Boys basketball

One that got away

Dawgs lose heartbreaker as Cornwall dodges a bullet

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — For all their savvy and expertise, even the most knowledgeable pundits can never predict the wily ways of the game of basketball.

Given the history between Sullivan West and Cornwall, which has usually manifested itself in the Dragons scorching the Bulldogs, Sullivan West coach Rick Ellison figured his team was likely in for a nearly insurmountable challenge.

Last year, Sullivan West lost only five games. Three of them were to Burke and the other two were to Cornwall. Still, this game did feature a match up between two teams that came in at 4-0.

“If you had told me at lunch today that this game would be decided by one point, I would have turned cartwheels,” Ellison said following his team’s one- point defeat.

“But now, I’m upset,” he said.

Heartsick would be a more apropos description.

It’s not often that you get a chance to beat Cornwall and the Bulldogs had this one nearly won. With a furious run in the fourth quarter, predicated on a menacing zone defense, the Bulldogs had a one-point lead and were set to inbound the ball with 27.7 seconds left on the clock.

Cornwall coach Tom Howe knew that if Sullivan West got the ball inbounds, his team would have to foul. He also knew the caliber of Sullivan West’s free-throw shooters, especially the marksmanship of guard Kevin Cappiello, who was set to receive that crucial pass from Brett Youmans.

Howe’s plan: put his scrappiest and most solid defender on that pass in the person of guard Scott Valens.

The inbounds play, which Ellison referred to as the “x” play, has never resulted in a steal.

Never, that is, until this crucial moment against Cornwall.

Valens read Cappiello’s move perfectly, dove to the floor with the ball in tow and called time out. During the time out, Sullivan West coaches knew they had to keep the ball away from Cornwall’s go-to guy Peter Bradley. These final seconds would be a test of wits and each team’s mettle.

Howe schemed the final play this way. “I felt they would sink into the lane with four players to deny the ball to Bradley. We put him in the post and I said, ‘let’s play our regular zone offense,’” said Howe. The Dragons zipped the ball around the perimeter looking for an open man, while the Bulldogs’ box and one zone rotated quickly to the ball. For a second it looked as if an open Jerrett Benton would take the shot from the left corner, but the ball went back to Valens at the top of the key, who dribbled and shot the dagger as time nearly expired.

It was a gamble. If he missed it, the Bulldogs would have gotten one of their biggest upsets in recent years, but Valens is great off the dribble.

Both coaches knew they had just witnessed a game of extremely high intensity.

“Sullivan West played great,” said Howe. “We had them in terms of size and they played really hard. It was hard to get open shots. Rick Ellison has them well coached. A lot of bodies were banging out there.”

Howe and his team were stunned to see Sullivan West roar back from a big deficit. Bradley, who has been lighting it up for the undefeated Dragons this year, was held to a season low of 14 points as Sullivan West changed up from its initial man defense to the zone. During a Cornwall run in the second quarter, the Dragons extended their lead to as much as 14 points, but the Bulldogs’ intensity on defense and the shooting of Cappiello abraded that margin to five by halftime.

It might well have been two or less. A driving basket by Cappiello and a conjoining free throw on the drive would have cut that lead to a deuce with time left to press, but Cappiello was whistled for a questionable offensive foul instead. Bulldog coaches fumed as they headed to the locker room.

To get the sense of the chronology let’s rewind the clock to the tip off.

Sullivan West controlled the tip and Derek Hahn’s put back of a Kevin Brewer miss gave the Dawgs the lead. Cornwall ran off screens to get two quick baskets from Jon Wells and Bradley to take the lead back. A nice dish from Cappiello to Hahn got the big fella open for two and one. A short while later, a shot by Cornwall’s Dan Whalen gave the Dragons an 8-7 lead, and the two teams battled for nearly three minutes with that score intact. A Valens’ three made it 11-7 but the Dawgs got a bucket from Alan Ackermann to close the frame down two.

Cornwall inbounded the ball in the second quarter and extended the lead to four before Cappiello got a put-back to trim it again. Then Cornwall went on a run. A series of poor shot selections by the Bulldogs, several turnovers and Cornwall’s patience fueled the lift-off. Bradley hit a three to double up the Dawgs at 22-11. Valens followed with a trey to send the lead to 14. It looked like it was going to turn into a typical Dragon torching, but the Bulldogs never lost their confidence or composure. Forcing turnovers and getting good shots the Bulldogs climbed right back in. The pre-half dramatics have already been noted.

Cornwall led 35-29 after three as Sullivan West missed long shots and didn’t make key free-throws, netting only nine points in the frame. Their defense, however, was superb. It took a Bradley buzzer beater to give the Dragons that six-point margin heading into the final quarter.

Hahn got a couple of huge blocks in the fourth quarter, including a dominant denial of a shot by Sean D’Auria. Kevin Brewer got the Bulldogs within one at 37-36 and Alan Ackermann gave the Dawgs a lead at 38-37 with 4:38 remaining.

The crowd was on its feet and the joint was jumping.

When Derek Hahn stole the ball and lumbered up the floor, the cheers became deafening. Hahn was hammered and went to the stripe with a chance to extend the lead but he missed both free throws. Cappiello tipped the rebound of the second back out but the Bulldogs turned it over on a traveling call.

Valens hit a jumper to put Cornwall back on top, but the lead was going to change hands repeatedly. Bradley hit one of two free throws, but Cappiello gave the Dawgs the lead back with a magical three. The score read 41-40 with 2:54 remaining.

In the remaining flurry before the crucial final play, each team got two baskets to bring the score to that defining moment with Sullivan West leading 45-44. A key turnover on a lazy pass up the floor by Sullivan West was crucial in the final outcome.

The rest, as they say, is history. Valens had 13 points on the night, and the Dragons went three-for-seven from the line. Hahn had 11, in addition to Cappiello’s 20. The Bulldogs shot eight-for-14 from the line.

Cornwall is now 5-0 and the Bulldogs sustained their first loss, bringing their record to 4-1. Ellison had effusive praise for Cappiello. “He’s one of the best players in Section 9. He just doesn’t understand that yet,” he said. As he looked back over the heartbreaking loss, Ellison was quick to take the blame. “I could have done a better job,” he said.

It was only after the game was over that he realized that the Bulldogs still had one foul to give. Who knows, it might have made a difference. But then again, when a kid hits a big shot like Valens did in the clutch, there’s not much you can do about it.

More challenges lie ahead for Sullivan West as it continues its segment against Class A schools, with upcoming games against Goshen, Monticello and Port Jervis.