YORKTOWN, N.Y.—Poughkeepsie ended the first half on a 19-8 run to go up 34-23 at halftime, but host Yorktown rallied in the second half for a 61-55 win in Conference I League A action on Jan. 13.
“At halftime, we told the kids that we were getting pushed around quite a bit and we had to respond,” said Yorktown coach Mark Pavella. “Our energy was just better in the second half and that’s what allowed us to play better. We also played man-to-man, which got us going a little better.”
Leading the Huskers to the victory was Kaden Gonzalez (23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) and Sander Stone (14 points).
“They played within the system and with what we wanted to run, which helped,” Pavella said “It alleviated some pressure off of those guys and got them open looks.”
A Poughkeepsie free throw put the Pioneers up 43-30 before Yorktown finished the third quarter on a 9-2 run, that was concluded by a field goal and foul shot by Brian Hansen (5 points), cutting the deficit to 45-39.
Stone then started the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer.
“We were down a lot of points at halftime, we needed to create some energy,” Stone said. “That starts with the bench and the guys on the floor. That 3-point play got us going. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. I had a rough first half. The second half they helped get me over the hump.”
David Marasevic (6 points) followed with a 3-pointer of his own to tie the game at 45-45.
Yorktown then took the lead, Poughkeepsie knotted the score but Gonzalez responded with a jumper, two foul shots, and a layup that made it 53-47 in the Huskers’ favor.
“During that stretch, it was huge for us to defend,” Gonzalez said. “As for scoring, I knew I had to play within the flow of the offense. No matter what, whether the shot drops or not, my teammates believe in me and it just felt good to go on a run like that.”
Stone followed by hitting his third trey of the game, extending Yorktown’s lead to 56-47.
“It was a transition three,” Stone said. “I saw myself open and I trusted myself. My coaches believe in me to take that shot, so I took it. It felt really good. At that point, I was like, alright I’m pretty confident that we could win this game, and close it out.”
Poughkeepsie fought back but Gonzalez sealed the game with two foul shots, making the score 60-55, with Marasevic adding a free throw for the game’s final point.
“Those foul shots were pretty big because they came down and hit two transition threes, so I stayed composed at the line, and just believed in myself for them to go in,” Gonzalez said.
Stone said that the game felt really good to win.
“They were ranked ahead of us in the section and we took that personally,” Stone said. “We were below them and we wanted to get a big dub, it’s a league game as well.”
A league that includes Arlington, Roy C. Ketcham, John Jay-East Fishkill, Carmel, Mahopac, Brewster, along with Yorktown and Poughkeepsie.
“Every game is going to be tough, so we have to be ready to play in order to compete with all the teams up in Dutchess and Putnam,” Pavella said.
Ryan Duffy (6 points, 6 rebounds), Colin Worden (4 points), Franklin Ringel (2 points), and Phil Harbolic (1 point) also contributed to the win.
“This win is huge for our momentum as we continue with league play and going away on the road,” Gonzalez said. “We just have to take it one game at a time and one practice at a time. It just feels good to get another W. We are back to work on Wednesday (at Carmel).”
After playing Carmel, Yorktown will compete in the 2025 Army National Guard Hoophall Invitational at Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Huskers (6-2) play Taunton at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, and will be in action either in the third-place game (11 a.m.) or in the championship game (12:45 p.m.) on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here