The Mohonasen boys basketball team turned in a schizophrenic performance at last weekend’s Section II-Section V Challenge.
The Mighty Warriors dominated Finger Lakes League representative Wayne 63-38 in last Friday’s opener at Mohonasen before losing to defending Section V, Class AA champion Batavia 52-38 Saturday at Union College.
I don’t know what happened Saturday. It was like we had never played together before, said Mohonasen coach Ken Dagostino. `We had a lot of mental breakdowns.`
The Mighty Warriors (1-1) had an impressive debut against Wayne (0-2). They jumped out to a 19-4 lead in the first quarter and never let the Eagles back in the game.
`That may have been one of the best games we’ve played in my three years here,` said Dagostino. `Everything worked for us.`
All of that was a distant memory when Mohonasen met Batavia Saturday at Union’s Viniar Center. The Blue Devils (2-0) scored the first eight points of the game and coasted to a 14-point victory. The only consolation for Mohonasen was that its defense prevented Batavia from matching its scoring output from Friday’s 63-38 opening round victory over Ballston Spa.
`We were never out of it,` said Dagostino.
Senior forward Cameron Couball led Mohonasen’s offense in both games. He scored 18 points against Wayne and 10 points against Batavia. But if the Mighty Warriors are going to continue to rise in the Suburban Council standings this year, Dagostino said the focus will have to shift from his forwards to his guards.
`This year we have shooters, which we haven’t had in the past. So, we’re going to change our offensive philosophy a bit,` said Dagostino.
The Mighty Warriors opened their Suburban Council schedule Tuesday against Colonie. They host Guilderland Friday before playing their first White Division game next Tuesday at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
`I think it’s wide open. Any one of us could win the title,` said Dagostino of the White Division, which also includes Averill Park and Niskayuna.
In other boys basketball action last weekend, Niskayuna placed second at its own tournament after losing to Bethlehem 60-47 in Saturday’s championship game. The Eagles raced out to a 37-20 halftime lead and cruised to the 13-point victory.
Joe Kane scored 17 points, and Dan Lanchantin contributed 11 points for Bethlehem (2-0). Alex Olbrych’s 17 points paced Niskayuna.
The Silver Warriors advanced to the finals with a 66-45 victory over Schalmont in last Friday’s opening round. Garrett Bush netted 25 points to lead Niskayuna, which put the game out of the Sabres’ reach with a 23-8 run in the fourth quarter.
Mark Belles’ nine points paced Schalmont (0-2), which lost to Amsterdam 52-39 in Saturday’s consolation game.
Scotia-Glenville also hosted a tournament last weekend. The Tartans opened with a 45-32 victory over Schuylerville last Friday before bowing to Averill Park 58-40 Saturday.
Joseph Ferrari scored 14 points against Schuylerville and 10 points against Averill Park to lead the Tartans (2-1).
Defending Section II, Class C-CC champion Schenectady Christian began its season with a 76-32 Western Athletic Conference victory over Galway last Friday. Kelsey Collins led four Falcons in double figures with 16 points. Jake Bowman chipped in 13 points, while Bryan Bishop and Petr Serafimovski each added 12 points.
In girls basketball, Mohonasen finished second at the Shaker Tournament after losing to Bishop Maginn 58-50 in Saturday’s championship game.
Nicole Adach scored 16 points, and Michelle Aviza contributed 10 points for the Mighty Warriors (1-1), who were within one point of Bishop Maginn entering the fourth quarter before the Golden Griffins finished the game on a 20-13 run.
Mohonasen reached the finals with a a 60-56 victory over Ichabod Crane last Friday.
Adach netted 29 points, and Dayna Lashin added 14 points for the Mighty Warriors.“