The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Boys Fall To BroadalbinPerth, 57 – 52

By

by Steve Bradley

The HFCS boys basketball team suffered a tough defeat Saturday January 2 when visiting Broadabin-Perth held them off after a back and forth battle. The score was rarely separated by more than three points throughout the second half.

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Panther Connor McCart goes up for a basket against the Broadalbin-Perth Patriots Saturday evening at HFCS. The Panthers hung with the Patriots but came up a bit short at the end. Photo by Steve Bradley
Panther Connor McCart goes up for a basket against the Broadalbin-Perth Patriots Saturday evening at HFCS. The Panthers hung with the Patriots but came up a bit short at the end. Photo by Steve Bradley

Prior to the game, HFCS head coach Mike Lilac was honored for his 300th win. The win came on December 22 against Granville in a game played at Granville. Lilac, head coach since 1996, was joined on the court by his wife, Katy, his children Alex and Hannah, and his parents, Mike and Patty. Lilac’s overall record over the years stands at 300 wins and 121 losses for a .713 winning percentage. Lilac’s father coached Stillwater High School boys basketball to 450 wins.

Head coach Mike Lilac gets applause from his wife, Katy, for his coaching the HFCS boys basketball team to 300 wins. In a pre-game ceremony, Lilac received a warm round of applause for the accomplishment. Photo by Steve Bradley
Head coach Mike Lilac gets applause from his wife, Katy, for his coaching the HFCS boys basketball team to 300 wins. In a pre-game ceremony, Lilac received a warm round of applause for the accomplishment. Photo by Steve Bradley

The Panthers got off to a good start, scoring 15 points to B-P’s 11 in the opening quarter. The Panthers appeared capable of giving the Patriots all they could handle, and for the most part, the rest of the way they did. The Patriots turned the tables in the second quarter, outscoring the Panthers 17 – 13. The Panthers really struggled to get the ball in the basket sending the teams to the locker room at halftime with the score knotted at 28 all.

The exciting second half was a battle with both teams trading the lead. B-P would grab a 2 point advantage and the Panthers would come back and tie it again. With just over five minutes left, the Panthers were hanging on to a one point lead. With just under two minutes to go, the Patriots had a two point, 54 – 52, lead. The Panthers never scored again and while B-P added just three more of their own, it was enough to take a win onto the bus for the long ride home.

Connor McCart had 23 points and Rem Hickey contributed 17.

The coming week will find the Panthers at Tamarac High on Friday, January 8 to face the Bengals. Saturday, January 9, Lake George will make the trip to HFCS with a 5:30 pm start. Tuesday, Jan. 12, Mechanicville will come to the Panther Den.[/private]