Croton-Harmon Shocks Lincoln Hall
25 01 2008
Pat Cooney’s free throw with 6.2 seconds (above) left in the fourth quarter lifted the Tigers to a 68-67 win at Lincoln Hall on Jan. 24
Ryan Sawyer led the Tigers with a game-high 22 points.
Jamol Johnney scored a team-high 19 points for Lincoln Hall.
Notes on the game:
I am going to try and keep this brief.
* First off, this was my first time getting to Lincoln Hall this season — one of my favorite places to watch a game. It is a gym / program that must be enjoyed in this exact setting: close game, packed house and plenty of screaming. It is a shame that they don’t play Kennedy anymore, because that would be a game for the ages. Kennedy and Lincoln Hall, in my opinion, have the loudest and proudest fans out there.
* Croton seems to have found itself after losing leading scorer Alex Judge with a season-ending knee injury back on Jan. 8 against Byram Hills. The senior leadership — which Coach Thom was yearning for — has been on display over the Tigers current three game winning-streak. Ryan Sawyer and Frank Dimaggio are playing with a previously unseen passion.
* Sawyer has switched to the point guard position, while Dimaggio has taken over the shooting guard slot. This arrangement allows Dimaggio — a true slashing guard — to create out on the wings and in the flow of the offense. Now, he is able to find seams within the defense and attack the basket, utilizing his uncanny ability to adjust his body in mid-air and get a shot off. Sawyer, on the other hand, said he just feels much more comfortable at the point. He has a good enough handle and seem looks to be able to find his shot much more frequently. Also, the emergence of Brandon Sileck (21 points) cannot be understated. This kid can really do it all: shoot from the outside, handle the ball, run the floor and bang inside. When Sileck is on, it gives Sawyer more time to find his shot out on the perimeter.
* According to the squad, Coach Thom has been pushing them in practice — friendly term for lots of suicide-style running — and has beefed up the film study. The results, as of now, can’t be argued with.
* It is really quite amazing how quick a turnaround the Tigers have made. After losing ugly to Briarcliff, the Tigers were at 3-6, virtually outside of the playoff picture. Coming off a solid win over Lincoln Hall AT Lincoln Hall, which makes it even more impressive, the Tigers look dangerous. Clearly, the credit has to go to Coach Thom. His flexibility within the system and the trust of his players has really shone through these past couple of games.
* Lincoln Hall, however, has been the polar opposite of the Tigers over their past two games.The United’s losing streak stands at two — both of which came at home. Sir Aaron Taylor was in foul trouble early and often, effectively limiting his ability to be aggressive around the rim. In fact, this might have been the first time I haven’t seen him record double-digit rebounds. He picked up his fourth foul about 6:30 into the third quarter and wasn’t able to do much down the stretch. Clearly, the United need his services to be the team that they are capable of. Coach Taylor even admitted this after the game.
* A bright spot was point guard Darren Brown. Standing at only 5-6, Brown gives Lincoln Hall a true point guard, which they haven’t had in the absence of Jeff Valloy. Brown showed the ability to take his man off the dribble and get to the rim, exhibited by his 13-point performance. What is even more impressive is that this was only Brown’s second game of the season. According to Taylor, he wasn’t able to play earlier because of non-basketball related issues. Brown’s addition also takes some of the ball handling duties away from the sharpshooting Jamol Johnney. Johnney’s ability as a scorer are much better suited as number 2.
Categories : Men's Basketball






