BROTHERS EDGE OUT BLUE STREAKS LATE
Saratoga Springs boys miss out on last second shots
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Justin Caulfield was having a rough shooting night for Christian Brothers Academy’s varsity boys basketball team Tuesday. In fact, he hadn’t made anything all night.
With the game tied and the clock winding down, however, the Brothers senior drove to the basket and hung in the air for the goahead basket in CBA’s 60-58 win over Saratoga Springs. It was the Suburban Council opener for both teams Tuesday night.
“The last time we were in this gym we took a lickin’,” CBA coach Dave Doemel Sr. said. “We had a real team victory. A lot of guys who didn’t get a lot of minutes but who did a lot with those minutes. I was most proud of the charge (Culfield) took at the end there.”
Saratoga Springs got the ball back with 27.9 seconds left in the contest and got the ball to leading scorer AJ Lawton. The senior found a lane and headed to the basket, but Caulfield put himself in perfect position to draw a charge for his second straight game-saving play in the span of 15 seconds of clock time.
The Blue Streaks got one more chance to pull out the win in their home opener when Brandon Grimes missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 5.4 seconds left. Saraotga Springs senior Nick Chudy pulled down the rebound and pushed the ball to get a long, contested 3-pointer off. The shot was before the buzzer, however, the potential game-winning shot bounced off the back iron and out.
The loss soured a career night for Lawton who scored 24 points, including 19 in the first half.
“It’s always nice to see the ball go in the hoop,” Lawton said. “It
gets you jacked up on defense. (In the second half) we weren’t getting stops. When the ball is going through the hoop on the defensive end it’s hard to transition. You’re playing against a set up defense.”
Jordan King had a teamhigh 18 points for CBA, Andrew Signor added 16 before fouling out late and Pryce Wasula had 15.
Brian Hart had 12 points for the Blue Streaks while Matt Larkin and Chudy added eight apiece.
Saratoga Springs started out as the more aggressive side. Larkin scored off the opening tip and Hart added two buckets inside early to put the Blue Streaks up 6-0.
CBA fought back to take a brief lead before Lawton’s 3-point parade started. The senior made three straight 3-point attempts at one point and finished the half with five total.
On the defensive end the Blue Streaks weren’t getting stops, however.
“AJ shot the ball well tonight but when we shoot the ball like that we need to be up more than four in the first half,” Blue Streaks coach Matt Usher said. “We did not defend well in the first half. We gave up too many transition baskets. There were breakdowns all over the place.”
Saratoga Springs took a 35-31 lead into halftime.
The teams traded baskets in the third quarter and CBA did a better job of running defenders over screens to get a hand in Lawton’s face.
“I said if we’re not going to get over (the screen) we better switch it,” Doemel said. “Then they started to get over it. We jut told (Brandon) Grimes not to leave him.”
By the start of the fourth quarter the lead was just two points and less than a minute into the final period the Brothers took their first lead since the first quarter.
Signor finished inside to tie the game at 46-46 before Wasula got open under the basket for an easy layup and a 48-46 lead.
“We need to get tougher inside,” Usher said. “We gave up too many easy shots inside and offensive rebounds. Credit to CBA they played harder inside. ”
Chudy tied again on the other quickly but the lead went back and forth for the rest of the contest.
The difference in the second half for the Blue Streaks was free throw shooting. Saratoga Springs got to the line plenty but only managed to shoot 8-for-17. CBA was a solid 10-for-11 for the game, including two key free throws to make it 60-57 late by King.
“You’re not going to win games missing free throws and we definitely got outrebounded in the second half,” Lawson said. “We’ve just got to get stronger down under the hoop.”
Saratoga Springs heads to Schenectady Friday for its first Suburban road contest while CBA hosts Niskayuna.