NCN LAX/BASKETBALL BLOG

Freelancer Mike Sabini was at the Peekskill-Xaverian consolation game of the Slam Dunk Tournament at the Westchester County Center in White Plains Dec. 29. This is his report.

By Mike Sabini

Anybody who knows Peekskill senior guard Daquan Brickhouse knows that he doesn’t take losing well — whether it’s a state championship game in March or the beginning of the season in December.

Thus, after the Red Devils’ 57-48 loss in the consolation game of the Slam Dunk Tournament against Xaverian Dec. 29, Brickhouse told his teammates that each and every one of them has to figure out a way to stop the bleeding.

Now at most schools, a two-game losing streak wouldn’t even register on the radar. But for a Peekskill (2-3) squad that had lost only eight games the last four seasons prior to the loss against Xaverian, it’s completely foreign.

Brickhouse, however, is confident that his team can turn it around, like Long Island Lutheran did last season after losing two games at the Slam Dunk but then went on to win the Class A Federation title.

“It (the desire to win) comes from the heart,” Brickhouse said. “It’s about having determination and not giving up. I’m getting more confident in my teammates and my teammates are what push me on.

“I don’t want to see any of them put their head down in a game or give up on anybody. We are a family and we need everybody. People on the bench or whoever’s on the floor, we need everyone to contribute. We got to learn to motivate and pat each other on the back if we make mistakes. We just have to keep playing the game.”

Brickhouse said that if the Red Devils are to get back on the winning track, which most think they will, then the work must start long before the games begin.

“What you do in practice is what you do in the games,” Brickhouse said.

Against Xaverian, Brickhouse pulled his weight, scoring a team-high 18 points. He knocked down two free throws to pull the Red Devils to within two, 50-48, with just 52.6 seconds remaining.

At that juncture, it appeared Peekskill was in a position to take the game, just like they were the previous night in a 58-52 loss to Iona Prep.
“We’re in these games, we just have to learn how to close them,” Peekskill Head Coach Lou Panzanaro said.

But the Red Devils failed to make one last big defensive stand. Xaverian’s Anthony Mathews drove the lane, scored, got fouled and made the free throw to put the Clippers up by five.

“You have to continue to play defense and be at the right spot, you can’t let up,” said Peekskill’s Kenny Bradshaw, who scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds. “We had to stop them there so we could get the ball back and tie the game.”

Then a steal by Xaverian’s Abraham Akanmu led to a foul shot to put his squad up by six.

Peekskill had one last chance to get back in the game, but Sean Smythe’s 3-point attempt, which looked dead on when he released it, went in and out, thus sealing the game for the Clippers.

Despite the end result, the Red Devils played well early on. Kenny Bradshaw finished a slam-dunk on a breakaway to put the Red Devils up 7-0 early in the first quarter. Bradshaw said it was important for the Red Devils to get off to a good start after losing to the Gaels the previous night.

“We needed to come out with some intensity,” Bradshaw said. “I could’ve just laid it in there, but we needed to come out and make a statement.”

Peekskill wound up going up 9-0, but Xaverian made a run toward the end of the quarter and trailed just 11-7.

The Clippers eventually took a 25-22 halftime lead, thanks to four 3-pointers in the second quarter by Justin Exum, who had a game-high 22 points.

“We were focused and came out running but we didn’t sustain our running and No. 11 (Exum) hit those 3-pointers,” Panzanaro said. “Those four three’s (in the second quarter) really put us in a hole and we never really got our transition game going.”

 Yorktown’s Jacob Mercado battles for a loose ball against Greeley in the championship of the 13th annual George Budries Memorial Tournament.

The Yorktown Huskers (2-3) edged the Horace Greeley Quakers (5-2), 65-63, in the championship of the 13th annual George Budries Memorial Tournament this evening.

Yorktown junior guard Jordan Moody scored a team-high 22 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Teammates Matt Fedro (four points) and Jacob Mercado (14 points) were both named to the all-tournament team. Greeley’s Matt Townsend (22 points) and Adam Honig (24 points) also garnered all-tournament team honors.

I’ll be back with more on this in a bit.

Freelancer Mike Sabini interviewed 2008 Peekskill graduate and current Syracuse Orange player, forward Mookie Jones, who was in attendance at the Peekskill-Kennedy Catholic girls basketball game at Peekskill Dec. 23

By Mike Sabini 

There I was, doing the public address for the Peekskill-Kennedy Catholic varsity girls basketball game underneath the hoop where the boys state championship banners are. And, to my surprise, former Peekskill hoop star, three-time state champion Mookie Jones walks right in front of me.

On break from Syracuse (currently ranked No. 5 in the nation), he was wearing a red Texas Ranger hat — for which I forgive him. I mean, we’re all Yankees fans, right? I didn’t ask, but hopefully he was wearing it because he liked the colors.

At halftime of the JV game, he was kind enough to answer a few questions about his time thus far in Syracuse.

We first talked about the fact that he red-shirted as a freshman year ago, meaning that he got another year of eligibility after sitting out his first year due to injury. Jones said that red-shirting helped a lot in the grand scheme of things, admitting it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“I sat down and learned from watching the whole year from guys like Johnny Flynn, who’s now in the NBA (with the Minnesota Timberwolves), and Paul Harris,” Jones said.

Jones seemed in good spirits while we talked, which wasn’t the case a few weeks back when he spoke to Peekskill Head Coach Lou Panzanaro. At that time, the two discussed Jones’ displeasure at a lack of playing time.

Still, Jones admits that getting used to playing at the Division I level has been a challenge.

“The game is a lot faster and there is no time off,” Jones said. “You are always working in the gym every day. The level of play is a whole lot more competitive. Everybody you play was a star in high school.

“Here, you just have to fill out your role and be ready to play at all times.”

He said that he enjoys playing for Orange Head Coach Jim Boeheim, who has amassed more than 800 victories. While Jones has not had much playing time so far, he said Boeheim has told him to keep working hard because you don’t know when you are going to be called upon.

