Class AA regional final: MV vs. Binghamton
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- March
- 8
4:19: Praise the Lord, this spectacle is over. Mount Vernon wins 93-72. Jones had 31 points and 14 rebounds. Sherrod Wright had 26 points. Back with more soon.Â
4:16: Ever play flag football, where you don’t really care about playing defense and all you focus on is playing quarterback or running downfield to catch a touchdown pass? Yeah, that’s what this game has become. It’s 90-70 with 1:22 left
4:14: Both teams have basically given up defensively here in the fourth quarter. MV leads 86-64 with 2:40 left.
4:06: Mount Vernon leads 71-52, although it’s still not very pretty. The Knights are just more athletic and more talented. Binghamton is making mistakes with the ball and their frantic pace played right into Mount Vernon’s press. But if you stand back and watch, you can’t be all that impressed with the Knights. They’re not playing particularly well at all.
4:00: A 29-point third quarter has given MV a 62-44 lead through three quarters. Kevin Jones had 13 points in the third and has 23 overall. Jordan Lessane and Vaughn Allen were the keys defensively as the Knights forced 11 turnovers.
3:57: Papso just fouled out for Binghamton. There’s 1:35 left in the third quarter and MV leads 58-44. The Knights are breaking this game open thanks to their full-court man pressure.
3:51: MV’s run was an 18-2 stretch. The Knights lead 53-41 with 3 minutes left in the third.
3:47: Mount Vernon has scored nine straight points and leads 44-36 (yes they were trailing). For a moment I thought Binghamton was out of timeouts, which would be weird since it’s early in the third quarter. I was wrong. For some reason, they just didn’t call any during that run even though their guys were huffing and puffing and the Knights were running all over them.
3:43: Five seconds into the second half and Binghamton tied it up. MV now leads 35-33 a little over a minute into the third.
3:32: HALFTIME STATS — Kevin Jones leads Mount Vernon with 10 points and six rebounds. Sherrod Wright has nine points. The Knights, however, had about 6-7 possessions in the second quarter that were pitiful. Bad passes, terrible shots and no discipline to get back down the floor and play defense. If they weren’t wearing the Mount Vernon uniforms, I’d question if it was really them.
Binghamton — Chris Cartwright has been exceptional. He has 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Hobson has 8 points and Papso has five boards and three blocks, two of which were on guys driving right at him. He stuffed them bad.
3:31: We’ve got ourselves a game. Mount Vernon sputtered in the final two minutes of the half and only leads Binghamton 33-31 at the break after Papso made a lay-up at the buzzer. He’s been awesome on the defensive end in the first half. Binghamton was down by as many as 14 points before Cartwright led it back. The 5-8 guard had 10 points in the second quarter and has 12 overall.
3:26: Chris Cartwright has made three of the craziest shots I’ve seen this season in the second quarter as Binghamton only trails now 30-24.
3:23: MV leads 30-20 with 2:54 left in the half. The Knights went six players into their bench before Binghamton made its first sub. As I said before, this pace is going to kill Binghamton consider the Knights’ depth.
3:17: Mount Vernon leads 27-14 with 5:26 left in the half following a powerful move in the post by Odayne Clarke. Good sign if he’s finally coming back around.
3:12: Mount Vernon leads 21-14 after the first quarter. I like Binghamton’s aggressive to get out in transition and catch MV sleeping after a missed opportunities. But that’s not going to last for four quarters. The Knights have begun to hustle a little more and are cutting the transition game off. Binghamton can’t sustain this pace.
3:06: Binghamton momentarily took the lead, again on an outlet pass following a Mount Vernon miss. But the Knights lead 13-9 with 2:39 left in the first quarter. Kevin Jones has four points and Sherrod has five.
3:03: Mount Vernon leads 8-7. Binghamton is beating the Knights down the court on a few possessions. Binghamton is a feisty team.
2:56 p.m.: Thank you to Haywood, who provided a link for fans who want to listen to the game live over the Internet by clicking this link.
They’re introducing the starting lineups right now. The announcer completely butchered all the names, with the exception of Kevin Jones.
Starting lineup for Mount Vernon: Kevin Jones, Sherrod Wright, Ketema Brooks, Jordan Lessane, Kadeem Dinham
2:47 p.m.: Despite driving rain and the constant realization that I was driving four hours to witness the inevitable, I rolled into Cortland a few hours ago for today’s Mount Vernon-Binghamton Class AA state regional final.
