tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog/209 2008-03-30T01:40:51Z Newsday's high school staff hits the hardwood for in-depth coverage of boys basketball. Movable Type 3.36 tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.90746 2008-03-29T23:17:08Z 2008-03-30T01:40:51Z

BY DARREN SANDS We're back at it again basketball fans! I hope you got a chance to read my game story from yesterday. Lutheran was truly impressive in the win against Bishop Ford. But they can't play like they did...

Darren Sands DARREN SANDS We're back at it again basketball fans! I hope you got a chance to read my game story from yesterday. Lutheran was truly impressive in the win against Bishop Ford. But they can't play like they did against a very long, talented Jamesville-Dewitt team. I saw them play yesterday and they weren't very sharp but they've got length. I'm gonna try and get a quick word with Lutheran coach Brian Carey. Hadn't had much time to hang, as Wyandanch girls basketball coach Warren Fuller was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame today. Read more about that in tomorrow's Newsday. Five minutes till tip. We'll be here. UPDATE 7:42 -- Lutheran is out to a 14-8 lead behind back-to-back three-pointers from Rich Harkins and Jeriel Henriquez with 2:40 and running left in the first quarter. UPDATE 7:50 -- Lutheran leads 19-12 after one complete. Matt Rooney was fouled on a driving layup that he made, but he missed the foul shot with four seconds left. UPDATE 7:56 -- A couple of things: Didn't mention this, but Lutheran's Kevin Johnson picked up his second foul just 1 minute and 55 seconds into the first quarter. Henriquez has shot two air balls. It's about 60 degrees but they weren't even close. It will be interesting to see how he responds. UPDATE 8:00 -- Jeriel Henriquez just responded with an emphatic dunk on a fastbreak. Lutheran leads 23-19 with 3:20 and running to go in the first half. UPDATE 8:15 -- Jamesville-Dewitt tied the score at 31 with a layup to end the second quarter. Lutheran's shooters haven't been as stellar as they were in the semifinal against Bishop Ford, but they had better pick it up in the next 16 minutes. They've done a good job at neutralizing Jamesville-Dewitt's length inside. Back in a minute. UPDATE 8:38 -- Jamesville-Dewitt had a 15-4 run to start the third and they now lead, 50-42, with 1:12 remaining. UPDATE 8:49 -- LuHi's Matt Rooney has fouled out with 5:28. Huge three by Rich Harkins has brought Lutheran within five points, 59-54 with 4:45 remaining in the fourth. Getting interesting here in Glens Falls. They were behind for a majority of the game yesterday, and they just didn't get rattled. -Lutheran's Matt Carpenter, Rooney's replacement, has hit a three-pointer that has tied the game at 59. -Harkins two free throws give LuHi a two-point lead. There's 3:07 left in the game -- 61-59. - Carpenter drains three with 7.2 seconds left. LuHi is down, 67-66. Timeout, Jamesville-Dewitt ball. LuHi falls to Jamesville-Dewitt, 70-66.]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.90660 2008-03-28T21:52:09Z 2008-03-28T23:22:45Z

BY DARREN SANDS GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Hey folks! We're back live in Glens Falls at the New York State Federation Championships where Long Island Lutheran is about to take on Bishop Ford of Brooklyn. It's the 2, 3, D,...

Darren Sands BY DARREN SANDS GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Hey folks! We're back live in Glens Falls at the New York State Federation Championships where Long Island Lutheran is about to take on Bishop Ford of Brooklyn. It's the 2, 3, D, 4, 5 and 6 trains against the Long Island Rail Road. It's Jay-Z against Busta Rhymes, Chris Rock against Eddie Murphy...you get the idea. I hope. Lutheran is coming off a four-week layoff where they scrimmaged the likes of East Hampton and Hills West. I talked to Brian Carey yesterday before they left for Glens Falls, and all he talked about was how prepared they tried to stay and how ready they are to finally play in a game that means something. More on what he had to say later. Stay tuned! UPDATE 6:08 -- Bishop Ford is out to an early 17-10 lead early in the first quarter. Jeriel Henriquez already has eight points with two NBA-threes. Chaz Williams (who we hear has committed to Hofstra) has eight for the Falcons. UPDATE 6:14 -- After one here in Glens Falls, Bishop Ford leads 23-18. Lutheran made two straight threes to close the quarter. They came from seniors Rich Harkins and Matt Rooney. UPDATE 6:25 -- Lutheran just took a 33-31 lead on a three-pointer by Matt Carpenter with 2:10 left in the half. UPDATE 6:30 -- Bishop Ford tied the score at 36 as the buzzer sounded on the second quarter on a putback off of an air ball from Chaz Williams. Lutheran is letting the ball fly from deep. They've connected on seven three-pointers, largely because defenders are collapsing to help on guards Henriquez and Kevin Johnson. They can all shoot. They're all very disciplined. Considering they haven't played a real game in four weeks, they've got just three turnovers. Impressive. We'll be back with the third quarter. Lutheran is 16 minutes from advancing to the Class A final. UPDATE 6:41 -- Bishop Ford scores five quick points in the first 1:05 of the second half. Lutheran's Brian Carey calls a 30-second timeout. UPDATE 6:52 -- The score is 56-47 with 1:09 left in the third quarter. Lutheran has not been able to get into a rhythm from beyond the arc. Johnson just made a driving layup to help Lutheran pull within seven. That's the score we have at the end of three. Eight minutes to go. UPDATE 6:59 -- Big three-pointer from Henriquez! Score is 60-58 with 5:30 and counting to go. UPDATE 7:10 -- Henriquez has 12 points this quarter, and is leading a surge from Lutheran. They are up here 67-62 with 2:12 remaining. We just overheard that Bishop Ford has eight turnovers this quarter. Ouch. Henriquez also has three steals. UPDATE 7:18 -- Long Island Lutheran is going to pull this game out, folks. Rich Harkins just made two free throws to make the score 75-66 with 35.9 seconds left. Bishop Ford has given to just fouling. THE CRUSADERS ADVANCE! FINAL SCORE: 77-66. Tomorrow night at 7:30, Lutheran will play the winner of Jamesville-Dewitt and East New York Transit Tech.]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86353 2008-03-16T21:28:18Z 2008-03-17T01:03:00Z