Jones also said that when it comes to dealing with having to sit on the bench, Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins and graduate assistant Gerry McNamara have been a big help. McNamara, of course, is famous for carrying the ‘Cuse on his back to the Big East Championship in 2005.

“They (Hopkins and McNamara) always are in my ear, telling me that you have to be ready all the time,” Jones said. “The key is to keep working hard all the time and take advantage of your opportunities when you get them.

“That’s why I always stay focused and am ready to contribute to the team in any way I can.”

That’s the type of attitude Jones and the rest of his Syracuse teammates will need if they are to continue this year’s stellar season. Should Syracuse win it all in 2009, Jones would join Hilton Armstrong as the only two players under Panzanaro’s tutelage to play on national title teams.

“We just got to keep working hard and stay hungry so we can win a national championship,” Jones said.

Armstrong’s tale could be an excellent one for Jones to learn from. After not having played a big role on UConn’s 2004 national championship squad, Armstrong came back two years later and was a key player on the 2006 squad that advanced to the Elite Eight.

Off that season, Armstrong was selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the draft as a lottery pick.

Calling Peekskill Alumni

The Peekskill boys basketball program will have its alumni day Sat., Jan. 9. All former Peekskill basketball players are invited back for the day. It starts with breakfast at 10 a.m. followed by the alumni game and contests from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A luncheon will follow at 12:30 p.m. followed by two varsity games, Croton-Harmon vs. Elmira South Side at 2 p.m. and Peekskill vs. Horace Greeley at 4 p.m. Those alumni interested please call Peekskill Head Coach Lou Panzanaro at either 914-906-6932 (cell) or 914-734-4895 (work).

Ossining’s Randy Stephens puts up a runner in the paint, while Yorktown’s Matt Fedro defends Friday at Horace Greeley High School.

1) Ossining (5-1) — Following Ossining’s convincing win over Yorktown in the first round of the Horace Greeley Tournament Friday, Greeley Head Coach Dave Fernandes walked over to Ossining Head Coach Khalid Sales.

“I haven’t seen an Ossining team play like that in awhile,” Fernandes said to Sales.

Yes, folks, Sales and co-Head Coach Ed Walker are commandeering a vintage Ossining squad in 2009.

So, what does it consist of?

Well, a boatload of faceless players who are virtually equal in terms of athleticism, defensive intensity and competitiveness. For Ossining, there isn’t much of a drop-off one through eight. As a result, they have the ability to absolutely smother teams on defense and run them into the ground in transition.

“We aren’t a big team, but we are a fast team, so if we get steals and push it ahead we can beat anyone,” junior 3-point-shooting maestro Cameron Davidov said.

For Sales, it starts off with preparation and ends with the will to work.

“The team is very balanced and we have a lot of different guys that can do a lot of different things,” Sales said. “They got off to a good start and are starting to buy in a little bit more.”

You’ve got me sold, coach.

2) Peekskill (2-1) — Peekskill’s 39-point loss to Long Island Lutheran was bad. Peekskill’s down-to-the-wire eight-point win over Yorktown Dec. 16 might have been worse.

“I feel just as bad as Saturday (after losing to Long Island Lutheran),” Panzanaro said after the 67-59 victory over the visiting Huskers. “We have to improve. The team is practicing hard, so I can’t fault their effort, but the knowledge and how to work together is not there yet.”

If not for Daquan Brickhouse (team-high 20 points) morphing into Mighty Mouse, the Red Devils lose this game. To Yorktown. In their home opener. Let that sink in for a second, folks.

So, what is the root of the problem? For starters, there’s a definite lack of players willing to get gritty inside. With Kenny Bradshaw in foul trouble, Yorktown’s Devon Mungin and Jacob Mercado completely controlled the glass.

“(Yorktown) was just punishing us inside,” Panzanaro said. “We have don’t have anybody that wants any part of it. Nobody has any desire to go in and mix it up with someone. They are just content with backing off and letting them have the ball.”

In the past, Peekskill has always had at least one blue-collar player on its roster. Do the names Darien Thomas, Malcom McDonald, Darnell Gordineer and Derrick Dennis ring a bell?

(Side note: If burly 6-2 power forward Donqutae Washington hadn’t transferred to Ossining, this issue would be solved.)

“I don’t know if we can fix it,” Panzanaro said of the rebounding problem inside. “We’ve done nothing but harp on it and drill it, but there’s no improvement. Until they decide that they aren’t going to settle for getting pushed around, it’s going to be a problem.”

The Red Devils have had a lot of time off since the Yorktown game. They will take the court again Dec. 28 in a matchup against Iona Prep in the first round of the Slam Dunk Tournament at the County Center.

If you recall, this is a rematch of last year’s Slam Dunk semifinals, which Peekskill narrowly won in overtime. Like against Yorktown, Brickhouse saved the day, turning in a career-defining performance.

If the other Red Devils don’t step up, he might not have a chance to do the same this time around.

“We have a lot to fix because we aren’t a good team right now,” Panzanaro.

Right now, Ossining looks like the best team in the North County. The two river rivals will get a chance to settle it on Lou Panzanaro Court on Jan. 20.

3) Kennedy Catholic (1-1) — Were you surprised that Poughkeepsie needed a game-winning 3-pointer to stave off the Gaels on Dec. 15?

Poughkeepsie Head Coach Brian Laffin was.

“(Laffin) came up to me after the game and said he was very surprised,” Kennedy Head Coach Frank Kelly said. “He thought we would be tough, but not that tough.”

Kennedy was tougher than a $5 steak, rallying back after trailing 17-2 and 19-4 in the first quarter. Coach Kelly said the Gaels lowered their heart rate, locked down in a zone defense and, more importantly, the Pioneers finally cooled off after making nine of their first 10 shots.

“For three-and-a-half quarters we beat them,” Kelly said. “I think if it went to overtime we would’ve had it.”

