Streaks run ends in quarters
Schenectady avenges earlier loss to Saratoga
TROY, N.Y. » When Saratoga Springs and Schenectady met on Jan. 31, it was Saratoga that proved to be the early aggressor in an eight-point win. In a rematch on Saturday in the Section II Class AA boys basketball quarterfinals at HVCC, it was the exact opposite.
Schenectady raced out to a lead, saw that lead grow to 26, and eventually held on for a 6851 final to advance to the semis at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Schenectady will play the winner of the Colonie vs. Green Tech contest that was not completed by press time. Bethlehem beat Albany 55-49 to advance to the semifinals against the winner of La Salle vs. Shenendehowa, which was not complete by press time.
“Schenectady came out fired up,” Saratoga head coach Matt Usher said. “They played great. They hit shots. Unfortunately, we were a little sloppy to start, and then we started pressing. We had some opportunities. We had open layups, we had looks. We threw the ball around a little bit.”
John Ryals scored 23 points to lead all scorers, while Ty-
rone Jenkins added 15 points. The Patriots were able to dominate the interior when they made a second quarter run in which Schenectady outscored Saratoga 15-3. The Patriots have won six out of seven games overall since the last loss to Saratoga.
The Blue Streaks tried to make a run late in the game, and Adam Anderson gave Saratoga a valiant effort, finishing with a team-high 18 points. He was on the bench during much of Schenectady’s streak with foul trouble. Anderson and Usher were the last to leave the team’s locker room, nearly 25 minutes after the final buzzer sounded.
“We didn’t play our best the first game, and I knew we had it in us,” Schenectady head coach Eric Loudis said. “They all came and they bought into the game plan the last few days. They worked really hard and I’m really proud of them.”
After the lead ballooned to 26 points in the third quarter, Saratoga went on a really quick 6-0 run. It prompted Loudis to call a timeout while the Saratoga student section got lively. Right out of the timeout, the Patriots got the six points back within a matter of seconds — punctuated by a Jenkins onehanded dunk. And while Saratoga eventually sliced that in half, it wasn’t until there was very little time on the clock.
The loss is a crushing blow to Saratoga, who had won seven straight games — including one over Shenendehowa. Earlier in the year, they’d beaten Colonie, the No. 1 seed. They’d proven they could win a Section II title, but when it came time to do it, the Blue Streaks put up a defensive dud at the worst possible time.
Many on Schenectady said it was the best they’d played all season, at least it was during the first three quarters. Usher agreed as well, noting the team’s previous matchup Saratoga Springs’ Adam Anderson, left, and Will Fox (31) play defense during a Section II Class AA quarterfinal vs. Schenectady at HVCC on Saturday. as well as game-tape he had seen in preparation. But Usher also thought his team didn’t play even close to their capabilities on Saturday afternoon.
“Coach said, ‘This is what we play for all season. It’s a whole team effort. It’s not just one person,’” Schenectady’s Elijah Nesbitt said. “(Saratoga) caught us a little bit off guard last time. We prepared for it, we were ready for it all week.” Saratoga Springs’ Brian Hart, left, and Adam Anderson, right protect the hoop during a Section II Class AA quarterfinal vs. Schenectady at HVCC on Saturday.