I’m here at the lovely Cortland State athletic center, which was roaring before for the Class B regional final between Hanibal and Chenango Valley in a Class B regional final (Chenango Valley won by 3).
The Mount Vernon game will start in 11 minutes. I’m not going to lie, but you can learn a lot about watching the lay-up line. Mount Vernon already leads by 10.
Binghamton just doesn’t have much size, which is the main reason why teams in Section 1 struggled against Kevin Jones and the Knights. And it’s not that Binghamton isn’t big… they’re actually unusually small. But they’re quick and you know they’re going to test Mount Vernon’s guards.
Cortland, by the way, is a dreary place, especially with four inches of rain. The ride itself wasn’t terrible (only really rained towards the end). But knowing that Mount Vernon was probably going to win this game by 25 points didn’t help matters.
I AM LISTENING TO THE MOUNT VERNON GAME ON http://www.southernteirsportsnet.com LIVE
Excellent. Thanks for the link. I’m posting it right now.
Hopefully everyone who listens still knows to come back and discuss the game!
Dry off and tell me if it is a crowded room? Also is Sherrod Wright playing?Whats going on with that?
Does it make you pine for sunny New Paltz?
hey, I can’t open that link
I do not understand how the regional final game is so far upstate. as a matter of fact both teams had to go up north for the regional final. I wonder what is the criteria on deciding where do they play. it makes absolutely no sense that they make it almost impossible for home teams to see their team play. but on the other hand i feel bad for niagara falls because their team really has to travel
Sorry if there’s a problem with that link. Your computer has to have certain programs installed.
It’s really sunny in New Paltz? I really got the bad assignment today.
Decent crowd for the game but it’s mainly Binghamton people who made the 30 minute drive. Mount Vernon fans are sparse, even with a chartered bus.
Hey j your right, why are these games so far?? Who’s dumb idea was it anyways? I guess they are not worried about the gas prices?
http://media3.ezstream.com/75923/
try this link
You can listen live by following the above link. Then minimize the media player and stay with Kevin on this blog.
Corrected link to site:
http://www.southerntiersportsnetwork.com/
Or, click on Lou’s link and download it as Windows Media Player Playlist to your desktop…
Thanks i got the link open:)
j,
Mount Vernon and Newburgh played at Pace last year, so it stands to reason that this year’s regional would be played farther north this year…
Correction: Last year’s game was at SUNY New Paltz; MV and NFA played at Pace two years ago. I believe that in Class AA, the regional site depends on which team gets the bye in the opening round (it’s rotated among the Section 1, 4, and 9 champions)...
MV better get it going in the 2nd half,,Too close for comfort
By the way, as flattered as I am to have a reader name themselves ‘Mrs. Devaney’, I think that name should be discontinued. I wouldn’t want the real Mrs. Devaney to get jealous!
BOBBY will get them up for the second half just a small case of sleep walking after three they should be up by 10 or more
Sorry i will discontinue the name:)
MOUNT VERNON WILL PLAY BISHOP MAGINN ON SATURDAY AT GLENSFALLS IN THE SEMI FINAL A REMATCH OF LAST YEARS STATE TITLE GAME
WHO IS IN OTHER SEMI’S OR WILL BE?
We get two great semifinals, both rematches, in AA and A.
I have a few early thoughts over on http://www.carp.lohudcrime.com
Looking for your thoughts.
And, no, Kev, it wasn’t sunny in New Paltz.
... and, no, Kev, it wasn’t sunny in New Paltz. I just wondered if you yearned for New Paltz while in Cortland. You missed two great games, buddy. Oh, you better believe it.
Mt Vernon played the second quarter as if they got a memo that the game was over. The Binghamton guards were good shooters, and Binghamton had very good ball handlers. They took it to the hole, and they shot the 3 pointer well. There were a lot of easy baskets when Mt Vernon did not get back on defense. I could only quess how the halftime lockeroom was like. If there is any thing about Bob Cimmino, he does not mine letting you know what he thinks.
I believe the play of Jordan Lessane was the key in the 3rd. He really made the press work and Jordan was all over the place. Next week will be tough. Bishop Maginn is “no joke”. If Mt Vernon plays their game, they will win. Any lapses, and they will get taken out.
Jayden
You’re absolutely right about Maginn. Just got back from scouting that game. I really love Coach Hurley’s way of playing defense, offensively. They pressure the ball very well. But this matchup with MV will be a VERY, VERY physical one. Maginn is extremely physical, and it looked like it took Henniger out of their game. Also, Henniger didn’t take care of the ball very well. Truthfully, neither team did, but Maginn did a much better job at it.