When you consider where Kelly learned his craft, the result against Poughkeepsie is a little less surprising. Kelly worked alongside high school basketball-coaching legend Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City. He served as an assistant at St. Anthony’s for one year and had been attending the Friars’ practices for years.

“That level of basketball is second to none at the high school level,” Kelly said of his time at St. Anthony’s. “The way we played was second to none. We played in all of the arenas. I try and bring that kind of intensity and preparation to these kids.”

Thus far, it looks like Kelly has been successful infusing a little bit of St. Anthony’s into Kennedy.

With that said, I have a feeling Kennedy’s not done surprising teams in ’09 — even if it really isn’t a surprise.

4) Briarcliff (4-2) — After Pleasantville’s Robbie Delle Bovi banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to give the Panthers a 42-26 lead; Briarcliff had every reason to throw in the towel.

But they didn’t, rallying back to outscore Pleasantville 26-16 in the fourth quarter before falling by a final of 58-52 Friday at neutral Pace University.

“A lot of teams would have been like, ‘Oh, forget it,’” Briarcliff Head Coach Matt Evangelista said. “The kids could have quit, but they kept fighting and worked.”

The Bears’ resurgence was triggered after they switched from a zone defense to man. Also, it didn’t hurt that Pleasantville point guard Nolan Robinson got into foul trouble and was relegated to the bench.

Needless to say, Briarcliff has to feel pretty, pretty, pretty good about playing such a tight game with the overwhelming Class B favorite. Not to mention, they were sans their best player in Najee Forte (slated to return in January from a torn ACL).

Forte led the Bears in scoring last year with 17 ppg, so logic dictates that Briarcliff should be able to makeup a six-point difference in the Feb. 3 rematch at home.

Not so fast, tough.

“It will depend on how we keep improving as the season progresses and how our chemistry holds up with Najee integrating himself back into the lineup,” Evangelista said. “We know can play with them and we can defend them. We can build off of it as the year goes along.”

5) Yorktown (0-2) — Junior guard Jordan Moody is a must-watch talent.

How do I know this? Most players don’t just bring the critical Red Devils fanbase to its feet. Moody, however, elicited a raucous reaction following his one-handed slam-dunk in an encouraging eight-point loss at Peekskill Dec. 16. Oh, yeah, he also poured in a career-high 24 points.

Now, for some less encouraging news: Moody re-injured his ankle — which he tweaked against Peekskill — in the third quarter against Ossining. He sat for the rest of the game, watching Ossining pull away for a convincing win.

“(Moody) is not healthy right now and we are going to have to make a decision on him real soon,” Head Coach Steve Veteri said. “I don’t know what we are going to do yet. We have to figure out what’s wrong because something is wrong. He looked good and felt good, but I don’t know what happened.”

While a Moody-less Yorktown could be in serious trouble, they can’t just press pause on the season. Life isn’t like a DVR.

“Our guys have to know that we still have 11 players and we have to play basketball,” Veteri said. “But I’m not upset at them. I just want them to keep working.”

The Huskers will throw on their hard hats and battle Iona Prep B in the first round of the 13th Annual George Budries Yorktown Basketball Memorial Tournament Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. Sleepy Hollow and Greeley will square off in the other first round matchup at 1 p.m. The winners will play in the championship Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., while the losers will matchup in the consolation at 3 p.m.

6) Lakeland (3-3) — Head Coach Henry Weltman has been lamenting his team’s youth and inexperience. After Saturday’s deflating loss to Brewster in the Walter Panas Tournament finals, I think it’s time to start listening.

But that doesn’t mean it will be an excuse.

“We lost six of our top seven players and we have a lot of inexperienced kids, but that’s not going to be an excuse anymore,” Weltman said. “The reality is that we played six basketball games and three scrimmages. I have another scrimmage during the break and then I have my league. So there are no more excuses. The bottom line is that now we will see what happens in January.”

The Hornets have a nice core trio in Chris Fazio, Chris Salvo and newcomer Alex Perlman. But the rest of the team is kind of a mystery. We know that Matt Pihota can shoot (game-high 24 points against Rye) and Melvin White has the size to be a difference on the blocks, but can all these parts work in unison?

If Brewster showed Lakeland anything, it’s the value of playing team basketball.

7) Panas (4-3) — The Panthers won two games in all of 2008. Following a thrilling 53-52 victory over Rye in the consolation game of the Walter Pans Tournament Saturday, they have doubled that win total.

Freelancer Mike Sabini was on hand for it and spoke to Panas head Coach Shawn Sullivan after the game.

“It (winning) was huge,” Sullivan said. “After going through last season (winning just two games), one of our first goals of the year was having a winning month in December, and this made our record 4-3. I hope the guys are getting some confidence. It kind of feels like we are moving in the right direction and it feels better having two weeks off after a win than a loss.”

8) Lincoln Hall (1-3) — The United are scuffling a bit out of the gate, falling to 1-3 after an 84-68 loss at Poughkeepsie Thursday. But consider the opponents they have fallen to: Sleepy Hollow, Woodlands and Poughkeepsie. All three of those teams should be making deep runs in the sectionals.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 6, as Lincoln Hall battles Kennedy Catholic after renewing the rivalry last season. The atmosphere for this one will be palpable.

9) Croton-Harmon (4-3) — Losing to a talented Dobbs Ferry squad is nothing to get down about. Head Coach Bill Thom will have his Tigers playing on another level when they come back from a two-week hiatus.

10) Somers (6-1) — The sky isn’t falling, so don’t brace for cover.

The rumors are true: For the first time since the Matt Suraci-era, long-suffering Somers has a real basketball squad. Former Tuskers baller and co-worker Rob DiAntonio verified it, witnessing the Tuskers wipe the floor with Westlake Friday.

After winning a combined four games the past three seasons, Somers has already won six — SIX! — in 2009.

While the back-from-the-dead resurgence is impressive, the competition hasn’t exactly been the hardest. If the Tuskers can win on the road Jan. 12 at Harrison — another team that’s unexpectedly decent this season — I’ll be 100 percent sold on their legitimacy as a potential Cinderella.