By Stephen Haynes My apologies for the blog not having been live, but Fordham University's gym isn't as technologically advanced as some others. Extra power sockets? Nope. Extension cords? Nope. Well, it is the Bronx (I can say that because...

Admin By Stephen Haynes My apologies for the blog not having been live, but Fordham University's gym isn't as technologically advanced as some others. Extra power sockets? Nope. Extension cords? Nope. Well, it is the Bronx (I can say that because I'm from there). But, here goes it... Bishop Ford (23-5) beat Chaminade (19-6), 72-62, and it wasn't that close. Powered by point guard Chaz Williams' 32 points and 12 assists, the Falcons dominated. Ford ran a high-octaine offense and the perimeter-oriented Flyers couldn't keep up. The score was 18-11 at the end of the first quarter, but Ford extended it to 33-21 at halftime. By then, Williams had scored 16 points. Ford pulled away in the third, leading by as many as 18 (41-23) with just over three minutes left in the period. In the fourth quarter, Chaminade rallied with 30 points to make the game interesting in the final minutes. Sean Wildes went wild inside, scoring 14 of his team-high 28 points, but Williams kept the Flyers at bay with 12 points (and some flashy passes for assists) in the quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, Williams hurdled the scorer's table (at 5-8, he's got some ups) and climbed into the bleachers to hug his mother. Mama Williams, by the way, is a pretty astute stat-tracker. Right after the game, without seeing the scorebook, she insisted that her baby had 13 assists. She was just one off. Chaminade seemed dejected after the game (naturally), but coach James Quinn wasn't too down. He kept reiterating the ol' bromidic mantra of the underdog: "Nobody believed in us except us." But he's right. Not many people picked the Flyers to get this far.]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86333 2008-03-16T19:30:45Z 2008-03-16T20:38:31Z

By Kimberley A. Martin There was really nothing East Hampton could do. When your tallest starter (Hayden Ward) is 6-5 and he's matched up against a 6-10 bean stalk (J-D center Nick Pascale), chances are you're going to get outhustled...

Kimberley Martin By Kimberley A. Martin There was really nothing East Hampton could do. When your tallest starter (Hayden Ward) is 6-5 and he's matched up against a 6-10 bean stalk (J-D center Nick Pascale), chances are you're going to get outhustled on the boards. Chances are you're going to wear yourself out jumping for loose balls and shooting over outstretched hands. No amount of Mikey Russell three-pointers (three in all) is going to change that. It's just that simple.]]> But give the Bonackers credit though. They trimmed an 18-point third quarter deficit to just seven with 5:07 left to play in the fourth, thanks to five straight made-free throws by Marcus Edwards and Mikey Russell and an Edwards basket. But down the stetch, it was all Jamesville-Dewitt. The Red Rams -- who out-rebounded EH 44-26 for the game -- outscored the Bonackers 21-4 from that point on. Mickey Davis scored a game-high 19 points for Jamesville-Dewitte, Nick Pascale finished with 14 points and 19 rebounds and tournament MVP Brandon Triche added 17 (including three three-pointers.) Marcus Edwards led East Hampton with 15 points and nine rebounds. Mikey Russell, who went 4-for-15 from the field, scored 14 points and chipped in two steals. Jerome Russell added 10. tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86308 2008-03-16T16:34:30Z 2008-03-17T16:32:30Z

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN This is it people! Our hopes of a Long Island boys state title rests solely on the shoulders of the Bonackers. I'll be the first to admit it -- not many people were talking about East...

