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Sports

Boys Basketball: Red Devils Overcome Hornets

Peekskill High School's 18-0 start in third quarter ruins Lakeland senior day

When Peekskill (11-7) traveled to Lakeland (8-10) in what was the regular-season finale for both teams, the game was important for two reasons.

One, each team wanted to get a win so it could set itself up to earn the best seed possible in the upcoming Section 1 Class A tournament. Each squad also wanted to brush up on its game before it went into the upcoming sectionals.

The Red Devils, who led 29-25 at halftime, started the third quarter on a 18-0 run and held on for a 66-53 triumph on Feb. 15.

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That run started when Jordan Clark drilled a trey from the left corner and finished when a Gydal Sorrell hoop put Peekskill up 47-25. What played a big part in that run for the Red Devils was their defense setting up their offense for easy baskets.

"That's the way we are supposed to play defense the whole time," Peekskill coach Lou Panzanaro said. "In the third quarter, all of a sudden it clicked. Maybe it was because it was a close game at halftime. I don't know why things clicked then, but they did."

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Things for Lakeland began to "click" toward the end of the third quarter when the boys scored the last eight points of that stanza. Marcus Lent's hoop cut Peekskill's lead to 47-33 at the end of the quarter.

Lent was one of five Lakeland seniors playing in their final regular-season home game. The others were Savahn Steadman, David Judisky, JV Quiao and Brian Miller.

"Everybody may have different years of experience but they all work hard and come ready to play every night," Lakeland coach Henry Weltman said of his seniors.

Lakeland continued to charge hard, as it pulled to within seven, 52-45, on a 3-pointer by Tyler Troppman, who scored all eight of his points in the final quarter.

"In the third quarter, we were going really strong," Panzanaro said. "We were up 22 and they made a run, they cut it to seven. How did that happen? It was their energy and us making some mistakes."

Unfortunately for Weltman's crew, going scoreless for the first six minutes of the third quarter did Lakeland in as it didn't get any closer than seven. Lakeland had a chance to cut it to five but lost possession of the basketball after making a defensive stop.

Then a field goal by Kyree Hull and a 3-pointer by Clark put Peekskill up 59-47 with 2:10 to go to put the game out of reach.

"The first six minutes of the third quarter, that is what killed us when they went on a 18-0 run," Weltman said. "We played about 26 minutes worth of basketball which you can't do against Peekskill, you have to play 32."

You also have to play a full 32 minutes of hoops if you want to enjoy postseason success.

"We talked about it and I told my team that if you can add six more minutes what you did tonight against a team like that, you can do anything," Weltman said. "But if you take six minutes off in a playoff situation, the party is over. You have to come ready to play in the playoffs for 32 minutes of basketball."

The seeding meeting for the Section 1 Class A tournament, as well as the other classes, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 16.

The outbracket games will be played Thursday, Feb. 17 and the opening-round matchups will take place Friday, Feb. 18.

"When we move the basketball to open people, we have a chance to be good," Panzanaro said. "It's when we try to go one-on-one and try to do too much, it's not there and we struggle. We are in as good a place as we are going to be going into the sectionals."

Peekskill played without Nayge Wagner, who was out due to injury, but he will be back for the game on Friday.

"It's going to be tough, there are going to be a lot of good teams in that tournament," Panzanaro said. 

POINT TOTALS

Peekskill-Shaine Carter (19), Jordan Clark (13), Kyree Hull (13), Mykell Nevins (11), Jermaine Hughley (4), Gydal Sorrell (4), Jamel Cuthberson (2)

Lakeland-Marcus Lent (14), Matt Tartaglia (10), Tyler Troppman (8), Savahn Steadman (6), Alex Perlman (5), Dan Eremita (4), Matt Wright (4), David Judisky (2)

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