Right now, I’m more at like 65-70 percent sold.

11) Hen Hud (2-2) — The Sailors have been inactive for longer than Greg Oden. Their last game was against Valhalla Dec. 11. A Jan. 6 matchup at Croton-Harmon will be a good indicator as to where Hen Hud’s season is headed.

By Mike Sabini

Freelancer Mike Sabini was at the Rye-Walter Panas contest, which was the consolation game of the Walter Panas boys basketball tournament Dec. 19.

His report is after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are a few quick notes I jotted down from last night’s Peekskill vs. Yorktown game.

On Yorktown

* Power forward Jacob Mercado owned the paint, eclipsing all of Peekskill’s big men. At about 5-foot-11 and 250 pounds, he played with the physicality of Charles Barkley. The Red Devils’ front-line looked like twigs in comparison.

I saw flashes of Mercado’s talent last year, highlighted by an eight-point performance against Scarsdale. Filling in for Keith Thomas (who was forced to sit against Scarsdale), Mercado excelled down on the blocks, using his width — as opposed to height — to create space in the lane. He also showed quick feet for a big guy.

Now a permanent replacement for Thomas, Mercado is coming into his own. His 16-point performance against Peekskill is proof positive. “When he gets in a zone like (tonight) he’s going to be hard to handle,” Yorktown Head Coach Steve Veteri said. “It’s all a confidence thing for him right now, so I’m hoping he feeds off of this.”

* Peekskill fans don’t generally applaud the opposition. But it happened last night.

The reason?

Jordan Moody.

Moody threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk in the fourth quarter, going airborne to evade a trailing Daquan Brickhouse. Prior to the season, Veteri said Moody was playing above the rim. He wasn’t lying, folks.

In addition to the highlight moment, Moody also proved he’s one of the better players in Section 1. Let’s just say this: Peekskill doesn’t let a kid score 24 points too often.

Now, the kicker: If not for rolling his ankle at the 2:35 mark of the second quarter, Moody probably would have went for more like 30-35 points. He was held scoreless the entire second quarter.

Veteri said he taped Moody’s ankle at the half. “He was playing with pain, but he was also playing with a lot of adrenaline,” the coach said. “We are hoping he is OK. We are going to have our trainer look at it.”

Needless to say, a loss of Moody would be more catastrophic than the loss of Keith Thomas.
* Yorktown’s ability to break Peekskill’s suffocating press — which has been the Red Devils’ calling card since the beginning of time — was due to the play of guards Alex Poritzky and Matt Fedro. Both players were sure-handed, quick and smart with the ball.

Individually speaking, Fedro played some of the best defense that I’ve seen this year. He also rebounds well for a guard. When Poritzky (5-7, 140 pounds) checked in as a sub, I thought he was going to get eaten alive. But he more than held his own, rarely turning the ball over while under intense pressure. He reminded me a lot of former Kennedy Catholic PG Craig Trabulsy.

On Peekskill

* The Red Devils clearly have their work cut out for them. If there’s one positive in the lukewarm defeat, it’s that Daquan Brickhouse is on their side. Like I said in the game story, he was the sole reason Peekskill pulled out the victory.

While Moody’s dunk was impressive, do you remember what Brickhouse did the next time down the court? He nailed a dagger 3-pointer, reclaiming Peekskill’s gym as his. And what about the fade away 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter? The list goes on . . .

While I don’t doubt that Brickhouse could carry this team all year, it wouldn’t be the best long-term strategy. Eventually, all the players have to start clicking together.

* Shaine Carter quietly had a real nice night shooting the basketball. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and consistently penetrated Yorktown’s defense. Carter’s all-around offensive game should allow him to shoulder some of the scoring load from Brickhouse.

* Tyler Daniel and Nayge Wagner both played solid minutes off the bench. Daniel (two 3s) scored all of his eight points in the second half, helping stave off a determined Yorktown squad. Wagner was also efficient from behind the arc, knocking down two 3-pointers.

* Kenny Bradshaw had a rough game — and that happens. The two first-quarter fouls really forced him to tone down his aggressiveness in the paint. “Kenny’s two early fouls just weren’t smart fouls,” Panzanaro said. “He was out of position each time. Kenny’s been playing pretty good in practice. But today I don’t know if he was too pumped up for the first home game, but he wasn’t using his head today.”

* As was the case against LI Lutheran, Peekskill was manhandled on the boards. And Panzanaro noted it was just as disconcerting. The Red Devils have 12 days off before a showdown with Iona Prep in the County Center. That should be enough time for someone to emerge as a candidate to help Bradshaw on the boards. It will all come down to who is the hungriest.

Yorktown’s Jordan Moody (left) and Peekskill’s Kenny Bradshaw squared off Wednesday at Peekskill High School.

After Peekskill was blown out 85-46 in its previous game against Long Island Lutheran, it was widely assumed that the Red Devils would unload on their next opponent.

Enter the decidedly unlucky Huskers from Yorktown.

As if Peekskill needed another advantage, Wednesday’s matchup against the visiting Huskers was also its home opener. To top it off, it just happened to be Yorktown’s season opener.

Everything was aligning for a Peekskill storm.

But the Huskers refused to be blown off Lou Panzanaro Court, losing a hard fought battle to the Red Devils, 69-57.

Judging by the reactions of the opposing coaches after the game, it was difficult to tell who had actually won and lost.

“I can’t ask for more from my guys,” said Yorktown Head Coach Steve Veteri, who lost four key starters from last year’s Class AA sectional semifinalist squad. “And for our first game? That’s (Peekskill’s) third game right now. We came into this atmosphere with this crowd and I’m real proud of the way (the team) played tonight. They played a great game of basketball.”

Meanwhile, Peekskill Head Coach Lou Panzanaro wasn’t exactly basking in the winner’s circle.

