LuHi edges Harborfields for Fed Chip Repeat
ALBANY, NY - If Harborfields' John Patron and L.I. Lutheran's Anthony Pate don't pursue futures in sports, they both provide enough entertainment to become actors or stuntmen in Hollywood.
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The two seniors put on a show in what was easily the thriller game of the Federation tournament, but only one could carry their team to victory. In a duel that literally provided drama down to the last second, it was Pate who boldly drilled a corner three pointer and stuck the dagger in Harborfields for an edgy 62-61 win and another LuHi Federation Class 'A' title.
"That was the most clutch shot I've ever seen," said Lutheran Head Coach John Buck of his junior shooting guard's heroic swish. "Anthony started the year not playing much and he's kept growing and growing. I'm so proud of him."
Despite LuHi's smorgasbord of options in their offensive arsenal, Pate was a constant nuisance for Harborfields. On the other bench, the aggressive Patron was saddled with three fouls in the second quarter and collected his fourth in the third quarter, but that didn't stop him from putting on a jaw-dropping 15 point performance in the final period (he scored 20 for the game), pulling Harborfields out of a nine point hole. One could smell that one of the two juggernauts would cause the opposing team a lot of grief. According to Pate, he had a gut feeling that it would be he who had the honor.
"My teammates and coaches were joking and foreshadowing with me before the game, saying 'What would you do if the ball was in your hands and the game was on the line?'" he said with a laugh.
But early on, the game didn't appear to be headed down the corridor it went. LuHi's ability to turn Harborfields over early afforded them a 9-2 lead. The hot hand of Justin Ringen (16 points) and the aggressive slashing of Patron helped chop the lead down to one by the end of the first quarter, but with Patron racking up foul number three in the second quarter, the Tornadoes relied on the perimeter attacks of Ringen, David Ba (8 points), and Kevin Zabransky - it was enough to keep afloat in the face of a balanced Crusader attack. But that balanced attack proved to require too many people to keep an eye on in the second half.
After a quiet first half scoring-wise, Harborfields PG Lucas Woodhouse (10 points, 9 assists) put on his scoring hat in the second in an attempt to balance the scales. Considering it didn't take long for Patron to collect his fourth foul, Harborfields needed all the ammo they could locate - they didn't find much. Save the occasional bucket from Ringen or Ba, the Tornadoes had run out of offensive gas. Meanwhile, LuHi poured it on. Bruiser tactics inside from Ryan DeNicola (12, points, 8 boards). Jumpers from K.J. Lee (10 points) and freshman point guard Chris Atkinson (9 points) - trying to key in on a player to shut down was like filling a colander up with water.
"This is a team of a lot of very good players," Coach Buck said. "I'm always surprised as to who steps up, but I know someone always will."
Pate had the hottest hand and led the Crusaders out to a 50-41 lead after three, but the fearless Patron (who didn't play many minutes when LuHi defeated Harborfields in December) went bonkers in the fourth quarter. Foul woes didn't stop the senior guard from attacking the basket in the same dogged manner he would with a clean slate. Fear was non-existent when he took a look at the three point line, stepped back to it and let loose a triple to pull the Tornadoes within four, 56-52, at the 2:50 mark. Patron kept romping until he scored point number 20 on a put back to give Harborfields a 61-59 lead. His foul situation meant nothing when he stepped in for a bold charge and instead sent DeNicola to the pine with foul number five. He appeared to have won the game on his own, but Pate had one last chance to live out his "final shot" fantasy.
"We tried to run a high ball screen and drive, but [Harborfields] stopped it," said Coach Buck. Lee wound up driving the ball to draw in the defense and spotted the wide open Pate in the left corner.
"[Lee's] pass was probably more important than my shot because he could've just thrown it up there [with the time running down]," said Pate, who scored a team high 18 points. "But I knew I could hit that shot. I was coming off the bench all year and hungry for the ball."
And because of that hunger, LuHi feasts at the championship table - after this reporter admittedly had doubts about the Crusaders early in the season.
"People were saying we had an underwhelming season," said Coach Buck. "But in the last month and the post-season, we've really come together. Kids are buying into the system and the work paid off."
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