Basketball

Rockin’ the New Year

First week of 2008 brings high intensity basketball games to Sullivan County teams

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Coaches will tell you that early season non-league games and holiday tournaments are mostly about working on chemistry and don’t mean that much in the long run. But given the fact that a team’s overall record, which includes those early games as one of two possible criteria for qualifying for sectionals, that statement is not entirely true.

But whether or not the outcome of early season play affects a team’s chances for earning a ticket to the big dance of sectionals, the games serve as an interesting preliminary to the fireworks that ignite vociferously in early January and end in a spellbinding display in March.

So on January 2, while some people were still sleeping off the belated effects of their New Year’s celebrations, Sullivan County teams jumped into the maelstrom of competition, playing games against league rivals and some tough non-league ones to kick off a first week on the hardwood that was fast and furious.

Boys action

Sullivan West played a pair of Division IV games and found itself on the losing end of both. In the January 2 tilt with James I. O’Neill, the Bulldogs led most of the way. They eventually succumbed to the Raiders by the score of 65-56, behind deft three-point shooting of Jimmy Doonan who canned a quartet of treys. Teammates Connor Broessler and Robert Dunn netted 10 points each, while Sullivan West’s Brad Reimer and Chris Story each had 14. O’Neill (6-3, 4-0 OCIAA) added Sullivan West to its early season league wins over Burke and Liberty and its late week win over Fallsburg.

Two days later, the Bulldogs traveled to Burke and suffered a crushing 85-34 defeat (See “Talon talent” on page 34).

But the week ended on an extremely positive note as Sullivan West came back to overtake hot-shooting Port Jervis in the Billy Moran tournament final on January 5. Led by tournament MVP Brad Reimer, who scored 27, the Bulldogs capped off their magical tournament run that began with a stunning overtime win over S.S. Seward on December 6. In that game, Reimer’s overtime shot with 1.7 seconds remaining catapulted the Bulldogs to the championship round. Chris Story was named to the tournament All-Star team. He scored 20 points in the tourney final. Jason Leewe added 11. Marcus Burbridge led Port Jervis (3-6) with 19 points. Sullivan West finished the first week at 5-5 (0-2 OCIAA). This coming week, they will take to the road for a rematch with Port Jervis on January 8 and then head to Tri-Valley on January 10. Last year, Sullivan West handed Tri-Valley its only regular-season defeat.

Liberty defeated Fallsburg 80-57 in a Division IV fray on January 2. Dustin VanLieu had 25 points in the win for the Indians (3-4, 1-1 OCIAA). Darius Buckner scored 22 points for Fallsburg, who succumbed to O’Neill in another league tilt on January 4 by the score of 80-71. That loss brought the Comets’ record to 2-7 (1-2 OCIAA). Liberty hosted Monticello on January 8 for the annual bragging rights game and then traveled to O’Neill. Fallsburg traveled to Tuxedo on January 8 and will host Burke in a league game on January 11.

Monticello (3-6, 1-1 OCIAA) fell to Cornwall (9-1, 3-0 OCIAA) 57-32 on January 4. Jon Hernandez led the Panthers with 14 points. After playing Liberty on January 8, Monticello played Valley Central on January 10.

Livingston Manor (4-3, 3-0 OCIAA) fell to John A. Coleman Catholic 56-45 in a non-league game on January 2. They beat Roscoe (4-3, 1-2 OCIAA) in a Division V game on January 4 by a score of 54-48. Mike Hendrickson scored 16 points and hauled in 15 rebounds in the win. James Baker had 20 for the Wildcats, while Cody DeRosia netted 21 for the Blue Devils.

Earlier in the week, Roscoe had defeated Hancock 61-47. Roscoe defeated St. Rose in a non-league game on January 7 and then welcomed Eldred for a Division V match up on January 10. Manor hosted Chapel Field on January 8 in a league fray and then traveled to Chester on January 10 for a non-league game.

Eldred (1-6) fell to Tuxedo 70-43 on January 2, but came back to beat Sussex Vo-Tech on January 5. John Scully scored 35 points and Bobby Moriggia added 12.

Tri-Valley (5-3, 2-0 OCIAA) downed Tuxedo (1-9, 0-2 OCIAA) 56-32 in a league game on January 4. Bo Murphy scored 30 points in the Division V win. This week, the Bears traveled to S.S. Seward for a league game on January 8 and hosted Sullivan West in a non-league game on January 10.

Girls action

Sullivan West (6-1, 2-0 OCIAA) defeated James I. O’Neill (3-4, 0-2 OCIAA) 60-48 on January 2 (See “Tall Order” on page 32.) This week, the Lady Bulldogs defeated Monticello on January 7, traveled to Port Jervis on January 9 before their first fiery clash with Burke on the road on January 11. Liberty (0-8, 0-2 OCIAA) fell to Fallsburg (2-7, 1-2 OCIAA) on January 3 by the score of 49-39. Fallsburg’s Erinn Gilmore had 20 points for the Lady Comets. Liberty lost to The Family School (5-2) by the score of 47-33 on January 4.

This week, Liberty fell to Port Jervis on January 7, visited Monticello on January 9 and will host Tri-Valley on January 11 for a trio of non-league games. Fallsburg traveled to Chester on January 7, hosted Tuxedo on January 9 and will travel to O’Neill for a league game on January 11.

Tri-Valley (4-3, 1-1) fell to Tuxedo 55-35 on January 3. The Lady Bears traveled to undefeated S.S. Seward for a league game on January 9 before playing host to Liberty on January 11.

Livingston Manor (7-2, 2-1) started the new year undefeated but suffered a pair of losses in week one. The first came against John A. Coleman Catholic by the score of 53-24 on January 2. The Lady Wildcats then succumbed to Roscoe 49-45 on January 3. Roscoe’s Sky Dutcher netted 14 points in the win for the Lady Blue Devils (3-4, 2-0 OCIAA). Paige Clancy added 11 points for Roscoe. Marissa Diescher had 14 points for Livingston Manor.

Roscoe defeated St. Rose on January 7, hosted Chester on January 9 and will host Eldred on January 11. Livingston Manor lost to Tuxedo on January 7, hosted Chapel Field in a league fray on January 9 and will host S.S. Seward on January 11.

Eldred (1-6) defeated Sussex Vo-Tech on January 5 by the score of 29-26 on January 5. The Lady Yellowjackets traveled to The Family School on January 8 and will visit Roscoe on January 11 for a pair of league games.

Visit riverreportersports.com to keep up with this week’s action.