Byram Hills Hoopsters Shock Kennedy 59-57 to Reach Section Final
Posted: March 3, 2011 The 5th seeded Byram Hills Bobcats, playing their first County Center Sectional playoff game since 1978, shocked top-seeded Kennedy Catholic Wednesday, March 2, 2011.
Byram Hills Section One Championship Game
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Bobcats Win Overtime Thriller, Advance To NY State Final Four By Daniel Zenkel
Mt. St. Mary’s College, Newburgh, NY Posted March 12, 2011
The Section I Champion Byram Hills Bobcat boys basketball team defeated Section 4 Maine-Endwell Spartans 65-59 in overtime Friday night to advance to the Class A Final 4 in Glens Falls next weekend. Heading into the game, it would have been nearly impossible to imagine the Bobcats topping last week’s upset victories over Kennedy Catholic and Pearl River at the County Center. But the Bobcats pulled it off, winning a back and forth battle that will forever stand as one of the great sporting contests in Bobcat history.
The Bobcats trailed from the opening tip, and were down 35-23, halfway through the third quarter when Senior Jeff Daddario entered the game and, in four, game-changing minutes, ignited a 6-0 run that brought the Bobcats back from the brink. Daddario used his quickness to both harass the Spartans on defense and to hyper-charge the Bobcat offense. Surrounded in the lane by three taller defenders, the 5’7” Senior, somehow flipped the ball up and in. One minute later, he rebounded a Spartan miss and sped the length of the court for a driving layup. A basket by Maine-Endwell’s Nate Burgo with 48 seconds left in the third ended the run, but the roadblock was only temporary. The Bobcats immediately took off an another, 9-2, run, that was capped by Senior Andy Murphy’s long three-pointer and an unusual, simultaneous foul on Andrew Maloney, who made one of two free throws, giving Byram its first lead of the game, 40-37, with 5:34 remaining. But the Spartans weren’t giving up either. Over the next four minutes, they outscored the Bobcats 13-3 to take a 50-43 lead. With 1:40 remaining, the Bobcats were in unfamiliar territory, never trailed by more than a couple of points so late in a playoff game.
But the resilient Bobcats clawed their way back. Sophomore Ryan Golden spearheaded the charge, hitting two foul shots and draining a huge three-pointer from the right side and shaving the Spartan lead to 50-48 with 1:14 remaining. And Golden wasn’t through. On the next possession, the Bobcats trapped at midcourt; Golden stole the ball and drove towards an easy layup. But Spartan Senior Nate Burgo, seemingly coming from out of nowhere, leaped and blocked the shot at its apex near the rim. Had the Spartans retrieved the ball, the game could have turned. But Sophomore Jeff Lynch would not let that happen. Astutely trailing the play, Lynch grabbed the rebound and put it back for an easy basket. The score was tied, 50-50. The Bobcats got the ball back with 29 seconds left but could not score, and the game headed to overtime.
The five minute overtime started slowly. The Bobcats scored first with 3:27 remaining on a basket by Ryan Golden took a 52-50 lead. Seconds later, Andrew Maloney stole the ball and was fouled. He made one of two free throws, and the lead was 3. A Sinicki hoop brought the Spartans within 1. From there, Section I Tournament MVP Jeff Lynch took over. With 2:44 remaining, Lynch dribbled calmly to the top of the key, pulled up and drained a three pointer. The Bobcats led 57-53. Maloney hit a foul shot, Lynch two more, and the Bobcats led 60-53 with 58 seconds left. The game looked to be over … but it wasn’t. The Spartans simply would not go away. With 44 seconds left, Nick Vultaggio hit a three to cut the lead to 60-56. After Lynch hit two more free throws, Sinicki hit a three and, the Spartans trailed 62-59 with 18 seconds left. Another overtime remained a possibility. Two Ryan Golden free throws with seven seconds to go finally sealed the victory, and the Bobcats were on to Glens Falls.
The game started at a fast pace, with cheers of “Let’s Go Byram” rocking the rafters. Senior point guard Jordan Pollack was particularly impressive in the first period, dishing out three beautiful assists. Andrew Maloney and Jeff Lynch scored six points each. However, the Bobcats could not match the three point artistry of the Spartans, who hit 3, three-pointers, two by Max Sinicki, to take a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with a beautiful, back door alley oop pass from Andy Murphy to Ryan Golden who finished in the air to cut the lead to 17-14. The Spartans moved the ball well throughout the period, and appeared to be heading into halftime with a 27-21 lead. Once again, the unexpected occurred. The Spartans had the ball, with the half ticking down. The Bobcats, who had several fouls to give before putting the Spartans into the bonus, were trying to disrupt the Spartans by fouling. Sensing an impending foul, Sidnicki hoisted up a three pointer. The referee signaled a shooting foul, and Sidnicki sank the ensuing, three free throws, stretching the Spartan’s halftime lead to 9, 30 – 21.
At the start of the second half, the Bobcats lost their shooting touch. Then Daddario entered, and the plot took shape.
