Cannoneers keep firing
No. 3 Watervliet hits a sizzling 60.6 percent to advance to quarterfinal
Steve Garzone took a glance toward his bench during the third quarter Tuesday night. If the Bishop Gibbons boys’ basketball coach was working a hockey game instead, he likely would have sent his entire squad over the boards. Getting those same players to join the five Golden Knights on the court against Watervliet sure would have helped.
The Cannoneers lived up to their nickname, firing in shots from everywhere and with great efficiency. Watervliet ended up shooting 60.6 percent overall, including 73.1 percent in the second half, and cruised to a 101-56 victory over Bishop Gibbons in the first round of the Section II Class B Tournament.
“I think we’re ready for the next round. We’ll be back to work (Wednesday) in practice,” Watervliet junior point guard J.J. Chestnut said.
Watervliet (16-5), seeded No. 3, advances to a quarterfinal contest Friday against No. 11 seed Mechanicville (12-9) at Shenendehowa. The Cannoneers moved on by seizing control immediately against Bishop Gibbons (11-10), opening up a 15-2 lead and never looking back.
“I thought we had great energy all week preparing for sectionals,” Watervliet coach Orlando Dibacco said. “Gibbons, in my opinion, is not a No. 14 seed. That is how it happened to fall and our guys stepped up to the challenge
and came in ready to play. I was really pleased with our energy. Hopefully, we’ll bring that same level Friday.”
“We have worked extremely hard all season,” Watervliet senior forward Khari Croley said. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season, but things are really coming together. We’re pretty confident right now.”
There is ample reason for the Cannoneers to feel good about themselves, and that was before Tuesday’s tremendous showing. Watervliet only has one loss against Class B competition this season — a 72-58 home loss to top-seeded Schalmont.
Chestnut and senior guard Derrick Beason did an exceptional job of establishing a quick tempo, beating defenders off the dribble to score themselves or setting up teammates for open looks. Croley was one of the main beneficiaries of the ball movement as he hit five 3-pointers.
“You can always count on those two,” Croley said of Chestnut and Beason.
The Cannoneers used a baseline dunk by Croley and two free throws from Marcel Robinson to establish a 47-25 advantage at halftime.
Watervliet was even better after intermission, making 11 of 14 shots in the third quarter and going 8-for-12 in the fourth quarter.
“We have really concentrated in practice on moving the ball and finding the open guy,” said Chestnut, who delivered 19 points and eight assists. “Even if the open guy misses the shot, we’ve got to go get the ball.”
Even the reserves Dibacco inserted proved proficient. Junior guard Jadon Wheatley scored 10 points in limited action and Tyler Beauregard, the quarterback on the football team, grabbed a rebound and scored to give Watervliet more than 100 points.
“I think we are one of the few teams in the section where just about everyone we have has started a game,” Dibacco said. “We have used a lot of guys all season and they are confident when they come in. They also understand their roles.”
Messiah Mallory led the way for Watervliet with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Croley tallied 19 points and Beason contributed 16 points, five rebounds and five steals.
Bishop Gibbons shot 35.9 percent overall (23 of 64) and turned it over 19 times.
The future, however, is bright for Garzone’s squad as his three leading scorers — sophomore Rodney Park (17 points, eight rebounds) sophomore Todd Williamson (15 points) and junior Noah Foster (four points) — all return for the 2019-20 season.