“It was an ugly win,” Panzanaro said. “The way we played we should have lost the game. We didn’t play well enough to beat them. Some guys gutted it out and made some plays, but most of the team did not play smart. I’m not at all happy.

“I feel just as bad as Saturday (after losing to Long Island Lutheran). We have to improve. The team is practicing hard, so I can’t fault their effort, but the knowledge and how to work together is not there yet.”

On a night when Peekskill’s second leading scorer Kenny Bradshaw (four points) was nearly invisible due to early foul trouble, Daquan Brickhouse, the squad’s veteran captain, steered the ship like one.

Brickhouse poured in a team-high 20 points, which single-handedly helped the Red Devils avert a catastrophe in front of a jam-packed home crowd. And the performance was nothing new, as the senior has been the squad’s only consistent scoring threat this season, averaging a team-high 19.6 ppg.

“(Brickhouse) has been doing that out of necessity,” Panzanaro said. “We want everybody involved, but we just can’t get any kind of player movement or ball movement. We just can’t get anybody involved in the offense, so he just keeps taking over. But he’d much rather have it where everyone is sharing the load.”

For Yorktown, junior guard Jordan Moody turned in the best performance of his young career. The junior guard poured in nine of his game-high 24 points in the first quarter, giving the Huskers an early 11-7 lead at the 3:05 mark.

As good as Moody was, Brickhouse just wasn’t going to be denied. He scored 10 points over the final two minutes and 47 seconds of the first quarter, giving Peekskill a 19-18 lead heading into the second quarter.

Despite a gritty effort to overcome Brickhouse’s one-man explosion, the Huskers would never regain their early lead. But they did come close, cutting the deficit to 36-32 on a hoop by Moody with 4:47 left in the third.

Yorktown also made a game of it late, digging out of a 13-point fourth-quarter hole to cut it to six points, 65-59, with 31 seconds left in regulation. By then, however, the writing was already on the wall.

If the Huskers had cashed in at the charity stripe, the outcome might have been reversed. In total, Yorktown shot 51.8 percent (14 for 27) from the line. Peekskill committed 13 first-half fouls, sending the Huskers into the double bonus at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter. But Yorktown failed to convert, missing 8-of-18 free throws in the first half.

“That’s going to happen — it’s early in the season,” Veteri said of the struggles at the free-throw line. “Playing in Peekskill is tough. It’s noisy and loud.”

Panzanaro said the litany of fouls was a result of bad defense and a few questionable whistles.

“That’s high school basketball,” Panzanaro said. “If we kept our hands up and slid our feet, maybe those calls don’t happen. I would blame our defensive skills right now.”

Outside of Brickhouse, Shaine Carter (15 points), Nayge Wagner (12 points) and Tyler Daniel (eight points) contributed for the Red Devils’ scoring output.

Jacob Mercado (16 points) and Matt Fedro (10 points) both helped bolster the Huskers’ offense.

John Jay head boys lacrosse coach Nick Savastano confirmed that he was let go by the school district today after 10 years atop the program. Assistant coach Vin Savastano, Nick’s brother, was also removed from his position.

The decision to remove the coaches was reached following a five-month investigation into the program by the school district, Nick said.

“There was an investigation on the entire staff from varsity to JV to freshman,” he said. “The investigation didn’t start till after the season was over in the summer. I wasn’t told until I got back in September that there was an investigation going on.”

Due to personnel reasons, John Jay athletic director Chris McCarthy wasn’t able to discuss the issue.

“I can’t discuss what the investigation was for or why it took place,” McCarthy said. “That’s all internal stuff.”

The former head coach said he wasn’t privy to the exact details that were found during the investigation, but his hard-line coaching style and alleged verbal abuse toward players had reportedly come under fire by parents of players and the school district.

Nick, however, said that any alleged comments toward his players were misconstrued.

“To play at a high level you have to be motivated,” he said. “This is not in a classroom setting. You have to push kids.”

Nick, a phys-ed teacher at John Jay High, said he would remain at the school in that role.

Nick and Vin Savastano took the John Jay program to national prominence during their tenure, winning four straight Section 1 titles from 2005-08. In 2007, the Indians upset Huntington — the No.1-ranked team in the country at the time — in the Class B state semifinals. Despite falling in the ensuing state championship to Jamesville-DeWitt, Nick recalled the outpouring of support from the community.

“We were greeted by fire engines, the superintendent and the whole community when we got home from the loss in the state championship,” he recalled. “That was a nice community thing — and now it is to this.”

In total, John Jay has sent 25 players to Division 1 programs and countless others to Division 2 and 3 programs since Nick took over the program in 2000.

“The shame of it is for the kids,” Nick said. “The season is coming up in a couple of months and they will need to find a new coach.”

Considering he was notified of the decision today, Nick said he doesn’t currently have any plans to coach this upcoming season.

“It’s one of those things where hopefully my name gets out there and someone wants me to coach,” he said. I definitely want to coach again.”

Briarcliff’s Conor Murnane, seen here against Panas’ Jerry Jackson in the finals of the Briarcliff Booster Club Tournament, is a big reason the Bears are off to a 4-1 start.

1) Peekskill (1-1) — I seriously can’t remember the last time the Red Devils were literally destroyed, which was the case in Saturday’s 39-point loss to Long Island Lutheran. Despite the loss, Daquan Brickhouse managed to score a team-high 16 points.

Peekskill hoops guru Mike Sabini was on-hand for the game and got some great insight from Head Coach Lou Panznaro.

Basically, LI Lutheran was able to excel in the half-court offense, going 9-for-12 from beyond the arc. Peekskill — a team synonymous with transition basketball — never flicked the safety off its run-and-gun offense. Per Sabini, Panzanaro said the Red Devils had “no counter.”

The solution? More full-court pressure.

“We have to work on our full-court pressure because when we started falling prey to their half-court shooting, we couldn’t extend, there was nothing we were ready to do today,” Panzanaro said. “We kind of thought we were going to sit back in a half-court defense and run transition basketball, but that’s not the type of team we are. We have to exert pressure on the ball.”