The kid Buie is the total truth! He plays hard on both sides of the court. Truthfully, the Whitaker kid from Poughkeepsie is gonna be a Buie clone. I see a lot of Buie in him. But #33 is the kid that potentially could give MV a lot of trouble. He’s pure energy, and he has a decided impact on the game. When he’s in there, things happen. Shimeek didn’t have a good game at all. He stayed on the perimeter looking to make things happen, but Henniger had him on lock.
The battle in this matchup is going to be decided in the trenches. Both teams are physically strong, although they won’t be as big as MV down low. Maginn has no problem using its hands. In fact, one player threw a punch that, luckily for him, the refs didn’t see, but it landed on the back of the head of the Henniger player. They like to mix it up. They have a swagger about them as well, almost defiant. But if they can’t contain MV in the paint, they are gonna have problems.
Maginn is gonna need more than Buie to beat MV. The problem is they have two other players that could give them the help they need on the offensive end. Also, they love to shoot threes. Normally those kinds of misses lead to fast breaks, but Maginn’s guards are so physical, they follow their shots well and get those offensive rebounds for put backs.
I’ll talk about the matchup more tomorrow. Right now, I’m dead tired. I’ll holla people!
Silent Knight,
These long trips are a killers. Four hours to Cortland in bad weather both ways. I am sure you had the same kind of trip.
Nice to hear about Bishop Maginn. This game propbably should be in the finals, but that’s just how it goes. Bishop Maginn did not nearly play the schedule Mt Vernon played, but they are good and dangerous. Mt Vernon has to worry about Mt Vernon. When they play well, they win. They can’t go through sleep walking spurts against good teams, and hope to recover.
It helps that Mt Vernon plays teams each year that are as good or better then them. Mt Vernon is going to be the best team Bishop Maginn plays this year, and Bishop Maginn is not the best team Mt Vernon played. It can be tough when your never experienced talent as good as your next opponent. Will that be a factor? Could be. However, Bishop Maginn will not be intimidated, and will believe they can win. Shapes up to be a good game.
JAYDEN
I listen to the game via the internet and you’re analysis of the game is right on. Truly wanted to take the journey to Cortland but the weather was awful. The four hour trip would have been too much to bear. I spoke with a gentlemen that is at every Mount Vernon game and he claimed that the play of Jordan Lessane was the difference in this game. I watch this player several times this year and yesterday listen to the game and I felt he turned up the defense for Mount Vernon and Binghampton was done. Like all section one fans we love great basketball, great teams and great players. I needed to know more about Jordan Lessane so I found a story about him. Go to http://nychoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=776574
UKNOWME,
On a team with Kevin Jones and Sherrod Wright, Jordan Lessane can get overlooked. I was at the game, and trust me, Jordan saved Mt Vernon’s butt yeaterday. The problem with Mt Vernon was intensity, because they had none. Binghamton who probably just wanted to get out of Cortland without being embarrased, left for the locker room at halftime believing they could win. Anything less that a beat down in the third, could have spelled trouble. You just can’t let a team hang around, because anything can happen late in the game.
Jordan and Vaughn Allen brought it big time in the 3rd. They did not score all the points, but they cut the heart out of Binghamton with their play, and left doubt in their minds that they can win. No one has to write how good Kevin Jones and Sherrod Wright are. They are close to as good as they get High School basketball. However next year Mt Vernon is not going to be as big, and they will need to be quick and they need a second and third scorer. Jabarie Hinds and Jordan Lessane (who I believe will get alot of notice and will be a D1 player) can give Mt Vernon what they need scoring wise. By the way. Odayne Clark played well yesterday. That is good to see, because if he gets his confidence going, he is a hellava player.
This was a tough weekend. Three great Westchester teams lost. Iona Prep, North Salem and Tuchahoe, all could have gone all the way with a couple of plays here and there. Very tough.
When Jordan plays within himself, he’s has always been a tremendous player. He’s a true scoring guard with great foot quickness. I haven’t seen any player in a long while who is able to lure defenders to sleep solely with his foot quickness. It’s something to watch. This next game against Maginn, Jordan could do very well in the open court both offensively and defensively. But the one thing Jordan will have to improve next week is his ability to get through screens. I anticipate he’ll probably matchup with number #31 on Maginn. He’s a shooter who shoots very well from beyond the arc. He’s a poor man’s Chris Fouch. If Jordan decides that he’s gonna get through screens on defense, he could be on the court a long time next Saturday, which is a good thing. If not, Jabarie Hinds will see more minutes because he does the best job out of the guards getting through screens. Its just that simple.