Kimberley Martin BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN This is it people! Our hopes of a Long Island boys state title rests solely on the shoulders of the Bonackers. I'll be the first to admit it -- not many people were talking about East Hampton early in the season (well, not positively I should say). But Ed Petrie's team is the last Island team standing. Yesterday, the Bonackers outlasted a much bigger Buffalo East team, relying on their quickness and athletic ability (have you seen how high Marcus Edwards elevates off the ground?). But the Red Rams just ran by the press table onto the court, and I've got to say -- they are some BIG BOYS. I'm looking at the roster as we speak and they have a 6-10 center in Nick Pascale. Throw in 6-7 Marcus Williams and Mickey Davis, Mitchell Howe and Mychal Weekes (all of whom are 6-5), and this could end up being a long afternoon for East Hampton. But the one thing Marcus Edwards and Mikey Russell have stressed to me this season is how much they love proving the haters wrong. Let's see if it happens. 8:35 and counting.... ]]> End of First Quarter: J-D 25, EH 17. Start of the second quarter... Due to the Red Rams' interior size, East Hampton has to rely soley on their perimeter game. 7:40 - EH turns the ball over as Jerome Russell's pass to Ward slips right through the center's fingers. 6:54 - Bowe is fouled by Williams. He hits the first, but misses the second. 5:23 - Mikey hits another three, tying a New York State Class A record for most three-point field goals (eight) in consecutive tournament games. (Kyle Reuter (Mexico) was the last player to do so in 2005). 4:30 - Stern hits a layup. 4:15 - Ward scores on a putback to make the score 27-23. 3:55 - Pascale fouled by Edwards (his second). He misses the first, hits the second. J-D starts to pull away... 3:43 - Hymes scores of a J-D steal and is fouled by Mikey. The Rams are in the bonus. Hymes hits them both. 3:20 - Mickey Davis hits a three. 2:50 - Triche hits another J-D three to make it a 13-point game (36-23). 1:40 - Hymes scores inside. 1:35 - Edwards scores inside. 1:07 - Pascale scores on a putback. :51.9 - Edwards fouled by Pascale. He hits them both to bring the Bonackers within 13 (40-27). :21.4 - Edwards is fouled again, this time by Kearse. He sinks both free throws. :02.3 - Hymes misses a pull-up jumper and Edwards rebounds the ball to end the quarter. Halftime score: J-D 40, EH 29. Start of the third quarter... 7:28 - Triche hits a NBA-range three. 6:35 - Ward scores on a putback. 6:18 - Mikey hits a floater. 5:31 - Triche drains another three. 5:07 - Williams scores inside. 4:48 - Edwards penetrates to bring EH within 13 (48-35). 4:02 - Mikey steals the balls and passes ahead to Edwards, who scores and is fouled by Hymes. He misses the free-throw. 3:47 - Hymes hits a reverse layup on the other end to increase the lead to 13 again. 3:10 - Williams scores inside. 1:10 - Hymes drains a three-pointer. :55.8 - Ahkim Amada scores on a putback :20 - Mikey misses a three, but Amada rebounds and finds Ward for the basket. :04 - Hymes is stripped by Jerome Russell but he cant get a shot off in time on the other end. End of the third quarter: J-D 55, EH 41. Start of the fourth.... EH looks poised for a comeback as they go on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to seven over the first three minutes and a half minutes of play. 6:32 - Edwards is fouled in the process of shooting a jumper by Triche. He hits both free-throws. 6:15 - Triche puts a layup off the glass. 5:55 - Mikey's fouled by Triche on a three-point attempt. (VERY dumb move given Mikey's concentration at the line). Russell sinks all three (See, told ya.) 5:39 - Jerome Russell steals the ball and scores on the other end. 5:07 - Edwards gets another steal for EH and drives towards the basket. He puts in a layup and is fouled by Pascale (his third) to make the score 57-50. (The J-D fans -- who are quite obnoxious -- are dead quiet now and the EH fans? You guessed it -- they're going out of their minds. It's understandable, though. There hasn't been much to cheer about from their perspective.) Edwards heads to the line but misses the free-throw. Then J-D takes over. 4:37 - Davis scores on a putback. 4:25 - Edwards drives towards the basket but misses the layup. On the other end, he's called for his fourth foul on Davis (NOT a good sign for EH.) He has to sit now and Lee's back in the game. That's not any better because he already has three fouls. Petrie's running out of options.) 4:16 - Davis hits both from the line to make it an 11-point game (61-50). 4:11 - Off a J-D steal, Hymes scores inside and is fouled by Jerome Russell (his second). Hymes converts the three-point play. EH is getting KILLED on the boards. Every loose ball, every shot off the rim ends up in the Red Rams' hands.) 3:32 - Davis snags a rebound on a J-D, puts it in and is fouled by Bowe (his fourth). Davis his the free-throw to make it a 13-point game. 3:07 - A frustrated Mikey Russell picks up his third foul trying to swat a rebound away from Pascale. Pascale hits them both. (It's now a 19-point game - 69-50). 3:01 - Ward breaks a two-minutes dry spell for the Bonackers, as he's fouled by Pascale (his fourth) inside. Ward misses the first, but hits the second. 2:45 - Davis scores inside. 2:21 - Jerome Russell penetrates and Williams is called for a blocking foul. Russell sinks both free-throws, making the score 71-53. 1:55 - Stern nails a three and the J-D fans erupt again. 1:05 - J-D coach Bob McKenney clears his bench. Petrie soon does the same. :40 - Mychal Weekes scores inside for the Red Rams, who now lead 78-53. :35.7 - Sam Hyman is fouled by J-D's Dan Piciucco. He hits the first, misses the second. J-D dribbles the ball at halfcourt for the remaining 17 seconds of the game. Buzzer sounds. Final Score: Jamesville-Dewitt 78, East Hampton 54. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86273 2008-03-16T00:51:58Z 2008-03-17T03:51:08Z

