For a little while, the Guilder-land boys basketball team was holding its own against Albany Academy.
Then, the Cadets put the pedal to the metal and left the Dutchmen in the dust.
Albany Academy (11-1) went on a 26-7 run from the early part of the second quarter through the first two minutes of the third quarter on its way to a 67-46 victory over Guilderland in last Friday’s non-league game.
They’re an awfully tough team, said Guilderland coach Ron Osinski. `To play with them, I think you have to play flawless basketball.`
The Dutchmen (5-2) played good basketball through the first 10 minutes of the game. Senior guard Kevin Kost scored the Dutchmen’s first five points, and senior forward Andre Brown hit a pair of key baskets to help Guilderland stay within striking distance.
But once the Dutchmen got within two points on Ryan Ochs’ fast break layup less than two minutes into the second quarter, Albany Academy took its game to the same level that helped it finish second at a national basketball tournament in Orlando earlier in the week. Junior guard Jamel Fields scored 11 of his game-high 23 points over the final six minutes of the second quarter, and junior guard Nolan Hart added a pair of three-pointers to help the Cadets turn a 21-19 lead into a 40-22 advantage entering halftime.
`We’ve been traveling, and it doesn’t make it easy on us,` said Albany Academy coach Brian Fruscio. `But we got our legs under us, and that allowed us to get going.`
The Cadets used a variety of players to pull away in the second half. Senior guard Tyler Foster scored 10 of his 15 points in the third quarter, and senior center Chris Pelcher added seven points in the second half to put the game out of Guilderland’s reach.
`With them, it’s pick your poison,` said Osinski. `They’ve got a 6-9 kid going to a Division I school (Pelcher), and they’ve got a guard who can do it all (Fields).`
Brown and Kost each scored 10 points to lead Guilderland, which played without starting center Jon Terry, who was suffering from mononucleosis.
`Without Terry, I lose a key rebounder because he plays bigger than his 6-4 frame,` said Osinski.
Terry is scheduled to return to Guilderland’s lineup for Wednesday’s Suburban Council game at Ballston Spa.
`Hopefully, we’ll learn from a game like this,` said Osinski.“