Jeff Lynch led the Bobcats with 22 points, 10 in overtime. Ryan Golden added 16 points and 8 rebounds. Andrew Maloney had 14, Andy Murphy 8, Jeff Daddario 4 and Jordon Pollack, 1. Alex O’Brien and Charlie Murphy provided important minutes off the bench.
The Bobcats advanced to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class A Final Four next weekend at the Glens Falls Civic Center. They will play the semi-final on Saturday at 10:45 am against the winner of the game between Manhasset (Section 8) and Center Moriches (Section 11). The winner of that game will play for the championship on Sunday at 1:30 pm.
In The Bonus
Not only did the Bobcats advance towards a championship, but the Bobcat fans appear ready to garner an unofficial title of their own. In his post-game interview, Andy Murphy threw down the gauntlet, praising the Byram Hills fans as, “the best sixth man in the state.” Coach Ted Repa shared the same sentiment, exclaiming, “How ‘bout our fans? They’re unbelievable!”
For the seventh straight game, Coach Repa wore his black, v-neck sweater, which is becoming as familiar to the Byram faithful as Bobby Knight’s red sweater once was in Bloomington.
If ever there were a game to prove the adage, “Basketball is a game of runs,” this was it. Run No. 1 – Q3 & Q4 - Bobcats trail 35-32 – Bobcat outscore Spartans 17 – 2; Bobcats lead 40 – 37, Run No. 2 – Q4 -- Spartans outscore Bobcats 13 – 3. Spartans lead 50 – 43, Run No. 3 – Q4 (continued) -- Bobcats outscore Spartans 7 – 0. Score tied 50 – 50, Run No. 4 – Overtime: Bobcats outscore Spartans 10 – 3. Bobcats lead 60 – 53.
Bobcats Defeat Pearl River 47-38 To Take Section 1 Title By Daniel Zenkel
Updated: March 10, 2011 The 5th seeded Byram Hills Bobcats completed their improbable run through the Section 1 Tournament with a 47-38 victory over 2nd seeded Pearl River at the County Center on Sunday night. The victory, on the heels of Wednesday nights, 2 point triumph over 1st seeded Kennedy Catholic, sends Coach Ted Repa’s Bobcats to the state regional final at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, NY on Friday night.
The final started slowly, and with five minutes gone in the first quarter, the Bobcats trailed 5-3. The Bobcats didn’t hit their second basket until 31 seconds remaining in the quarter when senior forward Andy Murphy sank a nice runner in the lane. Despite the meager offensive effort, the Bobcats trailed by only six, 11-5 at quarter’s end. Austin O’Toole led the Pirates with six first quarter points, and Pearl River’s outstanding senior guard, Luke Houston, added a three pointer.
The Bobcats’ drought continued through the first four minutes of the second quarter. With 3:53 left, they had yet to score and trailed 15-5. The game could have gotten out of hand at that point, but the Bobcats, displaying their customary grit, ran off nine straight points, and, trailed by only 15-14 at halftime. Sophomore forward Ryan Golden, who was named to the all-tournament team, scored 6 of the 9, and tournament MVP Jeff Lynch added a three pointer.
For the Bobcats, the second half bore little resemblance to the first. Standout sophomore Jeff Lynch began to assert himself, scoring, rebounding, penetrating and dishing off to open teammates. Senior point guard Jordan Pollack, handled the ball beautifully and also scored a key basket off a putback of an offensive rebound. Junior forward Andrew Maloney scored four points in the stanza. Maloney’s second hoop came with 26 seconds left in the third quarter after Andy Murphy stole the ball and whipped a half court pass to Maloney who snagged it near the basket and finished with a reverse layup. While the Bobcats’ eleven third quarter points would hardly constitute an outburst, the Pirates’ four point effort was downright anemic. As a result, the Bobcats led 25-19 as the 4th quarter began.
The Pirates’ Joe Walsh opened the final quarter with a three pointer. Lynch then drove the lane, appeared stymied in midair, and, on his descent, hoisted up a shot that somehow found its way to the bottom of the net. Pirate Joey Clinton answered with another three, and the Pirates had cut the Bobcat lead to 27-25. But, soon after, the Bobcats took off on another run. Andy Murphy hit another runner with 6:40 to go, Andrew Maloney hit a three, Lynch sliced and diced his way through three Pirates and fed Pollack for a layup. Lynch hit Golden with another beautiful pass at the 3:36 mark, and Golden converted, stretching the Bobcat lead to 11. With 2:22 left, the Pirates went to fouling. Lynch, Pollack, Golden and Senior Jeff Daddario all hit foul shots, and the game was over. Minutes later, the Bobcats celebrated at mid-court holding aloft the Golden Ball that signified their Sectional championship.
Jeff Lynch finished with 15. Ryan Golden added 14. Maloney had 7, Pollack 6, Andy Murphy 4 and Daddario 1. Alex O’Brien and Charlie Murphy made vital contributions off the bench.
Byram Hills Boys Basketball team 2011 Section & Regional Champion Class A
Basketball Honors
Posted: March 21, 2011 The Westchester County Basketball Association has announced Byram Hills Sophomore Jeffrey Lynch in the distinguished honor as an all-conference player among Conference III.
Two years in a row, Lynch has also been named an All-League player.