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN Less than seven minutes until the Class B championship game. The Mules don't look nervous at all. One thing's certain, though: they'll need to start and end strong against Olean (Section VI). OK, gotta finish my...

Kimberley Martin BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN Less than seven minutes until the Class B championship game. The Mules don't look nervous at all. One thing's certain, though: they'll need to start and end strong against Olean (Section VI). OK, gotta finish my Burger King meal before tip-off...be back in a flash! (Whoa...Olean just did this really weird "on-the-floor-huddle"...apparently that psyches them up. Whatever does it for you, I guess. Laura took a pic using her camera phone -- hopefully we can find a way to post it online for your viewing pleasure.) Ta-da: ]]> End of the First Quarter: Olean 13, Malverne 12. Even though Malverne's down by just 1, the deficit feels much larger. Onto the second quarter.... 7:46 - Sean Donahue is fouled by Terry Banks. He sinks both. 5:33 - Weidt breaks a two-minute scoring drought with a crowd-pleasing three-pointer to put Olean up 18-12. (These Olean fans travel in droves.) 4:18 - Dashiem Cherry scores his first basket of the game, a fastbreak layup. (Up to this point, he had missed all four of his previous shots. If Malverne wants to stay close, Cherry's got to start sinking these threes. I'm sure he'll get hot soon). 2:41 - Kadeem Bell is fouled on a putback. He sinks the second to put the Mules withijn three. 2:07 - Bell layup. 1:55 - Weidt three-pointer. :50 - Ryan Carney hits another three for the Huskies. He's skipping down court now, waving his hands in the air. (A tad unnecessary, I think.) Justin Williams misses three as time expires. End of the Second Quarter: Olean 24, Malverne 17. The Mules have GOT TO PICK it up. This seven-point deficit feels like 15. Maybe coach Darrol Lopez will have some inspiring words for the locker room session. Start of the third quarter: I think I was right. Lopez must have said something in there because Malverne looks more focused. 7:45 - Banks inside. 6:45 - Cherry hits a three-pointer. (See, I told you he'd get hot.) 5:50 - Bates putback ties score at 24. After that, it's allllllllllllllllllllll Olean. 4:06 - Moore steals the ball from Malverne and finishes with a behind-the-back layup. 4:08 - Joe Palumbo snags another steal for the Huskies and lays it in. 2:42 - Moore drives the baseline for a layup and gets fouled by Bates. He misses the free-throw. 2:25 - James Chatmon scores inside. 1:51 - Moore layup, plus the foul (on Shamel White). He converts the three-point play. MALVERNE GETS HIT WITH A TECHNICAL. (forgive me for not seeing the play first-hand, but I was busy blogging for you guys. But I just asked the guy from the Buffalo News what happened -- according to him, Lopez was upset at one of his players and slammed the ball on the ground. The refs obviously didn't think that was OK, so they T'D him up.) Palumbo hits both free-throws. 1:22 - Carney caps off a 13-0 Huskies run with a putback. :40 - Cherry scores on a putback. :39.4 - Justin Williams steals the ball, puts up a layup and is fouled by Carney. He misses the free throw. 26.8 - Bell fouls Palumbo, who knocks down both free-throws. :16 - Cherry hits a three. :5.5 - Justin Williams is called for a blocking foul on Moore. As expected, he sinks them both. End of Third Quarter: Olean 43, Malverne 31. This isn't looking good for the Mules.... Start of the Fourth Quarter... 7:08 - Houseknecht hits layup, plus free-throw (foul on Bates). 6:38 - Bates scores on putback. 5:54 - Palumbo is fouled by Hector on his way to the basket. He sinks both free-throws. 5:35 - Malverne basket (I was too busy blogging to see who scored, sorry). 4:38 - Moore is fouled and sinks both free-throws (surprise, surprise) to make it a 12-point lead (50-38). 4:08 - Shaw hits a three. 3:55 - Weidt is fouled by Shaw. He hits the first, but misses the second. 3:43 - Justin Williams is fouled by Houseknecht. He hits the first, but misses the second.(Houseknecht fouls out.) 3:24 - Carney is fouled by Justin Williams. He hits both free-throws. 3:00 - Justin Williams scores inside. 2:20 - Bates fouls Palumbo, who hits one of two free-throws. Olean begins to pull away, outscoring the Mules __ - ___ over the last __ minutes of play. 2:05 - Cherry fouls Palumbo, who hits one of two free-throws. 1:45 - Cherry scores on a putback to pull the Mules within nine (55-46). 1:42 - Moore scores on a fastbreak layup. 1:30 - Justin Williams scores inside. 1:20 - Moore is fouled by Hector. He connects on both free-throws. 1:13 - Justin Williams is fouled by Weidt on the steal attempt. The Huskies are in the double-bonus; Williams hits one of two free-throws to bring Malverne within 10 (59-49). 1:03 - Malverne steals the ball and scores a layup. SCARY MOMENT ALERT FOR MALVERNE. For the second time tonight, Justin Williams is on the ground. Late in the second quarter, he hit the ground hard but managed to shake it off. Now he's lying on the far end of the court and looks to be writhing in pain. I couldn't see how he injured himself, but he appears to be grabbing his left leg. The Olean trainer (who for some reason was wearing dress pants and stiletto heels) just made her way across the court over to him. After a few minutes, he is helped up to his feet and gingerly walks over to the Malverne bench. (OK, Williams looks fine. He's back in the game with 59.8 seconds left.) :28.9 - Banks' putback puts Malverne within six (59-53). Lopez calls a timeout. :27.2 - Justin Williams is called for his fourth foul on Moore. He sinks them both. (Honestly, can't they foul SOMEONE ELSE! This kid refuses to miss. Just checked the stat sheet -- he went 15-for-20 from the stripe. Impressive.) :21.5 - Hector fouls -- guess who??? -- Moore. Hector fouls out and Moore connects on both. Again. :15 - Cherry misses a pull-up three-pointer from the top of the circle. :13.6 - Bates fouls Moore. WOW. He actually missed two! With less than 10 seconds remaining, Lopez clears the bench. It's over guys. FINAL SCORE: Olean 63, Malverne 53. Leading scorers: Justin Williams (15), Dashiem Cherry (15); Sam Moore (27). ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86250 2008-03-15T20:27:06Z 2008-03-16T01:02:21Z

