Blue Hawks use big second half to get past Wildcats
Schodack, NY — In a game that featured poor officiating on both ends of the court, the Hudson boys’ basketball team weathered a 10-0 Wildcats run at the start of Tuesday’s Patroon Conference showdown in the unfriendly confines of Maple Hill High School, pulling out a 70-50 victory.
“We took them for granted a little bit, and things weren’t really going our way,” said Hudson head coach Shawn Briscoe. “It was a slow start.”
After cutting the Maple Hill lead to just one at the end of the first quarter, the Blue Hawks went off gathering a 29-26 halftime lead.
“The message in the locker room was we’ve got to control what we can control,” Briscoe said of his halftime chat and the officiating. “They (his team) got a little frustrated, and that’s something we’ve been talking about all year. We’ve got to stay more poised. As the stage gets bigger, the lights get brighter, and there’s just a bigger spotlight on you.”
In the third, the defending Section II Champions (Class B) pulled away, outscoring Maple Hill 20 to 13 and extending their lead to ten (49-39). “We’re fighters. When we’re down we just grind it out and get the win,” junior guard Jeremy Ramirez said.
Ramirez, who led all scoring with 17 points was a difference maker in the second half, draining threes and taking away any momentum Maple Hill could get. “He stepped up huge for us,” Briscoe went on to say.
Hudson 14-2, 14-0 (Patroon Conference), will look to remain undefeated in conference play when they host Taconic Hills at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Ethan Samarija led the way for Maple Hill with 16 points, while Austin Decker chipped in 10 in the loss. The pair along with three other Wildcats will receive their senior night honors on Friday when they host Catskill at 7:00 p.m.
Stats:
Hudson
Name FG 3-Pt FT FTA FT % Points
Michael Alert 3 1 1 3 33.33 10
Tyler Dellavechia 0 2 2 2 100 8
Nytrell Franklin 0 1 1 2 50 4
Kimedrick Murphy 6 0 3 5 60 15
Justin Oliveras 5 0 1 4 25 11
Jeremy Ramirez 2 4 1 2 50 17
Ellis Richardson 1 0 0 0 0 2
Willie Walker 1 0 1 2 50 3
Maple Hill
Name FG 3-Pt FT FTA FT % Points
Garrett Axtmann 1 1 0 0 0 5
Austin Decker 4 0 2 5 40 10
Tyler Hanrahan 1 0 0 0 0 2
Evan Kulpa 1 0 0 0 0 2
Nate Mannion 1 0 0 0 0 2
Quinn Pratico 1 0 0 0 0 2
Ethan Samarija 4 1 5 7 71.43 16
Jack Santore 1 3 0 0 0 11