Late run lifts Johnstown boys' basketball to win

Broadalbin-Perth's Bradley Savoie, left, and Ryan Savoie Jr. (2) trap Johnstown's Andrew Lake (11) along the sideline during Friday's Foothills Council game at Johnstown High School. (James A. Ellis)

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JOHNSTOWN — The Johnstown Sir Bills put together a game-winning run in the final two minutes of Friday’s contest against Broadalbin-Perth.

Trailing 61-59, Maddox Pedrick hit a basket for the Sir Bills with 1:55 remaining and triggering a 5-0 run to close out a 64-61 victory in Foothills Council boys’ basketball action at Johnstown High School.

“This was our seventh game where we have had it down to one possession with the last three minutes to go,” Johnstown coach Phil Satterlee said. “Obviously the first six didn’t go in our favor.”

Braden Jones connected for 22 first-half points to help Johnstown overcome an early six-point Broadalbin-Perth lead and carry a 34-28 point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

The Patriots fought back in the third quarter, tying the game at 46 on a Landon Russom 3-pointer with 22-seconds left in the quarter. The Sir Bills took the lead back on a Ryan Hoyt basket with six seconds remaining in the quarter to hold a 48-46 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.

Boadalbin-Perth put together a 9-3 run early in the fourth quarter to take a 55-51 lead. The teams swapped leads in the closing minutes before Jones scored off a Patriot turnover to give the Sir Bills the lead 59-58 with 2:25 remaining.

Russom answered for the Patriots with a 3-pointer before Pedrick hit a basket for the Sir Bills to tie the game at 61. Hoyt grabbed a defensive rebound and raced up court for a lay-up to put the Sir Bills up 63-61 and Jones hit a free throw with 11.4 seconds left to ice the victory.

Jones finished with 36 points on the night, including four 3-pointers and a 12-for-15 performance at the free-throw line. Hoyt hit 10 second-half points to finish with 14.

“That is one point of emphasis this season is just getting Braden to be a little bit stronger going to the hoop,” Satterlee said. “Credit to him, that’s what he did tonight and that is why he had so many free throws. He was very aggressive, attacked and went up strong every time.”

Russom hit five 3-pointers in his team-high 24-point effort, while Ryan Savoie added 17 and Sam Hotaling finished with 11 for the Patriots.

“We have had a change of attitude,” Broadalbin-Perth coach Jonathan Randolph said of the Patriots’ improved play. “They are playing hard and are hungry. A loss like tonight’s hurts, but we are going to keep going out and shooting every night.”

Broadalbin-Perth 17 11 18 15 — 61

Johnstown 19 15 14 16 — 64

Broadalbin-Perth scoring: Robles 2-0-4, R. Savoie 6-2-17, Hotaling 5-1-11, Russom 8-3-24, Tambasco 2-0-5. Johnstown scoring: B. Jones10-12-36, E. Jones 0-5-5, Pedrick 3-0-7, Hoyt 7-0-14, Wheelis 1-0-2. Team scoring totals: Broadalbin-Perth: 23-6-61. Johnstown: 21-17-64.