Class AA Semifinals: Bishop Maginn defeats Mount Vernon, 54-52. Class A Finals: Maple Grove trounces Mechanicville, 71-46. (I guess having fans who paint themselves in team colors really does help.)...

Laura Albanese Class AA Semifinals: Bishop Maginn defeats Mount Vernon, 54-52. Class A Finals: Maple Grove trounces Mechanicville, 71-46. (I guess having fans who paint themselves in team colors really does help.) ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86245 2008-03-15T19:16:24Z 2008-03-15T20:41:23Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE Baldwin fell behind early and never recovered after Niagara Falls scored 23 in the first quarter to go on to defeat the Bruins 66-49 at the Class AA Semifinals in Glens Falls. Kelvin Agee led all scorers...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE Baldwin fell behind early and never recovered after Niagara Falls scored 23 in the first quarter to go on to defeat the Bruins 66-49 at the Class AA Semifinals in Glens Falls. Kelvin Agee led all scorers for the Wolverines with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Rashon Tabb and T.J. Critterden chipped in 20 and 15, respectively. Chris Manning and Chris Mauldin led Baldwin with 10 points each. Niagara Falls outscored Baldwin 23-12 at the end of the first and led by as many as 22 midway through the fourth. Baldwin came within six twice in the second, after Matt Brown hit the front end of a one-and-one and Ashanti DePass sunk a three with 2:30 left. In the third, they ame within five at 3:19, but would draw no closer. Niagara put it away in the fourth with a 12-7 run that spanned about four minutes. The scoring was capped off by four foul shots by Tabb and Eric Spanbauer. Niagara plays the winner of Mt. Vernon/Bishop Maginn tomorrow at 2:45. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86224 2008-03-15T16:33:56Z 2008-03-15T19:40:51Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE 8:00 - Starting Lineups: 2 Rashon Tabb, T.J. Critternden, Kelvin Agee, Michael Crumpton, and Eric Spanbaur start for Niagara. Nick Thomas, Cailup Norris, Chris Mauldin, Matt Brown, Chris Manning take the court for the Bruins. 5:02 –...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE 8:00 - Starting Lineups: 2 Rashon Tabb, T.J. Critternden, Kelvin Agee, Michael Crumpton, and Eric Spanbaur start for Niagara. Nick Thomas, Cailup Norris, Chris Mauldin, Matt Brown, Chris Manning take the court for the Bruins. 5:02 – It’s not looking good early for Baldwin, who already trail by 11, 15-4. Kelvin Agee already has seven points in the game, including a three-point baseline jumper. 3:05 – Niagara is having a little trouble converting and has missed four straight shots. Bruins, meanwhile, have gotten into a groove – Derrell Brown and Chris Mauldin scored on two consecutive layins to make it 15-8. 2:40 – Baldwin is on the comeback trail – Anthony Lee just scored on a layup to make it 15-10 and Niagara has been held scoreless for more than 2:30 minutes. 41.5 – Niagara scored the next six off a three from Bobby Daniels and a putback from Kelvin Agee. Agee sunk one of two foul shots to make it 21-10. End of the first: 23-12, Niagara.]]> End of half: 33-25, Niagara. 7:11 – Baldwin scores first again. Cailup Norris’ falling bank-shot is good for two, to bring it to 33-27. 6:50 – T.J. Crittenden just hit a wide-open three from the left. You think they’d know not to leave him alone with the ball. It’s 36-27. 4:36 – Chris Manning steps up with a three-point play for Baldwin to make it 42-34. It curtails Niagara who, to that point, had scored six straight. 2:29 – Manning is scoring, sure, but he hasn’t been the made the difference that you’d expect from the Baldwin star. He just sailed an airball over the net for what would have been a three. BUZZER – More bad times for Manning. He just forgot about the shot clock and let time expire as he made his way down the lane. End of third: 49-35, Niagara. 5:16 – T.J. Crittenden, again with the breakaway. He hits the shot to make it 54-39. 1:45 – Niagara just put it out of reach for Baldwin. After staying in it for most of the game, the Wolverines went on a 12-7 run that spanned about four minutes. The scoring was capped off by four foul shots by Rashon Tabb and Eric Spanbauer. It’s 64-44. 55.5 – Crittenden sinks a layup and Baldwin coach Darius Burton gives his bench a chance to play with the game now decidedly out of reach, 66-44. About .40 – Joe Ednie hits a bank shot while guarded heavily in the paint and earns the +1. He hits the shot for the three-point play. It’s 66-47. BUZZER – You gotta say one thing for Baldwin, they don’t back down. Ednie’s steal sets up the drive for Bernard Desilus, who closes out the game with a final Bruins basket to make it 66-49. Final: Niagara Falls 66, Baldwin 49. