-one at the other end to push Colonie back in front. Merritt made one of two foul shots to tie the score at 44-44 with 3:12 left, but the Garnet Raiders sank seven of their final 10 free throws to pull away.
“They took the lead, but we persevered,” said Dagostino.
Faison scored 13 points, and Merritt added 10 points for Troy.
“The kids played their hearts out. They gave all they could give,” said Davis.
Colonie advances to the Class AA semifinals Tuesday, February 27, at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
By ROB JONAS
SCHENECTADY – With Mayfield's top scorer sidelined with an ankle injury, Camryn Meca stepped up in a big way.
The senior guard drained two of her four three-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead No. 18 Mayfield past No. 15 Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 37-34 in the opening round of the Section 2 Class C girls basketball playoffs Friday, Feb. 16.
“She usually makes them at the right time for us,” Mayfield coach Brian Moore said of Meca.
Mayfield (13-8) lost leading scorer Sydney Sheldon late in the third quarter when she injured her right ankle while trying to prevent a turnover. Ava Megyeri converted the layup at the other end of the floor to pull Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons (8-13) to within one point of the Panthers. Then on Mayfield's next possession, Abigail Kienzle forced a turnover and made a fast break layup to give the Golden Knights a 24-23 lead – their first since early in the second quarter.
That's when Meca took over. She drained a corner three-pointer to put Mayfield ahead 26-24 at the end of the third quarter. Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons pulled ahead again early in the fourth quarter, but Meca went on a personal 8-1 run to create a five-point Mayfield advantage.
“There was nothing else I could do but step up,” said Meca. “This is my senior season. I couldn't let this be my last game.”
Sheldon made some efforts to get back into the game. She tested her ankle behind the bench and had it taped up, but she stayed on the sideline for the entire fourth quarter. Moore said he is confident Sheldon will return for Tuesday's second-round game at No. 2 Mekeel Christian.
“She's a fighter. She'll be back for Mekeel on Tuesday,” said Moore.
Both teams struggled to get going in the first half. Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons saw a number of shots bounce off the rim, while Mayfield was committing several unforced turnovers.
“They played tough, strong, deep man-to-man defense,” said Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons coach Patrick Moran. “They adjusted to us on our screening, which made it tougher on us.”
Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons thought it had an advantage down low with junior forward Sarah Malinowski, who scored eight points and added several rebounds in the first half. However, Malinowski also got into foul trouble, and she wound up spending much of the second quarter on the bench.
With Malinowski off the floor, the Golden Knights struggled to hit their shots. That allowed Mayfield to close out the first half on a 10-2 run that gave the Panthers a 17-12 halftime lead.
Meca opened the third quarter with a three-pointer to increase Mayfield's lead to eight points. The three-pointer was Meca's 40th of the season, which placed her in a select club of Section 2 players.
“I knew I had to one more to make to get to 40,” said Meca.
Slowly but steadily, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons crawled its way out of its eight-point deficit. Kienzle and junior varsity call-up Ryann Relyea each scored four points during a 12-3 run that put the Golden Knights in front 24-23. But every time Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons thought it had gained the momentum, Meca hit a key shot for Mayfield to take it right back.
Meca finished with 16 points, and her four three-pointers tied her with Julie Hampton for the Mayfield team record for most threes in a season (43). Sheldon contributed eight points before getting injured, and junior forward Katie LaGrange added seven points off the bench.
Malinowski netted 10 points, and Relyea chipped in with seven points for Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.
“The kids played hard. I'm very proud of all of them,” said Moran.
By ROB JONAS
TROY – A near-perfect performance in the first quarter catapulted No. 5 Gloversville past No. 4 Queensbury 68-56 in the Section 2 Class A quarterfinals Sunday, February 25 at Hudson Valley Community College.
The Dragons (15-6) made seven three-pointers on nine attempts in the opening period to build a 26-11 lead on the Spartans (14-7). Queensbury never got any closer than five points the rest of the day.
“That's what we've been doing all season,” said Gloversville head coach Aric Kucel. “We're a three-point shooting team, and we came out hot early.”
“You can't shoot the ball any better than they did. It was their day,” said Queensbury coach Doug Fraser.
Sophomore guard Dante Bouchard broke the ice for Gloversville with a traditional three-point play – a driving layup and a free throw – before the barrage of first quarter three-pointers commenced. Sophomore guard Joey Rowback sank his first two attempts from behind the arc, and junior guard Julien Deumaga added a pair of open threes to put the Dragons ahead 15-7. Anderson Jones made a coast-to-coast layup before Deumaga and Bouchard knocked down three more three-pointers to build Gloversville's 15-point lead.
“It was good. It set the pace for the rest of the game,” said Bouchard, who led all scorers with 31 points.
Queensbury made a run at Gloversville in the second quarter. A pair of three-pointers by senior guard Cam Bleibtry and a driving layup by Jeff Van Anden trimmed the deficit to 33-28, but Bouchard drove baseline for a quarter-ending basket to give Gloversville a 35-28 advantage. Queensbury never got any closer than seven points the rest of the game.
“We hung around, but it was an uphill climb the whole game,” said Fraser. “It was grind for us today. Nothing flowed.”
Kucel credited a strong defensive effort from Gloversville, which limited Queensbury to shooting 39 percent from the field, including a 7-for-28 performance from behind the three-point arc.
“We know if we want to win a championship, we have to do it at the defensive end,” said Kucel.
Deumaga contributed 15 points, and Rowback added 11 points for Gloversville, which advances to the Class A semifinals Wednesday, February 28 at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
Cam Bleibtry paced Queensbury with 19 points, and sophomore Bryce Bleibtrey added 18 points.