In addition, Peekskill struggled on the boards. Kenny Bradshaw (eight points) was the lone bright spot, pulling down 17 rebounds. Panzanaro hinted in the preseason that rebounding could be a problem. How underrated does the graduated Darien Thomas look right about now?

The Red Devils will look to rebound — figuratively and literally — in their home opener against Yorktown Dec. 12.

2) Ossining (3-0) — Ossining is quietly off to a 3-0 start. Its most-recent victory — 75-70 over Lakeland on Dec. 8 — was the most impressive.

Quarterback-turned-small-forward Lemar Johnson led the way with a team-high 17 points. Ollie Lee Holmes also had a breakout performance, pouring in a season-high 16 points.

I’m gunning to see this unit Dec. 18 in the first round of the Greeley tourney. Ossining is slated to square off against Yorktown. Ironically, Ossining could be this year’s version of the 2008 Huskers. The favorable schedule will certainly help the cause.

3) Kennedy Catholic (1-0) — Rookie Head Coach Frank Kelly opened his career with a solid win over visiting Mahopac Saturday night.

Per co-worker Rob DiAntonio, the Gaels have a pair of talented players in point guard Joe Smith and forward Dan Healy.

Well, at least we know Kennedy’s players are up to snuff. Too bad the same can’t be said for its home-court. For the second time in two years, the Gaels had scoreboard malfunctions.

Leading 23-14 midway through the second quarter, Kennedy was in cruise control, employing suffocating full-court pressure. And then midway through the quarter the shot clock broke, resulting in a 20-minute delay. Translation: Say goodbye to the momentum, Gaels!

Coach Kelly admitted to Rob that it “killed” his squad and aided a weary Mahopac team.

Now, if this were a one-time occurrence, I would understand. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Back in the 2007-08 season, the same thing happened. Matched up against Fox Lane in the second to last game of the regular season, the scoreboard clock repeatedly malfunctioned, resulting in repeated delays. After flickering off a fourth time early in the first half, someone finally pulled the plug.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

“It prevented everyone from getting in a rhythm — even Fox Lane,” former Kennedy star Edmund O’Connell said after the game.

Kennedy went on to lose the game 55-44. But they lost more than just that, falling from a potential No. 3-seed in the Class A sectionals to a No. 6-seed. And that led to a first-round exit at the hands of Pelham.

Luckily for Kennedy, this year’s electrical problems didn’t result in a loss. But why even take the chance? It’s time to fix the problem, folks.

4) Lakeland (2-2) — “You guys have got me ranked way too high!” Head Coach Henry Weltman joked Sunday evening.

Judging by Friday’s result at Ketcham — an ugly 58-49 loss — the coach might be right. Chris Fazio (23 points) scored nearly half the team’s points, which generally isn’t a winning formula.

Lest we forget, the Hornets were without do-everything guard/forward Chris Salvo, who was sidelined with knee tendonitis. If Fazio is Lakeland’s Michael Jordan, Salvo is Scottie Pippen. Through three games, he is second in scoring with 16 ppg.

“I definitely need a healthy Salvo — there’s no doubt about it,” Weltman said. “Salvo is having an excellent start. He plays defense, rebounds, takes the ball out, brings the ball up and scores.”

Weltman said he doesn’t expect Salvo to return for this weekend’s Panas tourney, but he will likely be back after the winter break in January.

Compacting Salvo’s absence was the fact Lakeland missed 19 foul shots, including a worrisome 13 in the fourth quarter. Look no further than John Calipari’s 2007 Memphis squad to understand the importance of free throws.

“As badly as we played, it came down to all those foul shots missed,” Weltman said. “If we would have taken care of business at the foul line, we would have had a shot at winning the basketball game.”

The Hornets open up the Panas tourney against Rye Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. If you recall, the Garnets upset Lakeland in this very game last season. But Lakeland Hornets sought redemption when it counted most, bouncing Rye in the Class A sectional semis at the County Center.

Without Salvo in the lineup, this one could be a tossup.

5) Briarcliff (4-1) — Unlike this drama queen, the Bears didn’t feed into the hype of star guard Najee Forte’s absence. Forte is expected to return from a torn ACL after Christmas. But Christmas has apparently come early in Briarcliff.

Currently saddled with a 4-1 record, the Bears were calculated and business-like in Saturday’s rout of Panas.

Head Coach Matt Evangelista didn’t go as far as to say he knew they would have this kind of a start, however, he got an inkling as the preseason crept into the regular season.

“It was hard to know what to expect,” Evangelista said. “As we started to get into the practices and I saw our length — Danny Collins (6-3), Timmy Blair (6-5) and Conor Murnane (plays big at 6-1) — I thought that we could be pretty good. We played well in some scrimmages. I saw what we were capable of and thought we could be good before Najee came back.

“These kids took it on as a challenge. They didn’t want it to be that Najee had to come back and save them kind of thing. They wanted to be able to survive on their own. When he comes back, he can be another weapon that we have. That’s the kind of way they’ve approached it.”

Despite the success without Forte, Briarcliff could really use him for a Dec. 18 matchup against highly touted Pleasantville at Pace University.

“Hopefully we can keep it close and maybe steal it at the end,” Evangelista said. “That’s what it’s going to have to be. There’s no blowing them out, but they could blow us out.”

6) Panas (2-2) — In a way, the Panthers’ boundless athleticism almost hurts them. Guys like Jerry Jackson, Brian Daniels, Chuck Grant and Jeff Good rely too much on their springy legs to defend, knowing there will always be a window to make a play. As a result, they are oftentimes out of position.

“We are not in the right position, so instead of moving our feet we reach in,” Panas Head Coach Shawn Sullivan said after Saturday’s ugly loss to Briarcliff.

Briarcliff, a team that relies on fundamentals over athleticism, proved which is the more successful method.