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86222 2008-03-15T16:17:26Z 2008-03-15T16:26:03Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE We're about 15 minutes from tip-off here at the Glens Falls Civic Center and I'm noticing a trend - once again, a Long Island team will have to overcome a sizable (pun!) height difference to advance to...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE We're about 15 minutes from tip-off here at the Glens Falls Civic Center and I'm noticing a trend - once again, a Long Island team will have to overcome a sizable (pun!) height difference to advance to the finals. Niagara has all but two players over 6-feet, with three guys at 6'7. Compare this to the Bruins, who top out at 6'4 and are comparably small across the board. The Wolverines are 24-1 going into this afternoon's game, while the Bruins are 19-3. Stay tuned for the blow-by-blow.]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86217 2008-03-15T15:36:56Z 2008-03-16T16:40:49Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE Jamesville leads Peekskill, 36-31, with 3:30 left in the third. Very intense, and lots of bodies flying all over the place. Whoever East Hampton plays, they'll likely be outsized, though perhaps not out-maneuvered. I'll update the score...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE Jamesville leads Peekskill, 36-31, with 3:30 left in the third. Very intense, and lots of bodies flying all over the place. Whoever East Hampton plays, they'll likely be outsized, though perhaps not out-maneuvered. I'll update the score as time runs down. The third quarter is winding down. There's 23.1 left on the clock and a clearly pumped Jamesville has quickly opened up a 17 point lead, 52-35. So far, Alshwan Hymes is lighting it up. He just scored again on a driving layup for Jamesville. End of the third: 54-35, Jamesville. The arena is packed, by the way. It seats about 5,000 but this is the fullest I've seen it in two days. 6:17 - The game is getting out of hand, now. Jamesville leads by 19, 57-38. Also, they've got the most coordinated cheerleaders so far. One of the Jamesville fans has a large sign: "Nick Pascale. He's 6'10." That's...informative? They don't quite beat out the Maple Grove fans, 13 of whom painted themselves (letter-by-letter, naturally), to say "Go Red Dragons!" Yup. Someone got stuck being the clearly unnecessary exclamation point. 3:45 - Jamesville (22-2) leads the undefeated Red Devils by 20, 65-45. Tomorrow's final is going to be pretty ridiculous, I think. 3:07 - Nick Pascale, he of the 6'10, just dunked the ball to make it 67-48. Though I'm not sure if it counts as a dunk if you barely have to extend your arms to reach the rim. Oooo, that was rough. FINAL: 74-55, JAMESVILLE-DEWITT Make no mistake about it: East Hampton has their hands full. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86216 2008-03-15T15:06:42Z 2008-03-15T20:32:11Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE Mike Russell's 23 points, including five three-pointers, led East Hampton in the squeaker finish against Buffalo East, 55-52, in the Class A Semifinal in Glens Falls. Jerome Russell added 12 while Hayden Ward had 17 rebounds and...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE Mike Russell's 23 points, including five three-pointers, led East Hampton in the squeaker finish against Buffalo East, 55-52, in the Class A Semifinal in Glens Falls. Jerome Russell added 12 while Hayden Ward had 17 rebounds and nine points. The Bonackers led early and, though relinquishing the lead once in the middle of the first and allowing Buffalo East to tie at the start of the fourth, held on to advance to the finals tomorrow at 1 p.m. against the winner of Peekskill/Jamesville Dewitt. For Buffalo East, Jamal Webb had 21 points and seven rebounds while Brandon Hall chipped in with a double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds. * For someone who asked: Michael Mack has no points and one rebound in limited play. Also, a question to anyone reading: Mikey Russell certainly has some baggage, but, considering how he's helped East Hampton, could he be the best player in Section XI (if not Long Island)? For the full recap, see below.]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86207 2008-03-15T13:13:27Z 2008-03-15T20:35:14Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE Hello all – it’s early Saturday morning in Day 2 of the NYSPHSAA Championships. Today we've got the Class A Semifinal in dreary Glens Falls (which, in case anyone is interested, is very wet and very cold)....

