Takes Tourney Opener In Overtime, 55-47
by Gary Danforth
The Hoosick Falls Central School boys basketball season got off to a positive start last Wednesday, November 26, when they won their opening round game over Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School to the tune of 55-47 in overtime in the opening round of the Rensselaer High School Thanksgiving Tip-Off Tournament. Hoosick Falls rode a 25 point performance by junior Kevin McMahon and eleven point efforts by seniors Anthony Goldstein and Tanner Finney to get Coach Mike Lilac Jr. his 178th career win as HFCS hoop boss. Hoosick Falls battled back from a six point halftime deficit to gain their initial win of the 2008-09 hoop campaign.
Rebounding from Afar: It will be a very competitive year of basketball for the Panthers as there look to be no weak games on the schedule. Close games at the end of regulation and overtime wins and losses may be a regularity rather then the exception during this long 2008-09 season.
Tournament Champs
It was a successful Thanksgiving weekend for the Hoosick Falls Central School boys basketball team as they beat host Rensselaer High School 56-48 in overtime to claim the championship of that tourney for the second time in the past two years. Junior Kevin McMahon, 6’5”, scored 21 points to lead the Panther cause as HFCS won the same season opening tourney championship which they previously won in 2006.
The teams were deadlocked at 45-45 after regulation play but Hoosick Falls outscored their hosts by 11-3 in the extra session to take the championship. This was the Panthers’ second overtime win in this tournament.
Hoosick Falls took a 13-11 lead after one quarter, and the Panthers led by a slim 25-23 margin at halftime. Then the Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 11-10 in periods three and four to close to within one at 35-34 after three quarters and knotted the score at 45-45 at the end of regulation.
Hoosick Falls took command of the overtime session and pulled out the championship tourney win. Tanner Finney with 15 points, Kevin Gorman, 6, Nick Bartolotta, 4, Kevin Woods, 4, Zack Hall, 2 and Hutton Rasmus with 2 points also scored for HFCS. Shane Brozowski with 19 points and Chris Britt with 10 paced the Ram attack.
Rebounding from afar: The championship title win gives HFCS a 2-0 record on the year. The title clinching win was Lilac’s 179th career win as HFCS hoop boss. In close games, there are few coaches who will outcoach Lilac. Next up for Hoosick Falls is an away contest at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, VT, on Tuesday, December 9, with a 6 pm JV start time. The Panthers then play another road game when they travel to Granville on Friday, December 12.