by Steve Bradley
Through the first three quarters the HFCS Panthers had it going their way. The defense was doing its job, holding the Schalmont Sabres to 20 points. The offense wasn’t killing it but was scoring enough points to hold a 35 – 22 lead.
Then the wheels fell off.
[private]The number one seeded (22 -1) Panthers met the number three seeded (20 – 4) Sabres in the Colonie Central gymnasium last Saturday evening. The game, the finals of the Section II, Class B division, was moved to Colonie after structural damage occurred to the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Colonie venue turned out to be just the right size, it was full but comfortable, and the crowd was right on top of the action. When the crowd cheered, or booed, it filled the room. For the players, it was just like playing a Friday night game except the room was bigger. The Zoo was filled, many wearing Section II, Class B girls champions T-shirts earned just a couple hours earlier. The Pep Band was getting the Panther fans primed for a big game. It was a great setting for a game.
The game got underway with each team checking the other out. The Panther defense smothered the Sabres offense with the Sabres only putting five points on the board. The Panthers put 11 points, all nine of the points from the field coming on three-pointers. Neither team shot well, with missed shots from near and far.
The second quarter was more of the same. Both teams had their opportunities but mostly failed to capitalize. Center and leading scorer Connor McCart picked up his third foul during the second quarter, and that would limit his playing time from that point on. Hoosick Falls was winning the defensive game by holding the Sabres to just 13 points at the half. The Panthers left some points on the table, making only four of ten from the free throw stripe. But at the half, the Panthers held the lead, 20 – 13, and that was way better than being behind. On both sides of the gym, fans cheered when their players scored, and, mostly on the Sabres side, fans voiced their displeasure when something didn’t go their way. And they thought much of it didn’t go their way.
The Panthers gained more ground in the third quarter. Austin Pitt scored eight of the team’s 15 points by driving, twisting and going around Sabres for big hoops. They didn’t seem all that big at the time, but in the end they were huge. Zac O’Dell, Schalmont’s leading scorer at almost 20 ppg, scored his first two points of the game. He ended the game with six points. Once again, the Panthers outscored the Sabres, giving them a 13 point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
But for the next six minutes, nothing went right for Hoosick Falls. The Panthers missed shots, made bad passes, fouled … you name something a team can do wrong on the court in a basketball game and there was probably an example of it during this fourth quarter. The Panthers scored three points in the quarter. One two-point basket and a foul shot. Schalmont, on the other hand, just kept chipping away at the lead – a two-pointer here, a three-pointer there. They got to the foul shot line 11 times, making seven. The clock appeared to be going in slow motion. With little to cheer, Panthers fans watched as a sure thing was melting away before their eyes.
With 6:49 on the clock, the Panthers lead was 35 – 24. With 4:31 to go, the lead was down to five at 35 – 30 and fading fast. At the 1:51 mark, it was 37 – 36 Panthers, and the Sabres seemingly had everything going for them. Then a funny thing happened. Whatever it was the Panthers had must have been contagious because everything the Panthers were doing wrong, the Sabres started doing too.
Over those last two minutes, the Sabres got five field shots and one foul shot and missed them all. They made bad passes, giving the Panthers the ball. The Panthers couldn’t do anything with it either but at least Schalmont didn’t have it.
Andrew Hoag was fouled to stop the clock, and he tacked on one point.
Schalmont had one last chance with eight seconds left. Taking the ball out under the basket, Schalmont’s player drove the length of the court and shot from about eight feet away. He missed as time ended. The entire Hoosick Falls side, from the edge of the court to the wall, exhaled.
Everyone, especially the team, went into celebration mode. Hugs, high fives and handshakes were going on everywhere. When awards were handed out, Mike Lilac’s dad, Mike Sr., presented his son with the 2015 Section II, Class B championship plaque. Mike Lilac, Sr. is a Section II administrator.
Austin Pitt, who fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, led the scoring with 13 points. He was the only Panther to score in double figures. Schalmont also had only one player, with 14, in double figures.
Andrew Hoag was named MVP of the Class B tournament. Mark Hackett was named to the All Tournament Team.
The Panthers handily defeated Ravena 55 – 35, Friday evening to reach the finals.
The Panthers, ranked number five in NYS, now head into the regionals level of State play. On Saturday, March 14, our Panther boys will face Section X’s Ogdensburg Free Academy. Ogdensburg is ranked number 6 in NYS. They have a 6-foot-5 inch senior guard, Kinnon Rose, who has signed to play Division I basketball at Siena. Rose averages 33.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. The game, to be played at Hudson Valley Community College, is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm.
The Panther Ladies are scheduled to play their game before, with a scheduled 2:30 pm start time. It’s a 40 minute ride to HVCC and, with both games together, makes a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Come on down and give the teams support.
Notable Achievement
It was the fourth time since 2000 that the boys have been to the final, twice losing by one point. With the Hoosick Falls girls win over Watervliet earlier in the afternoon, the Panthers claimed the Section II, Class B title for both boys and girls for the first time since 1981. Going into the finals, five schools in Section II, Troy, Fort Ann, Shenendahowa, Hoosick Falls and Lake George, had a team in both the boys and girls finals. Only Hoosick Falls has both teams left playing.
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