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE Hello all – it’s early Saturday morning in Day 2 of the NYSPHSAA Championships. Today we've got the Class A Semifinal in dreary Glens Falls (which, in case anyone is interested, is very wet and very cold). It's a great matchup between East Hampton (22-1) and Buffalo East (19-6). 7:20 – Mike Russell kicks off the scoring early with a soaring three from the left to give the Bonackers the early lead. So far, the two teams look evenly matched and both are having trouble converting. 6:05 – Damien Goodwin just opened up the scoring for Buffalo East with a layup over the heads of about three EH defenders. 4:10 – Jerome Russell scored five straight points, two foul shots and an open three from the right to make it 13-4, East Hampton 3:10 – Mike Russell looks nearly unstoppable from three-point range and just sunk another jumper from the right – this time while being laid out by a Panthers defender. It’s 16-7 after a three from Buffalo East. 2:10 – Buffalo is not having a good time so far from three-point range. Goodwin has missed two attempts from the same spot – wide open from the left. East Hampton comes with an entourage, by the way. For the first time in two days, a Long Island team has shown up with a considerable (and vocal) cheering section. They easily overmatch the considerably smaller Buffalo contingent. Marcus Henry informs me that M. Russell, who is 3-for-4 from three-point range, has about five rebounds already in the game. There’s still 43 seconds left in the first. Especially impressive since Russell is “5’9” – as opposed to 5’9. Time Expires – Jamal Webb closes off the scoring with a looooong-range three to close it out for Buffalo. End of first: 19-10, East Hampton. ]]> is the Buffalo offense. He’s got 15 so far. 4.3 – Mike Russell, original flavor, will not be outdone. He just squared up and hit a huge three with the clock running down. He's got 15, too. It looks like it'll come down to these two. End of half: 31-29, East Hampton. The third has started off pretty evenly matched. East Hampton has stepped up its defense and looks to be making a considerable effort to keep Webb tied up every which way. 6:15 – It’s been going back and forth for the opening seconds. Buffalo started off the quarter with a basket, and Marcus Edwards quickly responded with a short jumper of his own. The Panthers’ Domonique Jackson and M. Russell scored to make it 35-33, East Hampton. 2:30 – The Bonackers’ Hayden Ward just scored on the quick putback to stake out a mildly comfortable seven point lead, 46-39. End of third – Buffalo East has scored six straight points and East Hampton is starting to look a little winded. The Bonackers are easily outsized but, so far, have been taking advantage of what seems to be Buffalo East’s inability to consistently score in the paint. End of third: 50-48, East Hampton. 7:30 – Jerome Russell has not been having a good game from the floor. He’s made three shots in about a dozen attempts and he just flat out missed a jumper from the perimeter. 7:08 – Domonique Jackson’s quick layup ties the game at 50. Jarred Bowe’s steal just stopped another Buffalo threat, this one courtesy of Damien Goodwin. He’s not going to make any headlines, but can I say how impressed I am with Hayden Ward? His been very consistent in the paint and has about 10 rebounds thus far. I thought I’d drop him a line since this is very, very clearly Mikey Russell’s game. Some interesting commentary from Marcus Henry, who’s writing the game story: Buffalo East should be killing East Hampton. They’ve got the size and about two or three D1 caliber players, like Brandon Hall, Jackson and, from what I’ve seen, Webb. Good ball handling, too. What’s the deal, guys? 3:30 – Mikey Russell with the runner to make it 52-50. You read that right. No one’s scored in about a decade and a half. 2:51 – Mikey with the fadeaway. He’s scored every Bonackers point this quarter. All four of ‘em. 54-50. 46.3 – Buffalo East is losing it in alarming fashion. They simply cannot penetrate and are trying to play to their strengths in the perimeter. That’s not going to well, either. We have, in quick succession, Goodwin and Webb missing from three-point range and Webb falling short in the paint. Marcus: “They’ve got no point guard.” Ah, that’s what was missing. 13.1 – Here come the fouls. Mikey Russell and Edwards both miss their shots. 5.7 – Hall’s short jumper from the left wing breathes some life into the Panthers. It’s not over quite yet, folks. 54-52. 4.9 – I’m starting to feel for Jerome Russell. Though he’s been iffy from the floor, he’s gone 5-for-5 from the line. He misses his first free throw…but hits the second.East Hampton gets the rebound. It’s not looking good for Buffalo East….it fouls Hayden Ward. 1.3 – He sinks the basket…Brandon Hall’s got the ball for BE. BUZZER – Hall releases from downcourt….it hits the clock and bounces of the glass…East Hampton wins, 55-52. Final: 55-52, East Hampton. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86187 2008-03-15T03:58:20Z 2008-03-15T04:04:18Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE Dashiem Cherry's three-pointer with 1:04 left in the game gave Malverne the 73-71 lead and proved the be the deciding factor in the Class B Semifinal against Ogdensburg. The Mules sunk three foul shots in the final...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE Dashiem Cherry's three-pointer with 1:04 left in the game gave Malverne the 73-71 lead and proved the be the deciding factor in the Class B Semifinal against Ogdensburg. The Mules sunk three foul shots in the final seconds to provide the final margin. Malverne had trailed by as much as 15 towards the end of the first before unloading for 26 in the third. Cherry led all scorers with 28 points and seven rebounds. Justin Williams added 14. Ogdensburg's Gene Bouyer carried his team with 22 points and six rebounds. Malverne will play Olean tomorrow at 9 p.m. ]]> tag:blogs.trb.com,2008:/sports/highschool/boys_basketball/blog//209.86172 2008-03-15T00:29:18Z 2008-03-15T04:07:07Z