Daniels — Panas’ 6-4-freshman phenom — has all the tools to be great. Not good, great. First, however, he has to stay on the court, which he failed to do in the frustrating loss to Briarcliff. After failing to convert on a few early chances, Daniels lost his cool, mentally checking out of the game. In turn, the Panthers’ chances of winning went down the drain.

Here’s the bottom line: Panas needs Daniels to win games.

“Once (Daniels) makes a commitment to the defensive end and rebounding, we are going to be a really good team,” Sullivan said. “Until he does, we are going to be so-so.”

Regardless, it’s going to be exciting to watch the development of what could be the North County’s next budding star. With that said, it would be in Daniels’ best interest to keep it cool on the court, lest risking a flameout. And that could be the difference between being merely “good” and “great.”

7) Yorktown (0-0) — Yorktown’s season-opener is also Peekskill’s home opener. As if it wasn’t already an uphill challenge, the Huskers are facing a Red Devils squad that’s coming off an embarrassing drubbing at the hands of Long Island Lutheran.

Do you think Coach P will have his boys ready to play?

With that said, Steve Veteri, the Huskers’ main boss on the sidelines, will have his squad geared up, too. Don’t expect Yorktown to rollover, folks. It just isn’t in the Husker DNA.

Yorktown’s Jordan Moody held his own against Mount Vernon’s Jabarie Hinds — a Division 1 recruit — in the County Center last season, so it should be exciting see him go at it with Peekskill’s Daquan Brickhouse.

Following the matchup with Peekskill, Yorktown gets another toughie in the opening round of the Greeley tourney against Ossining. We are about to find out what Yorktown’s all about.

Correction: In last week’s Yorktown basketball preview, I mistakenly said Keith Thomas would become Yorktown’s first Division 1 basketball player since Art Smith. Steve Shaw, who graduated from Yorktown in 1971, went on to play for Syracuse. He was the sixth man back when the Orangemen — yes, before team names turned PC — advanced to the 1975 Final Four.

8) Lincoln Hall (1-1) — After opening the season at .500, the United have been laying low. But that will all change on Dec. 17, as The Hall travels to take on a talented Poughkeepsie squad.

9) Mahopac (1-2) — Despite sitting at below .500 and losing to Kennedy, the Indians possess quite possibly the most important trait: an undying work ethic. And Head Coach Kevin Downes knows it, admitting his squad fought tooth and nail against the Gaels before coming up just short.

With sharpshooting Ryan Wagner and a core of dedicated underclassmen, Mahopac won’t be coming up short for long.

10) Croton-Harmon (2-2) — Head Coach Bill Thom’s squad rebounded well from an 0-2 start, winning the Elmsford Classic this past weekend with victories over Tuckahoe and Hamilton.

Joe Tralli (six assists) led the way in the thrilling 74-73 OT victory over Tuckahoe, scoring a team-high 20 points. And he saved his best for OT, pouring in six points to seal the win. “(Tralli) kind of took over there,” Head Coach Bill Thom said.

Tralli had good reason to take it upon himself, as he missed a potential game-sealing FT at the end of regulation and over pursued a Tuckahoe inbounds pass that led to Sky Williams’ game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Coach Thom said Matt Tralli — Joe’s younger brother — laced into him before the start of OT, providing the necessary motivation.

Joe Tralli, Bobby Dusconi (15 points, 17 boards), Mike Ronci (eight points) and freshman Ian Thom (eights points, four assists) were also huge in the win.

The Tigers then disposed of Hamilton in the finals, 53-43. Playing with predominantly and underclassmen lineup, the Tigers controlled the pace and never lost control of the game. Dusconi led the way with 14 points, while Greg Carroll (seven points), Ian Thom (eight points) and Wes Turner (six points) all chipped in. Coach Thom also cited Julian Bonilla for his all-around strong play.

11) Hen Hud (2-2) — This much we know: size won’t be an issue for the Sailors. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about ball-handling ability and perimeter defense — two glaring issues I noticed in Friday’s loss to Valhalla.

If I were in Head Coach Steve Purcigliotti’s shoes, I would run a strict half-court offense and slow the pace to a crawl. Big men Mike Tandy and Dylan Stewart would post up all game. If successful, one of them would eventually draw early slides and doubles. Enter sharpshooter Bennett Zink, who would act as the team’s Rip Hamilton, constantly moving his feet to come off screens on the perimeter.

But T.J. Olesczuk would be the key to it all at point guard. If he could avoid feeding into an end-to-end pace, I really think the Sailors will start to rack up wins.

Then again, I could be completely wrong. After all, my job is to type on a keyboard — and last I checked that’s not the same as a chalkboard.

Freelancer Mike Sabini was at Peekskill’s 84-45 loss to Long Island Lutheran in the opener of the Rim Rocker Classic Dec. 12 at Longwood High School in Suffolk County.

The following is Sabini’s report from the game:

Interviews

Peekskill Head Coach Lou Panzanaro

MS: How important is it for your team to work on getting pressure on your opponent, especially when you are playing a team that is the caliber of a Long Island Lutheran, which is the defending Class A Federation state Champion?
LP: You can see how well these guys (Long Island Lutheran) shot the basketball. They had a tremendous half-court offense. We had no counter to that.
We were going back and setting up in a half-court defense but what we really have to learn is our full-court press. We have to work on our full-court pressure because when we started falling prey to their half-court shooting, we couldn’t extend, there was nothing we were ready to do today.
We have to go back to the drawing board but it’s good to know that right now instead of later. We kind of thought we were going to sit back in a half-court defense and run transition basketball but that’s not the type of team we are.
We have to exert pressure on the ball. Now since it’s December, we have plenty of time to work on it.

MS: Long Island Lutheran really got on the boards in the first quarter. What happened with your rebounding there?
LP: We didn’t rebound, we didn’t rebound well at all. We had one guy (Kenny Bradshaw, 17 rebounds) that hit the boards and a lot of guys standing around watching. We were getting one shot, we weren’t getting any offensive rebounds, we weren’t getting any defensive rebounds. I think they had eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter.
So if we are not rebounding, not pressuring and not making shots, we are not in the game. We just didn’t play good basketball today.

