SIZZLING START
Lansingburgh opens up Colonial Council schedule with big win
COHOES, N.Y. » Isaiah Knight and Vinny Tario have been playing basketball on the same team since 4th-grade CYO.
Although the two are now in their first varsity season together, the Lansingburgh sophomores expect to make a big impact as rookies
They’ll have to if the Knights want a shot at defending their Section II Class A championship from a year ago.
Tario had a game- high 14 points and Knight added 10 to lead Lansingburgh to a 61-28 victory over host Cohoes a Colonial Council contest Friday night.
Senior Mike Zanda had nine points for the Knights.
“We have some young guys,” first-year Lansingburgh coach Eric Loudis said. “They’re going to make some mistakes but it’s part of a growing process. We’ve got a good young group. I’m proud of their effort.”
The two Lansingburgh. sophomores made their impact felt early against Cohoes — especially on an ally-oop layup from Knight to Tario. It wasn’t a set play, highlight was created by the familiar-
ity the two have from years of playing together.
“All our life we’ve played together,” Tario, who also had three steals and six rebounds, said. “Sacred Heart when we were in fourth grade until now. We always hook up for that pass.”
Knight agreed the transition to varsity was easier with a longtime teammate on the floor.
“That’s why I threw that lob to ( Tario),” said Knight, who finished with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. “I know his moves.”
While the sophomores led in total points, the entire Lansingburgh squad worked to put the contest out of reach early on. The score was 16- 5 after one quarter and 31-10 at the half.
Leon Poulin ended the game with a team-high 11 points for the Tigers while Jaquel Daniels added 10.
“Give them credit, they played well,” Cohoes coach Bill LeBeau said. “We couldn’t make anything and got killed us on the glass.”
The Knights protected the rim, created turnovers and had plenty of second- chance opportunities when their shots weren’t falling.
In fact, the Lansingburgh pulled down nearly as many offensive rebounds, 22, than they did defensive ones, 24.
John Bessette led the team with 14 rebounds — nine on the offensive glass — and added six points and Trevor Green had a teamhigh five steals to go with eight points.
“We’ve got some bigger guys that didn’t play before and this year they’re playing,” Loudis said. “It helps to have some rebounding underneath, especially against the teams in the Colonial that aren’t as big as we are.”
This is Loudis’ first year in charge of the Knights after previously coaching Schenectady’s varsity boys team. About eight seniors from last year’s historic team that ended a 50-year sectional drought for the Knights boys hoops program.
“We have a lot of guys who are coming through right now who didn’t get the minutes last year,” Loudis said. “Now they’re getting the minutes. It’s their time to shine. Every team that plays us wants to beat the best team.”
Lansingburgh will be even tougher when a couple key players return form injury in the next several weeks. Until then, the talented sophomores will try to continue their solid play to start the Colonial Council season.
“Whoever’s open gets the ball,” Tario said. “I could be me every night — it could be anybody. Most of the time we execute plays and whoever’s open shoots the ball.”
As one of the primary ball-handlers on the team Knight knows his teammates will be counting on him.
“Coach wants me to be a leader,” Knight said. “He wants me to score the ball. I probably need to cut down on my turnovers. I need to make better passes and work on my left hand.”