BY LAURA ALBANESE And we're off! First thing's first - Ogdensburg is, for lack of a better word, ginormous. Their center, Tom Kelso, is 6'8'' and the rest of the team easily dwarfs most everyone on the Mules. This is...

Laura Albanese BY LAURA ALBANESE And we're off! First thing's first - Ogdensburg is, for lack of a better word, ginormous. Their center, Tom Kelso, is 6'8'' and the rest of the team easily dwarfs most everyone on the Mules. This is not a fantastic sign. The Blue Devils aren't wasting any time, either. They scored their first basket five seconds into the quarter and have opened up an 8-3 lead with 5:30 to go. Kelso's two free throws with 2:26 puts them up 15, 19-4. The Mules' Justin WIlliams is trying to force a reversal of fortunes, though. He's scrambling every which way and just injected some much-needed confidence by converting an Ogdensburg turnover to make it 19-6. He added another two to draw them to within 11. Dashiem Cherry sure can shoot, huh? His baseline jumper is good for three to close out the quarter, 21-13. End of the first: Ogdensburg 21, Malverne 13. ]]> End of the half: Ogdensburg 39, Malverne 31. Looks like Ogdensburg's Jon Garvey just went down with what looks to be a knee injury. He's limping of the court and looks none too pleased about it. Malverne kicked off the third outscoring the Blue Devils 6-2. Cherry's putback with 4:50 left on the clock is helping them inch closer, 44-41. There goes Cherry again - his three-point jumper tied the game at 44 with 3:55 to go in the third. Ogdensburg's Gene Bouyer might have a little too much flair for his own good. He scored off a spectacular dunk to make it 49-44, but hung off the rim to earn himself a techinical. Justin Williams cashed in to make it 49-45. This game certainly isn't short of any drama. Malverne came back to tie it at 49, but Ogdensburg pulled away again to close off the quarter, 59-57. Shot of the night, though, goes to Cherry, who hit a sprawling, falling fade-away from the perimeter for three points as time expired. End of the third: Ogdensburg 59, Malverne 57. Ogdensburg is looking for some much needed relief from the Malverne onslaught. Terry Banks and Evan Shaw sunk two free throws apiece to extend the lead, 63-57, before Cherry hit yet another three for Malverne with 6:51 left. It's his fifth of the night. Things are getting are getting interesting: Kadeem Bell hit a three with 6:03 left and Malverne followed up with a steal off the Ogdensburg rebound, courtesy of Justin Williams....and Matthew Bates sinks the basket to tie it up at 65. Williams' short jumper gives Malverne the lead, 67-65, with 5:29 remaining. Tom Kelso makes it 70-69 for Ogdensburg with 2:42 to go...he's fouled and adds another to expand their lead to two. There's 1:28 left and Ogdensburg just fouled Justin Williams, who's been having a difficult time at the line. He's 2-for-5, but when he's missed, he's missed badly...Williams sinks one of his two to make it 71-70, Ogdensburg. Dashiem Cherry strikes again. His jumper from three-point range puts Malverne up, 73-71, with 1:04 left. The Blue Devils look like they just got the rug pulled out from underneath 'em. Ogdensburg's coach made the executive decision to put the once-limping Garvey back in the game. He's walking only a little gingerly and the Devils need all the help they can get. DJ Williams is fouled and misses the shot, though Malverne regains possession with about 20 seconds to go....Justin Williams gets to the line again. He misses his first and sinks his second to make it 74-71, with 18.6 to go. Ogdensburg calls the timeout. Here comes Mike Luckie, trying for the game-tying three...and misses with about four seconds left. That could be the game, folks. The Blue Devils foul Byron Hector with 2.1 to go....he sinks both! Malverne wins! Final Score: Malverne 76, Ogdensburg 71. See ya tomorrow at 9 p.m. Malverne takes on Olean, who lit up Chenango Valley, 50-39 this afternoon. ]]>