Plainsmen hold on for crown, perfect finish
Survive Troy’s tough defense, 3-point try at end for Suburban title
Two hours after the Shenendehowa girls’ basketball team clinched the Suburban Council tournament title and culminated an undefeated season, the boys’ basketball team did the same. How the Plainsmen reached their 15th win in 15 outings, however, proved vastly different than how the girls’ team prevailed.
Although third-seeded Troy never led during the second half, the Flying Horses constantly battled back and stayed close. The visitors eventually earned a chance to force overtime with their final offensive possession, but were denied as Shenendehowa held on to post a 57-54 triumph.
After the final horn, Troy coach Rich Hurley walked down the sideline to shake hands and hug Shenendehowa coach Tony Dzikas. The game may have been about contesting the Suburban Council championship. It had the feel and texture of a sectional title contest.
“I felt that energy,” Troy senior Nasir Dawud-soto said. “I didn’t know what to expect
this year. We came so far. What we did means and shows a lot.”
“They had a tough game plan and made things difficult. Coach Hurley is a great coach,” Shen senior Luke Lavery said.
Troy (12-3) went down three points following two free throws from Shen junior standout Mason Courtney with 23 seconds remaining. Hurley called timeout with 16 seconds remaining. After putting the ball in play, it eventually found its way to the top of the key for junior guard Marquis Hamby. He hoisted up a contested 3-pointer that fell short. Shen’s Andrew Martin and Troy’s Alex Wolfe ended up on the floor each clinging to the rebound. The possession arrow favored the Plainsmen and they ran off the final second to secure the win.
“They were unbelievable. I told them after the game that I can’t thank you enough for the effort, the buy-in and the execution,” Hurley said of his team. “They are tough to guard. You are chasing them. We just didn’t contain their dribble late in the game. They made the plays. They have been together a long time and know where each other is on the floor.”
Shenendehowa, a program that captured the 2020 Section II Class AA title, withstood a considerable defensive performance from Troy by converting its final three shots from the field to go along with four free throws over the team’s final six possessions. The first make came when senior guard Devin Dzikas drove deep under the basket and rifled up a pass to the top of the key for a waiting Martin, who buried a 3-pointer to provide the Plainsmen a 4943 advantage.
“I think what we did (late) shows how much trust we have. We don’t care who shoots the
shots,” Lavery said. “Whoever gets it will take a good shot. We have faith in them — whether they are 0-for-5 or 5-for-5 shooting.”
After Wolfe converted a baseline jumper, Martin finished on a difficult drive with his left hand. The last basket of the game for Shen came from Landon Spiak and it put the Plainsmen ahead 53-48. Dawud-soto, who ended the third quarter in spectacular fashion with a heave that went in at the buzzer from around 70 feet, scored after a steal to rally Troy within 55-54 with 36 seconds remaining.
Shenendehowa was forced to dig deep in each of its final two contests to secure the league tournament title. In the semifinals, Niskayuna led at halftime and was tied at 33 with 5:10 left before the Plainsmen produced a 20-1 run to end the game for a 53-34 win.
“It feels fantastic. Our team is built for hanging in the second half,” Lavery said. “We often go 10 or 11 (players) deep.”
The Flying Horses ultimately were unable to convert on their final possession, yet they walked away pleased to have a chance for a championship in a season when Hurley returned to coach the team following a three-year hiatus.
“We executed well on defense, but our offense wasn’t there,” Troy senior guard Josh Rodriguez said. “We played hard and gave ourselves a chance.”
“We had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” Dawud-soto said. “We had to stay locked in and focus on what coach was talking about. We grew a lot.”
“We have nothing to hang our heads about. The effort was fantastic,” Hurley said. “I am super proud of them. They belonged in the game and deserved to be there. To be down three late on the road with a chance, I will take that every time.”