Boys basketball

Bears roar out with 4-0 start

Look out Class C, the Bears are out of the den

By JAMES WALSH, TRI-VALLEY HS, and RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Class C is abuzz with rumblings about the 2005-06 Tri-Valley Bears boys basketball team. Last year, coach Jason Semo’s squad lacked experience, depth and took their lumps. But as far as Semo was concerned, that was an essential part of the learning curve.

A seasoned coach and a savvy student of the game, Semo knew that what he had coming was a team that would turn heads. All they needed was time and experience. While other schools put their basketball hoop dreams to rest with the advent of spring and summer, Semo’s squad hit the hardwood and worked like demons. A trip to basketball camp in July and a grueling AAU summer schedule honed the squad, which features youth and passion.

Now that the season has begun, Tri-Valley is off to a fast start, and those not privy to the Bears’ off-season preparation are getting schooled quickly about the team’s speed and depth.

On December 1, the Bears took their show on the road to the Delhi Tournament to play in the unfamiliar milieu of Section 4. According to Semo, the physical style of play and the atmosphere was reminiscent of the Pennsylvania scene his team had encountered at camp. That summer session turned out to be great preparation for the Delhi tourney.

On December 3, the Bears approached their championship game against Delhi like a team on a mission. They pulled off a 68-67 win with John Merchant hitting a three-pointer with less than two seconds left in the game. Merchant’s shot capped off a furious comeback that featured the Bears’ return from an eight-point deficit, with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

With the tournament in the rearview mirror, the Bears took their two-game winning streak into their home opener on December 6 against Ellenville, a non-league opponent.

The Bears wasted no time delighting the home crowd, who made the gym rumble with thunder sticks and chants. Immediately, the Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead with senior Danny Walter nailing two lay-ups on the Bears’ first two possessions. The first half ended with the Bears up 54-35.

The second half saw the Bears increase their lead. With help from every player on the roster, Tri-Valley ended the game with a 89-67 win. Every player on the bench had scored at least two points in the game.

Merchant led all scorers with 20 points. Freshman Dustin VanLieu had 15 and junior Fred Moore had 11. Moore led the rebounding with 9.

For Ellenville, Frankie Maldonado led the scoring with 24 points. Bryan Alexander had 16 and Bryan Karow had 15.

The Bears have big plans for this season despite their lack of size. With everybody playing as a leader, and consistency from their playmakers, the Bears are hoping to make a run at the state playoffs this year.

But Semo understands it’s one game at a time.

The next challenge was a match-up against the Eldred Yellowjackets on December 12.

The Bears controlled the tip and got off to a quick 2-0 lead with a lay-up from Fred Moore. On Eldred’s next possession, Merchant made a picture-perfect steal and drove down the court to make the lead 4-0. The Bears scored eight points before Eldred could reply. The rest of the game would mirror much of the opening minutes, as the first half saw key plays coming from Moore, Merchant and Dustin VanLieu. The Bears went into half time up 36-15.

Tri-Valley continued its blistering pace at the start of the second half. Merchant scored a few quick baskets off of some steals. As the Bears began to rotate in their bench players, Eldred began to show signs of exhaustion and frustration. The Yellowjackets were only able to score 11 points in the second half, and lost the game 70-26.

Merchant led Tri-Valley with 16 points. Moore contributed 11 and Dustin VanLieu had 10. Moore and junior William Elberth led the Bears in rebounds with nine. Eldred’s leading scorer was John Scully with 11. The Bears moved to 4-0 on the season and hosted the Family School on December 16. Eldred fell to 0-3.

Eldred was scheduled to play Fallsburg on December 15 and Tri-Valley was all set to duke it out with the undefeated Family School, who also boasts a 4-0 record. Nasty winter weather forced cancellations of both of those games.