The championship of the Arthur Hilliard Memorial Basketball Tournament was up for grabs Tuesday night after Schenectady opened the third quarter with its best run.
“All of their points were coming off turnovers and bad shots on our part. We cleaned up our act and pulled away,” Scotia-Glenville senior Mike Palleschi said after helping his team surge to a 76-56 victory at the Pat Riley Sports Center. “We persevered. We kept our composure.”
The Tartans did what they had in 33 consecutive games before, making plays when it mattered most and came out on top in a physical affair.
The key segment was the final five minutes of the third frame, when Palleschi and Joe Cremo stepped forward in a 12-4 charge with a combined 11 points.
“This was every bit of a sectional environment, and what they did is dig in,” Scotia-Glenville coach Jim Giammattei said of his defending state champions. “That was mental toughness.”
Scotia-Glenville (7-0) claimed its second straight Hilliard title at Schenectady’s expense, and Cremo repeated as the most valuable player with 31 points which included a 17-for-20 effort from the foul line. Palleschi made the all-tournament team after scoring 12 points and taking down seven rebounds.
“Schenectady is always a tough team. They just beat Troy,” said Cremo, who added six rebounds, five assists and took two charges. “To come out here and get a win in a sectional atmosphere is big for us.”
All-tourney pick Todd Spottswood had his third straight double-double for Schenectady (5-2) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Davon Barkley scored 11 points for the Pats, and tourney all-star Tobias Holmes netted 10 after Monday’s career-high 29 against Niskayuna.
“We made sure we knew where he [Holmes] was,” said Palleschi. “We tried to limit his good looks.”
Limiting turnovers was a big part of Scotia-Glenville’s big second half which it capped with a late 14-2 run that made it 76-50.
“We had nine turnovers in the first half, and they were converting,” said Giammattei. “I told my guys, ‘If we can cut that down, I don’t think they can beat us.’ In the second half, we had five turnovers.”
Two free throws by Neftali Lind pulled Schenectady within 39-33 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Cremo hit a pair from the line and Palleschi dropped in two layups after handling feeds from Joe Almond and Scott Stopera to extend the Tartans’ advantage. After Spottswood converted a three-point play, Cremo made a foul shot, Palleschi scored inside again after a fullcourt pass from Cremo, and Cremo made two more foul shots.
Towan Hamlin and Stopera traded free throws to end the quarter with Scotia-Glenville leading, 51-37.
“We took away their drive and got the ball to Scotty,” said Cremo. “I thought that was a big key. Getting the ball to Scotty. He makes things go for us. He’s probably the best passer in the section.”
Stopera finished with eight assists and seven points, and Almond also played a significant role with 12 points and five steals from the top of the Tartans’ 3-2 zone.
“Against zone, we need to move the ball. You can’t go individual,” said Schenectady coach Eric Loudis. “Our game plan was to go inside and out, and we didn’t stick to the game plan.”
Schenectady began the third quarter with a 9-3 run to make it a 39-33 game. Holmes converted a three-point play to start it and nailed a three-pointer soon after. The standout freshman had only one more basket, though, late in the final period.
“Our ball movement could have been better, and we didn’t shoot well,” said Loudis. “One thing I will say is we fought. We fought.”
Scotia-Glenville went 23-for-30 from the line as part of its 53rd straight win inside Section II, and its 46th consecutive regular season victory. Schenectady was 9-for-13 from the line.
Columbia (5-3) beat Niskayuna (2-6) in the consolation game, 64-57.
SCOTIA-GLENVILLE
Almond 5-0-12, Clune 1-0-3, D. Corker 3-5-11, Cremo 6-17-31, Palleschi 6-0-12, Stopera 2-1-7. Totals: 23-23-76.
SCHENECTADY
Barkley 5-0-11, Chrisman 2-0-6, Hamlin 0-4-4, Holmes 4-1-10, Lind 1-3-5, Speller-Hale 1-0-2, Spottswood 7-1-15, B. Williams 1-0-3. Totals: 21-9-56.
Scotia 17 19 15 25 — 76
Schenectady 10 14 13 19 — 56
Three-point goals: Almond 2, Cremo 2, Stopera 2, Clune, Barkley, Chrisman 2, Holmes, B. Williams.
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Categories: High School Sports
