The Saratoga Springs boys basketball team won its own tip-off tournament title, thanks to some late heroics.
Sophomore guard Chris Byno scored six of his 13 points in overtime, and junior guard Noah Arciero added four points and three steals to help the Blue Streaks edge Guilderland 66-64 in Saturday’s championship game.
The Dutchmen (1-1) received some overtime heroics from senior guard Brian Crupi, who hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 10 seconds to get Guilderland within striking distance. But Saratoga ran out the final three seconds to hold on for the win.
“That kid kept coming down and hitting those three-point shots,” said Saratoga coach Jack Brock. “He’s a great shooter.”
Three-pointers helped Guilderland build a 36-30 halftime lead against Saratoga (2-0). The Dutchmen hit six shots from behind the arc in the first half, including four threes in the second quarter. Junior guard Vince Simeone and freshman guard Andrew Platek each made a pair of threes in the first half.
Saratoga switched to a two-three zone defense in the second half, and that made a big difference. Guilderland struggled to hit long-range shots against the zone and couldn’t pull down offensive rebounds, which allowed Saratoga to claw its way back into the game.
“We play a two-three zone, but it acts more like a man-to-man defense because we come out and pressure the outside shooters,” said Brock.
“We didn’t get into our offense the whole second half,” said Guilderland coach Ron Osinski.
A pair of Nick Smith three-pointers capped a 12-2 Saratoga run in the third quarter that tied the score at 42. The senior swingman added a pair of free throws with 3.6 seconds left in the period to give the Blue Streaks a 50-48 lead.
Guilderland scored six unanswered points in the fourth quarter to gain a 54-50 advantage, but senior forward Jonathan Rach went on his own personal 6-0 run to put Saratoga ahead 56-54. Rach made a pair of free throws, sank a long jump shot and put back his own missed shot during the spurt.
Both teams struggled to score baskets after Rach’s put back. Senior guard Connor Burg tied the score at 56 for Guilderland with a layup off freshman guard Andrew Platek’s entry pass from the wing, but that was the lone basket over the final three minutes of regulation.
Arciero started overtime by stealing the ball and scoring an uncontested layup. Crupi tied the score at 58 for Guilderland by following his own missed shot, but another Arciero steal led to a Byno layup to put Saratoga ahead 60-58.
Byno added a long jump shot with 50 seconds left in overtime, and Arciero made a pair of free throws with 16.4 seconds left to give Saratoga a 64-58 advantage. Crupi made a quick three-pointer to cut the deficit in half before two Byno foul shots with eight seconds left increased the Blue Streaks’ lead to 66-61. Crupi’s final three came with three seconds left.
“I was pleased,” said Osinski. “We hit two threes late to keep us in the game.”
Rach had 18 points for Saratoga, while Arciero, Byno and Smith each contributed 13 points. Crupi and Platek each scored 16 points to pace Guilderland.
Saratoga and Guilderland advanced to Saturday’s final by posting opening-round victories Friday. The Blue Streaks put on a defensive clinic in beating Glens Falls 48-33, while Guilderland raced past Section I’s Woodlands 77-47.
“We had a good weekend,” said Brock, who is in his first season as Saratoga’s coach. “It’s a good start.”
“I’m pleased with the effort the kids have given,” said Osinski. “We’re small. We give up size at every position. But we’re holding our own on defensive rebounds.”