The top two teams in the Suburban Council Blue Division will represent the league in Friday’s Section II, Class AA semifinals.
Division champion Saratoga pulled away from Troy with a 10-2 third quarter on its was to a 61-52 quarterfinal victory Sunday at Albany’s TU Center, while Shenendehowa advanced with a 63-57 win against LaSalle.
It’s the first time in several years that either Saratoga or Shen has made it to the semifinal round, and both teams are grateful for the opportunity.
Our coach said we deserved it, and it’s true, said Shen guard Mike Hammond. `We worked hard all year long, and it paid off.`
`It’s not often that you see two Suburban Council teams get to where we’re at, but we don’t want to stop there,` said Saratoga senior guard Garrett Bishop.
Saratoga and Shen had to deal with pesky Big 10 teams that wouldn’t go away without a fight. Troy’s guards played well in support of 7-foot, 2-inch center Jameson Keefe to stay with Saratoga through the first half, while LaSalle made several runs at Shen before bowing out.
`Troy really gave us everything we could handle,` said Saratoga coach Mitch Snyder. `Their big guy (Keefe) gave us fits in the first half.`
`They (LaSalle) weren’t going to go away,` said Shen coach Tony Dzikas.
Saratoga (18-4) threatened to run Troy off the floor early on, as the Blue Streaks scored the first six points. But the Flying Horses (12-10) got the ball in Keefe’s hands, and the senior responded by scoring his team’s first eight points to pull Troy within a point. Sophomore center Jordan Stevens hit several clutch baskets late in the first quarter to give Saratoga a little breathing room with a 22-14 lead.
Troy stayed with Saratoga through the second quarter, but a pair of three-pointers and two free throws from Bishop helped the Blue Streaks hold on for a 38-35 halftime lead. The Flying Horses cut the deficit to one point several times in the third quarter before Saratoga’s 10-2 run gave the Blue Streaks a 50-41 advantage. Troy never got that close again.
Bishop and Stevens each scored 20 points to lead Saratoga. Stevens did most of his damage in the first quarter, when he netted 11 points, while Bishop scored most of his points in the second and fourth quarters.
`I was just trying to let the game come to me a bit,` said Bishop, who missed most of last season with foot and ankle injuries. `I just felt I had to step up a bit in the second half.`
`Having a point guard like Garrett Bishop makes my job easier,` said Snyder.
Keefe netted 20 points for Troy, but he was silenced in the second half by Saratoga’s defense.
`We just made a small adjustment of playing behind him, rather than going around in front (to defend him),` said Snyder.
Saratoga’s next assignment won’t be any easier, as the Blue Streaks meet Big 10 runner-up Bishop Maginn Friday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Maginn pulled out a 67-59 victory over Colonie in another class AA quarterfinal game Sunday, led by Talor Battle’s 24-point performance.
`Maginn’s obviously a very good team,` said Snyder. `They’re going to pose some problems for us.`
Like Saratoga, Shen (15-7) had difficulty putting LaSalle (9-13) away in their quarterfinal game. The Plainsmen led 16-8 after the first quarter and 33-24 at halftime, but the Cadets rallied to within two points twice in the fourth quarter before clutch free throws from Hammond and Michael Schauffert helped seal the victory.
`It was a dogfight, and we knew we had to battle to the last second,` said Hammond.
What helped Shen avoid the upset was keeping fresh legs on the court. Dzikas substituted frequently, which allowed the Plainsmen to maintain a fast defensive pace that forced several LaSalle turnovers.
`We tried to keep guys off the floor (to prevent them from getting tired),` said Dzikas.
Hammond led a balanced Shen attack with 15 points, nine of which came in the first half. Bob Tudor contributed 13 points ` all in the second half ` and Todd Degnan added 10 points, including a layup off a steal with 15 seconds left that gave Shen a 61-57 lead.
The Plainsmen will be in another dogfight Friday in Glens Falls as they face undefeated Christian Brothers Academy. The three-time defending class AA champions downed Catholic Central 65-39 in the last quarterfinal game of the day.“
