The last time Mohonasen met Schalmont on a basketball court with a championship on the line, it was the 2002 girls Section II, Class B title game.
Saturday night, the boys basketball teams from the two Rotterdam schools played each other for the Niskayuna Invitational championship not exactly at the same level as a Sectional final, but coveted nonetheless by two programs trying to make an early-season statement.
For three quarters, the crosstown rivals battled each other before Mohonasen’s size wore Schalmont down, which allowed the Mighty Warriors to pull away for a 60-40 victory.
I couldn’t be happier for the kids. That meant a lot to them,` said Mohonasen coach Ken Dagostino.
`We ran out of gas, and I think Mohonasen did a very good job of wearing us down with Pat Barnes and Cameron Couball,` said Schalmont coach Kevin Curtin.
The Sabres led at the end of both the first and second quarters before the Mighty Warriors got their offense in gear. Barnes started hitting his shots from the low post, and Couball added some three-pointers to help Mohonasen take control.
`As much as they struggled to get the ball in to Pat (Barnes), when he got it in his spots, he was able to turn and make his shots,` said Curtin.
`The key was they held their composure (in the second half),` said Dagostino.
Couball finished with 17 points, and Barnes contributed 14 points for Mohonasen.
Jack Macejka led Schalmont with 16 points, and Josh Catino added 15 points.
Mohonasen and Schalmont each posted impressive victories in Friday’s opening round. Mohonasen knocked off Suburban Council rival Bethlehem 53-42, while Schalmont stunned host school Niskayuna 44-39.
Mohonasen overcame a tour de force by Bethlehem’s Kevin Stempsey to win its game. Stempsey scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half to help the Eagles stay close, but the Mighty Warriors limited him and the rest of his Bethlehem teammates to 19 points in the second half to pull away.
`Stempsey showed how good of a player he was in the first half, but I thought once we switched to a man-to-man defense in the second half, we shut him down,` said Dagostino.
Barnes made 10 of his 15 free throws on his way to an 18-point night, and Couball drained a pair of three-pointers as part of a 14-point performance to lead Mohonasen.
In the other opening round game, Schalmont’s defense kept Niskayuna off the scoreboard for the first four minutes, which helped the Sabres build a 7-0 lead. The Silver Warriors cut into the deficit several times, but they were unable to recover from their slow start.
`I think we caught them by surprise a bit with our full-court press early on,` said Curtin.
Macejka had 13 points, and Catino contributed 12 points for Schalmont, which became the second Colonial Council team to beat a Suburban Council team this season. Watervliet knocked off Ballston Spa in the finals of the Watervliet Tournament one week earlier.
`Any time you can get a Suburban Council team on their home court, it’s a very good thing,` said Curtin. `I’m very happy about that.`
Garrett Bush’s 12 points led Niskayuna, which defeated Bethlehem 48-45 in Saturday’s consolation game.
Mohonasen and Schalmont looked to carry the momentum from their Niskayuna Invitational performances into their league openers Tuesday night. Mohonasen began its Suburban Council season by playing Colonie, while Schalmont hosted Watervliet in its Colonial Council opener.
`I know Kenny’s thinking the same thing I am ` we want to carry over what we did in the tournament to our league seasons,` said Curtin. `We don’t want to go into the Kirvin Cup (Dec. 27 and 28 at Mohonasen) and have those be our only wins.`
`No matter how it ends up, I believe in my heart that we will be a competitive team,` said Dagostino. `It’s a new identity for Mohonasen.`
Both teams return to action Friday night. Mohonasen travels to Guilderland, while Schalmont visits Mechanicville. Niskayuna goes to Bethlehem for a Suburban Council game.
Tartans handle Chittenango
Scotia-Glenville began its season Saturday with a 66-53 non-league victory over Chittenango.
The Tartans outscored Chittenango 26-10 in the second quarter to build a 41-21 halftime lead, and they never looked back.
Guards Brett Evensen and Mike Stopera led Scotia-Glenville. Evensen knocked down three shots from behind the three-point arc on his way to a 24-point night, while Stopera made all 11 of his free throws and finished with 20 points. Stopera’s younger brother Jeff chipped in 11 points.
The Tartans open their Foothills Council season Friday when they host South Glens Falls.“