Congratulations on this high honor to Jeffrey and his family. Fans have enjoyed watching him play for the Bobcats, leading them to the conference's Final Four.
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Bobcats Fall To Harborfields, 55-48, In State Semi-Finals
By Daniel Zenkel Photos courtesy Meg O'Brien Posted March 19, 2011 The magical playoff run of the Byram Hills Bobcats came to an end this morning at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Bobcats lost 55-48 to the Harborfields Tornadoes, the tall and talented Long Island Champions. The Bobcats had fought back from precarious deficits throughout their five game playoff run, and today was no different. Trailing 42-30 early in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats ran off 8 straight points to close to 44-40 with five minutes remaining. The arena erupted, and it appeared that another improbable victory might be in the cards. But the Tornadoes regrouped, and, after calling a timeout, went on their own 8-0 run to bring the lead back to 12, 52-40 with 2:34 to play. The Bobcats battled to the end, even closing to within 6, 54-48 with 38 seconds left. But they ran out of time, and the season was over.
As is their custom, the Bobcats started slowly. The Tornadoes jumped out to a 7-2 lead, helped along by three Bobcat turnovers. Senior Captain Andy Murphy hit one of his trademark, rainbow 3-pointers to make the score 7-6 with 3:34 to go in the quarter, and the relatively uneventful stanza ended with the Bobcats trailing 11-8.
The Bobcats tied the game, 12-12, in the opening minute of the second quarter on baskets by Sophomore Ryan Golden and Andy Murphy. Murphy’s came off a beautiful drive and dish by Sophomore Jeff Lynch. With 5:08 remaining in the quarter, and the Bobcats trailing 15-13, Murphy, who had been rebounding beautifully against the much taller Tornadoes, was whistled for his second foul and was forced to leave the game. The Tornadoes scored two quick baskets, both off offensive rebounds, and led 19-13 with 3:42 left. The Bobcats quickly called timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Junior Alex O’Brien, who had replaced Murphy, hit a 3-pointer from the right baseline; Lynch scored on an isolation play, and the Bobcats trailed 19-18. The Tornadoes Matt McLeod closed the quarter with a three from the left wing, and the Bobcats trailed 22-18 at the half.
Andy Murphy opened the second half with another 3-pointer to bring the Bobcats to within 1, 22-21. But the Tornadoes extended the lead to 28-21, on the strength of two baskets by their 6’6” Senior Center, Nick Fessenden. Fessenden, who was a dominating inside presence throughout the game, scored 8 points in the quarter and 19 in the game.
The Bobcats trailed by 7 or 8 points for most of the third quarter. With three minutes remaining, Senior Jeff Daddario, who ignited the Bobcats in last week’s regional victory, sparked another mini-run. Andy Murphy hit a 3-pointer, Ryan Golden sank one of two foul shots and the Bobcats trailed 34-30 with 35 seconds to go. But the Tornadoes scored 4 points to close the quarter and led 38-30 at quarter’s end.
The Tornadoes extended their lead to 12, 44-32, in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Again, the Bobcats were at the precipice. But, in quick succession, Golden stole the ball and went in for a layup; Lynch made a steal and fed Maloney for a layup; Golden followed a Lynch miss; and Lynch made another steal, drove the lane and hit a short jumper to cut the deficit to 44-40 with 4:52 remaining. The Tornadoes were bent, but they were not broken. Back to back 3-pointers by Tornadoes JoJo Saviglia and Luke Woodhouse and two foul shots by McLeod extended their lead to 52-40 with 2:34 remaining. The Bobcats closed to 54-48 with 38 seconds left. Then the Tornado’s Matt McLeod missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Bobcats had a chance to further cut into the lead. They had two, open 3-pointers, but neither found the net, and time ran out.
Senior Captain Andy Murphy led the Bobcats with 19 points, including three, 3-pointers to go with 6 rebounds. Ryan Golden had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Jeff Lynch had 11 points and 6 assists. Andrew Maloney and Alex O’Brien each had 3 points. Senior Captain Jordan Pollack manned the point guard position, and Charlie Murphy contributed valuable minutes spelling Lynch.
In The Bonus
Although the Tornadoes had the advantage on the floor, the Bobcats clearly made the stronger showing in the stands. A “Let’s Go Tornadoes” banner hung virtually abandoned behind one basket, and a sprinkling of Tornado fans were in evidence. By contrast, several hundred Byram Hills faithful, including students, parents and alumni, made the trek to Glens Falls. The imposing Bobcat student section was typically ebullient, chanting its signature, “I Believe That We Will Win,” and adding a new “Mr. Repa” cheer to its repertoire in the manner of the Yankee bleacher bums who chant “Derek Jeter.” Following the game, Coach Ted Repa acknowledged the cheers, pounding his heart, then pointing to the fans.
This was the final game for Senior Captains Jordan Pollack and Andy Murphy and fellow seniors Alex Martino, Jeff Daddario and Mike Huguenot. Congratulations to all on a singular season and great Byram Hills hoop careers.
Harborfields lost to the three-time defending state champions Jamesville-DeWitt for the title on Sunday.
