GLENS FALLS — Amsterdam controlled almost all game, but it was Mohonasen sticking it out to win 58-55 and claim the Class A title.
Amsterdam started off very quickly, scoring 19 first quarter points and only allowing eight. Mohon struggled to find their groove and their frustration showed. The Warriors went 7-29 in the first half and had some major adjustments to make. The game turned into a battle between the big men, with both starting centers scoring over 20 points or more in the game. Mohonasen senior center Avery Deas took control in this one, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
“Usually we’re the underdog team so I think we play better with that. It puts more pressure on us and (it’s) a challenge for us,” Deas said.
Amsterdam Center Louis Fedullo finished with 22 points and was the leading scorer for the game, fouled out, and caused a serious problem for Amsterdam who was left without their big man.
It seemed that every time Mohonasen got something going, Amsterdam was able to shut it down. The Rams didn’t give up their lead until late in the third quarter, but they would immediately regain the lead or tie it up. Mohonasen’s Duncan Tallman helped complete the comeback by putting of 15 points of his own. The tournament MVP, has played through a serious shoulder injury all season, but continues to be a major contributor to the team.
“We’re used to playing down all year. We just chip away to get the W, and we did it tonight,” Tallman said.
At the end of the game, Mohonasen settled in and for the second straight game, senior Greg Van Epps shifted the momentum in favor of Mohonasen with a big three that all but sealed the victory for Mohon.
This Mohonasen team has had some pretty high expectations coming into this season, and coach Josh Peck will agree that they have exceeded these expectations.
“From November until right now they’ve never quit,” Peck said. “It means everything for them, those guys have really bought in.”
Mohonasen advances to the state tournament, and will face the winner of Section III and Section X at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday, March 10 at 5 p.m. for the regional championship.
Managing editor Aidan Joly contributed to this story.
