Boys basketball

Manor’s huge fourth quarter fuels win over Roscoe

Wildcats tighten defense and get key rebounds to ice win

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Roscoe coach Fred Ahart looked over the Manor players during their warm-ups, wistfully remembering how much he enjoyed coaching some of them during football when the two schools set aside their historic rivalry and joined forces.

Come spring, the two schools will unite in baseball, track and golf. But during basketball season, they return to what they have always been, fierce foes.

There’s something special about the match-ups between these two schools that are separated by a few miles along the Quickway. Anytime you get Roscoe and Livingston Manor going at it head to head, you can expect high energy and a fight to the finish.

This Division VI game on January 20 fit that description. Early on, it looked like it would be Roscoe’s night. Seriously in search of their first league victory of the season, the Blue Devils looked athletic, quick and efficient. They fluently passed over the top of Manor’s press and got easy transition baskets at the other end. Both teams turned the ball over in the early going, and Roscoe’s Troy Kirchner found an open seam around the foul line to deposit a couple of shots. A three-pointer by Jayson Harris added to the mix as Roscoe moved out to a 10-4 lead after the first quarter.

For their part, the Wildcats had a hard time establishing big man Rob Baker down low. Roscoe’s quick moving defense was frustrating Manor, and when they did get the ball in to Baker, he found himself sandwiched between two Roscoe defenders. Manor didn’t score for the final three and a half minutes of the first frame.

Baker finally got position inside, and scored the first basket of the second quarter. Shane Lewis got the Wildcats within two, and Baker’s free throws tied the game at 10-all, before Mike Perry gave Manor the lead back. Kirchner and Harris closed the quarter with scoring, as the Blue Devils took a 19-15 lead into halftime.

Manor coach Charlie Hicks stressed the need to close out the open looks, which were benefiting Kirchner. Hicks tried a 3-2 defense with his players pinching the middle, went briefly to a man-to-man, before returning to his team’s bread-and-butter defense, the two-three. It worked like a charm. Kirchner’s production dropped from eight in the first half to four in the second.

The third quarter saw Manor withstand a Roscoe run fueled by Dan DeVantier, Kirchner, a three-pointer by Harris and a basket by Lance Brookins. The Wildcats answered with points from Rob Baker, Perry and threes by Ethan McCann and James Baker. Roscoe held on to a slim lead of 38-35 after three quarters.

DeVantier went baseline to start the fourth, but McCann drained another three to tie the game at 40-40 with 6:49 to play. Rob Baker got his team the lead, and the Wildcats never trailed again.

Perry stepped up big time with drives to the rack and free throws. He punctuated his assault with a timely three to give Manor a 50-43 lead with 2:17.

Down the stretch, freshman Shane Lewis got numerous rebounds and hit some big free throws to keep Roscoe at bay. The Wildcats used their size advantage inside to control the boards, and took advantage of Roscoe’s foul trouble to get to the line. DeVantier hit a three in the waning minutes, but Roscoe never got closer than six points down the stretch. Manor outscored Roscoe 22-10 in the fourth quarter.

DeVantier led Roscoe with 18 points. Kirchner had 12 and Harris had eight.

Rob Baker led the Wildcats with 21 points. Perry had 16 and McCann had nine.

Livingston Manor was 15 for 22 from the line; Roscoe was four for 10.

“I thought both teams played hard and very clean,” said Ahart. “Give Manor credit. Down the stretch, they used their height advantage and controlled the boards.” Ahart said that his team’s ability to beat the press early on kept them going.

Hicks was extremely pleased to get the win. “We switched up defenses, trying to close that free-throw area where Kirchner was scoring from. He can hit that shot all night,” he said. “Mike Perry had a huge game and Shane Lewis came up big with 11 rebounds and three of five free-throws,” Hicks added.

Manor improved to 3-8 (2-2 OCIAA) while Roscoe fell to 2-7 (0-3 OCIAA).

For additional pictures of the game, including the cheerleaders from both schools, visit riverreportersports.com.