by Ryan Mosher
For the second time in four days, the Berlin boys basketball team posted a double digit victory over a top team in the Central Hudson Valley League. After knocking Germantown out of a tie for first place at home on Friday, the Mountaineers took to the road to face Waterford, the second place team in the CHVL. Berlin entered the game tied for fourth in the league with a 4-2 record.
The Fordians started out strong, hitting a three-pointer on their first possession. The Mountaineers responded with a put back by senior Brent Demick. Another basket by Waterford gave them a three point lead, the largest they would have all night. Berlin went on a 10-3 run to end the quarter, giving them a 12-8 lead.
The second quarter was back and forth between the two teams, as Berlin managed to overcome a height advantage by Waterford and kept them from controlling the boards. Down 18-17 midway through the quarter, the Mountaineers went on an 11-2 run. The team took advantage of the Fordians’ constant attempt to double team Berlin’s leading scorer, Chris Zema, and found the open player for easy shots. Those easy shots helped the Mountaineers take a 28-20 lead going into halftime.
In the third quarter it was Berlin senior Brent Demick who led the team. Demick scored 10 of his 13 points in the quarter, including several baskets off offensive rebounds. The Mountaineers increased their lead throughout the entire quarter and led 48-31 at the end of the third. In the final eight minutes, Waterford battled to cut into the Mountaineer lead but could not get any closer than 12 points. While Berlin maintained their composure, beat the press, double teams and traps that were thrown their way, the Fordians could not do the same. Casey Gilbert made a steal and layup to give Berlin a 53-38 lead with under two minutes to play and then took a charge to get Berlin the ball back right away, effectively ending the game for Waterford. The Mountaineers won by a final score of 55-40.
Despite the constant double coverage, Zema still managed to put in a game high 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Demick recorded a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Gilbert added 10 points for Berlin. Despite being the smaller team, Berlin managed to out rebound Waterford and hold all of their players to single digit scoring. The Mountaineers are now tied for second place with a 5-2 record in the CHVL and 5-6 overall. Their next game is Thursday, January 22, at New Lebanon at 6 pm.