State playoff dream finished
GLENS FALLS — The Potsdam boys basketball team limited Burke Catholic to just one substantial run in Friday night's state Class B semifinal game at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Unfortunately for the Sandstoners, it was one substantial run too many.
The Eagles defeated the Sandstoners 70-59 by reversing a six-point deficit midway through the third quarter with a 13-0 run, advancing to the state final for the first time since 1983.
"I really believe we showed we can play and compete at this level tonight," said Potsdam coach Steve Kmack after his team's loss. "Our game plan was so meticulous for the first half and the start of the second half, but they were so very deep. They were able to rotate in nine guys and I think their depth wore on us."
With the win, Section 9 champion Burke Catholic improved to 20-3 and advanced to tonight's title game.
"We came into the game thinking we'd be able to make a few runs against them but they did a great job of coming at us with a lot of pressure and attacking at both ends of the court," said Burke Catholic coach Doug Janeczko. "We've had a lot of games that weren't very close, and I'm thrilled with how we responded to the way Potsdam played."
Senior Jeff Cochi anchored a balanced Burke Catholic offense with 19 points, followed by junior center Brendan Miller with 16, senior Matt Cooney with 14, and junior Dante Cowart with 10. Miller also grabbed a team-high six rebounds while Cooney tallied seven assists and four steals.
Potsdam junior Zach Adams tossed through a game-high 21 points, hauled in 13 rebounds and handed out five assists.
Classmate John Coleman generated 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Chris Whispell, the only senior on the Potsdam roster, finished with 10 points and four assists. Sophomore Josh Adams pulled down another 11 rebounds. The Sandstoners out-rebounded the Eagles 43-25.
"Zach Adams brought his 'A' game tonight," Kmack said. "For us to win, we needed to have at least four players bring their 'A' games and that didn't happen.
"We fought hard and I'm very proud of what this team has accomplished. I really thought we had a chance to win, and to get so close that you can taste it and then not win, it's just very disappointing right now."
The teams traded baskets through the first five minutes and were tied at 8-8 with 3 minutes, 45 seconds left in the first quarter before Coleman completed a three-point play from the foul line just over a minute later to spark a late 5-2 run that put the Sandstoners ahead 15-10 to start the second quarter. From there, they pushed their lead to 21-13 after a Zach Adams field goal with 5:27 remaining until halftime.
The Eagles answered by outscoring the Sandstoners 10-4 over the next two minutes to tie the game at 23-23 with an inside conversion by Miller.
Potsdam (21-3) regrouped to regain the lead on its next possession and went back on top 30-23 when Lee Buchanan took an inside feed from Zach Adams and connected on the ensuing layup for his only two points of the game with 1:31 left in the half. But the Eagles clawed their way back and made it a one-point halftime deficit when Cooney converted from close range at the buzzer to make it 30-29.
The Eagles opened the second half by taking their first lead since the first quarter only to have the Sandstoners answer with a 10-3 run that ended with a Coleman field goal that put Potsdam up 40-34 with 4:09 left in the third quarter. Burke Catholic then turned up the defensive intensity and relayed turnovers into offense, reeling off 13 straight points over a two-minute stretch to go from being down by six to leading by seven at 47-40.
Zach Adams ended the Potsdam drought 27 seconds later, but the Eagles finished on another strong note to go into the fourth leading 50-42. Burke Catholic quickly pushed its lead to 12 points with four straight points to open the final frame. Potsdam managed to shave the deficit to seven points in the final minute before settling for the 11-point loss.