MS: For as bad as you guys played today, you somehow did get the deficit under 10 (37-28) in the beginning of the third quarter. How did you do that?
LP: That’s the kids’ desire, that’s their championship spirit that brought that on. They did that on their own. They just fought and played hard.
But we have a lot of things to work on.

MS: How would you predict how your team will come out and play when you host Yorktown 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16?
LP: Wednesday is the first home game so it’s good to get home. Second thing on Wednesday I think we have to work on the mental part of the game.
We have to get refocused and be ready to play this game. That’s what we are going to work on Monday in practice.

MS: As far as your worse losses go, I know that third quarter in your loss to Jamesville-Dewitt in the state semifinals in March 15, 2008 was pretty bad (being outscored 32-9 in a 74-55 defeat) but from beginning to end was this as bad as your loss (69-48) in the Slam Dunk Finals in Dec. 29, ‘05 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains to Wings Academy?
LP: You could list them, Wings Academy, Jamesville-DeWitt and this. I’m not sure which one was worse but they all feel terrible.

MS: Do you drawback on the fact that after the loss to Wings Academy, you didn’t lose again and went on to win the Class A Federation state Championship?
LP: We certainly are going to talk about that and I’m going to bring that up on Monday and tell them how that team responded. Whether this team has that in them I don’t know but we are going to find out.

MS: On another matter, you were in attendance Dec. 11 at Peekskill High School, watching one of your former players, 2003 Peekskill graduate Rodney Headley Jr., coach the Peekskill girls basketball squad to a 66-41 triumph against visiting Yorktown to improve to 4-0. Did you ever think he would make good coaching material back when he was playing?
LP: I didn’t know if that was his desire was but I knew he had the ability. He’s a cerebral kid who worked hard when he was a player and I’m not surprised he’s doing such a great job with the girls team.
He’s a leader, he knows basketball, he knows what he’s doing and I think he’s going to be a tremendous asset to the girls program.

MS: I know his father, Rodney Headley Sr. was a valuable assistant to you for a long time and now is assisting his son with the girls team. Is he still working with you too?
He’s trying to do both but mostly with them (the girls) and that’s where he belongs. He should be with his son. He’s a good motivator, he’s a good person and plays a tremendous role in whatever program he’s working in.

MS: Another of your former players, Mookie Jones, hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time so far at Syracuse after red-shirting his freshman year last season. How do you feel about Mookie to this point at Syracuse and have you talked to him recently?
LP: I talked to him about two weeks ago, he was depressed, he hadn’t been playing a lot, then he went out and had a pretty good offensive game (a career high 12 points against visiting Maine Dec. 5 in a 101-55 win).
He’s aware his defense is not where it needs to be to play at the Big East level. He told me he’s going to make a commitment to improve that and force Coach Boeheim to give him more playing time by the way he conducts himself in practice and games.

MS: Mookie seems to have the right attitude. I noticed in a game against North Carolina at Madison Square Garden (which Syracuse won 87-71 Nov. 20), that he was up on the bench and cheering enthusiastically for his teammates. How important is it for him to have a good attitude like that.
LP: I think that’s tremendously important. It’s your responsibility to get better. You can’t sit there and pout and sulk. The coach wants to win. If you could help that team, you would be playing. If you’re not playing, there is something that you’re not doing that you have to get right.
I think Mookie realizes that. He said to me that he’s made a tremendous commitment in his defense.

MS: I haven’t had a chance to see another of your Division I players, Ralph Watts, who’s playing for Albany. Do you know what’s been going on with him?
LP: I think the same thing has been happening with Ralph that happened to Mookie. It’s a tremendous transition to going from high-school basketball to college basketball. The intensity level was a little bit higher than Ralph is used to playing.
That’s what the coach (Will Brown) told him at Albany. If you want to play at this level, you have to be focused on every play. Ralph sometimes has drifted in and out.
He’s a great offensive player but he has to work on playing defense at the Division I level.

Peekskill senior guard Daquan Brickhouse

MS: What did you learn from this game against Long Island Lutheran that you can take into the rest of the season, especially when you play a team like this again?
DB: We have to come out a little bit more focused, got to want it more. We have to come out with the heart to play. We gave it our all but we just need more players to come off the bench to come out focused and act like that want to play.
We have to want the ball and get down and defend. Everyone has to come together.

MS: Even though you didn’t want what happened today, how important is it to play tough competition like this that can benefit you later on in the season?
DB: It’s very important to play in games like this because it gives this team exposure and a challenge more so than if we just played a local team.
We came out here to a place like Long Island and we know it’s not going to be a walk-over game. Again, in games like this we have to be more focused and ready to play.

MS: What are your expectations for this season?
DB: Get down and play good defense but we have work at it. We just can’t come out and say we are Peekskill and expect it’s going to happen.

Analysis

Well wish I could have better news in my first hoop blog of the year but that’s the way things go sometimes. This was a matchup of the two teams that have won three of the last four Class A state federation championships.
Matter of fact, Peekskill defeated Long Island Lutheran 64-63 on its way to the Federation crown in the semifinals March 23, ’07.
However, as the stats and the comments from Panzanaro and Brickhouse indicate, this game was all Long Island Lutheran. It had to be frustration for the Red Devil faithful who made the trip out to Suffolk County to see Long Island Lutheran constantly get rebounds and dial it up from long range, making nine three pointers.
Well, as Panzanaro pointed out, at least it’s December where you have time to correct these problems. It’s why Panzanaro scheduled tough non-league opponents, because he wants his team ready for the postseason.
The question is how will Peekskill bounce back, can it like the ’05-06 team did after losing to Wings Academy and going unbeaten after that?
Who knows, maybe these two teams might meet again in the Federation tournament. And if they do, you can guarantee the Red Devils won’t be dominated like they were today.