Basketball

Rampaging Bears run visiting Wildcats out of their den

Talented Tri-Valley proves to be way too much for Livingston Manor

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY - “Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my,” fretted Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow as they pondered the dangers in the dark forest of “The Wizard of Oz.”

As it turned out, they need not have worried. All they encountered was a cowardly lion, afraid of his own roar.

The Livingston Manor Wildcats were not so lucky as they entered the Tri-Valley Bears’ den of thieves on December 12. There they were fleeced of the basketball more times than one could count, victimized by the Bears’ size and athleticism, out hustled and overmatched.

Coming in with a record of 3-2, the Wildcats had beaten Roscoe, Eldred and Ellenville with a gritty style of play that earned them respect. They hung tough against Sullivan West for a while, and they led S.S. Seward for three.

“This is the best team we’ve seen, or are likely to see, this year,” Manor coach Charlie Hicks said after the 89-46 debacle.

The coach and his team could take little comfort from their unraveling at the hands of Tri-Valley except to be thankful that the Bears don’t inhabit the landscape of Class D.

No, dear reader, it wasn’t lions and tigers that the Wildcats faced, just a clan of rampaging, talented Bears gone amuck with steals, run outs, alley oops and a bench that runs 12 deep, compared to Manor’s six. Before the night was over, first-year coach Brian Tingley had inserted the entire dozen and they all scored.

From the opening tip, which was controlled by Tri-Valley standout Fred Moore, the Bears were off and running. Although they turned the ball over on their first possession, from there on their play became a blur of menacing defense, steals and passes up the floor for easy transition buckets.

Great play by all five of Tri-Valley starters, including the electric John Merchant, Moore, Dustin VanLieu, Kevin Delaney and William Elberth, had the packed gym replete with the 2006 version of the Grahamsville Crazies in a tizzy.

You want atmosphere? You come to The Den.

With their faces painted in Blue and Red adorned with the letters T, V and the word Bears, Kyle Byrne, Samantha Santiago, Matthew and Mark Garigliano had their group of rabid fans adding energy and pulse to the rhythmic cadences of Tri-Valley’s incomparable cheerleaders.

The first quarter produced a 33-12 lead, fueled by outlet passes off of every Manor miss. Merchant had nine points, but unselfishly dished the ball off to others for easy layups as the defense closed on him. Moore had six in the first frame, showing his capacity to elevate over defenders. Delaney ran the point and distributed the ball well in those few sets where the Bears were actually working in a half-court offense. He added four points in the opening frame.

Manor’s James Baker had a trio of three-pointers, as he continued to show his fine touch from downtown. Shane Lewis added a three-pointer for the Wildcats’ first quarter tally. Penetration into the paint was problematic for the Wildcats as they encountered Tingley’s mix of man-to-man help defense and a two-three zone.

Hicks knew his team couldn’t possibly guard Tri-Valley man-to-man, so he worked his squad into a two-three zone. “We didn’t get out on their shooters and when we did, they beat us on the baseline,” Hicks noted after the game. “Too many horses, too much talent.”

What the Bears unleashed is a function of the way they practice. Tingley noted that they will wait to practice late after the other teams have finished, so that they can get the full gym to practice their outlets and run outs. The results were impressive, but there are much bigger fish to fry for the ravenous Bears, who went on to beat Chester at home by the score of 56-36 two days later.

It was the Hambletonians that ended Tri-Valley’s 13-8 season last year with a devastating 49-48 defeat in the Section IX quarterfinals.

This year’s team, which was assiduously put together by Jason Semo, wears warm ups that say “The Team” on the front and “The Year” on the back. Semo is now the athletic director at Liberty but he left his mark on this talented group that has been coming on strong for the past two years. Tingley, a wizard in his own rite when it comes to the x’s and o’s of the game, is the perfect replacement. Quieter, yes, but no less intense.

The Bears are now 4-0 after a pair of wins at the Delhi tournament against Delhi and Walton. The match up against Chester says more about the current state of the Bears’ affairs in the dangerous waters of Class C. Lurking in those turbulent seas are the defending champs Millbrook, a potentially lethal team in Webutuck, Tuxedo and, of course, Chester. Asked how it felt to play in front of the home crowd after the game, Merchant, who ranks as one of the top players in the region, said, “It feels good. We’re coming together. It’s going to be a good year.”

As far as the rest of the game was concerned, the details can be summed up quickly.

The Bears led 52-24 at the half with Merchant having turned in 15 of his game-high 20 points. Delaney had all eight of his points as he was replaced at the point by Kevin Drown, who would go on to post six points in the second half.

Moore had eight-of-his-nine in the first half as well. He sat out most of the second half, as others, including Sean Drown, Bo Murphy, Ryan VanLieu and Michael Kaplan, got into the flow. Kaplan got red hot as the game wound down, scoring all eight of his points in the closing minutes.

Tri-Valley’s lead continued to burgeon in the third quarter, although the Bears’ defensive intensity abated somewhat. Tri-Valley led 69-37 after three quarters.

Other Bears who contributed to the onslaught included Dustin VanLieu with nine, Bruce Moore with seven, Murphy with six, Ryan VanLieu with five, Elberth and Sean Drown with four each and David McDonald with three.

Baker led the Wildcats with 19, including four from beyond the arc. Mike Hendrickson had nine points and Eric Bonilla had eight.

The Wildcats were six-for-15 from the line. Tri-Valley went five-for-12 from the stripe.

Tingley was pleased with the outing. “The kids were unselfish. They didn’t always look to get their own shots. They gave it up to someone who had a better shot. They had good vision down the court,” he added.

Tingley complimented the play of his bench. “They kept up the tempo,” said Tingley, who had been trying without much luck to rein in his team in an attempt to keep things respectable.

Manor’s intense schedule that has allowed no time for practice will abate somewhat over the next week, and Hicks and company can get back in the gym and work on the things that will make them a force in the Class D wars.

As for the Bears, they know the long season looms large. Last year, the team got out to a quick start but faltered at season’s end. This year, they are confident that things will be different. In Bear Country that is defined by the mantra, “The Team, The Year.”