Its good to hear him and Vaughn’s play got us going. That’s will be HUGE next season as well.
In case you checked out the NYSPHSAA web site for the brackets, the boys AA bracket has Henninger as Mount Vernon’s semifinal opponent, when in fact—according to the story in the Albany Times Union, which should know—Bishop Maginn beat Henninger to set up the rematch of last year’s championship game. That game is listed as a 2:15 start.
http://www.carp.lohudcrime.com
Haywood –
Thanks for posting that internet link yesterday. I couldn’t make it to Binghamton yesterday but listened to the 2nd half of the game on the internet.
Jayden –
Listening to the game, it sounded like Kevin Jones exploded in the 3rd Qtr. All I heard from the commentators was Kevin Jones, block, rebound, put-back or dunk – he was one player doing the work of three for long stretches of the 2nd half.
silentknight –
Good scouting report. Smart move going to watch that game probably knowing full well that the Knights game would be a laugher (although it wasn’t for 2½ quarters). I’m looking forward to that game next Saturday v. Maginn. Sounds like the Knights better bring their shoulder pads and hockey sticks because I guess Maginn likes to mix it up. Maybe they’ll have the Hansen Brothers come out and skate 2nd line. I don’t know that much about Maginn but they hammered White Plains earlier this year. I also read an article saying they have a Senior who will likely sign with Central Connecticut but the real talent lies with two Sophmores who have a tremendous upside.
I think this is what a lot of fans have waited for—a worthy opponent for Mt Vernon. I do think Mt Vernon will prevail for a number of the reasons Jayden listed above but Mt Vernon will need to be a lot sharper than they were against Binghamton. Also, keep in mind that Maginn has home court advantage. Glens Falls is a lot closer to Albany than it is to Mt. Vernon so Maginn should have a lot of representation at the Glens Falls Civic Ctr this Saturday.
Unbiased,
I hope I did not dismiss what Kevin Jones and Sherrod Wright did yesterday. They were great. The game against Binghamton was strange, one you had to be there to understand. There was no life in Mt Vernon, even when they were up by double digits in the 2nd. It was the energy that came back in the 3rd. Those Binghamton guards were hitting 3’s all over the place, off balanced and falling out of bounds in the 2nd quarter. As I said before, if Mt Vernon did not step on Binghamton’s neck in the 3rd, who knows. Those crazy off balanced bombs by Binghamton may have been a problem in the 4th quarter.
Bishop Maginn has about the same following as Binghamton. There were more Binghamton fans in Cortland, but it was not an overwhelming amount. Last year I was shocked that Bishop Maginn fans did not pack the arena against Mt Vernon. I was looking for a great home court advantage, but it was not there. When Peekskill beat Glens falls in the game before the Mt Vernon, Bishop Maginn game, the fans got out of the Civic Center like that Lotto commercial. Maybe someone did make an announcement that the Lotto prize was 200 million dollars, because people got out of there quick. The place was not packed at all after that.
To Jayden and anyother MV Fan..
Could you please tell me where Vaughn Allen, Odayne Clark, Jordan Lessane and Ketema Brooks are getting looked at? Ive seen this team a couple of times and these role players would be stars on any other teams, id be very suprised if their not getting looked at..
Also, any idea on where Sherrod is looking at?
Any information would be greatly appreciated, good luck Mount Vernon
I BELIEVE THAT THE GAMES AT GLENS FALLS THAT MOUNT VERNON PLAYED WERE ON CABLE TV. DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE DONE AGAIN?
just a fan,
I am not exactly sure what looks some of the Mt Vernon players are getting. Other than Sherrod Wright who has many teams interested, the other juniors will wait until they get more exposure, over the summer and next year.
Silent Knight is tied to the team and players, so will know much more than I do on that topic.
Haywood,
Last year Glens Falls HS was in the finals, so Time Warner, the cable provider in Glens Falls carried the games because of the hugh interest. Mt Vernon also has Time Warner cable, so they got the games played for their subscribers. This year, I seriously doubt that the games will get played live in Mt Vernon. I may be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
I WILL CALL THEM TOMORROW AND GET BACK TO THE BLOG AFTER 6PM I HOPE THEY CARRY IT.
I think I have all the state final four matchups except one (Indian River vs. Franklin Academy Class A girls regional was postponed to tomorrow due to bad weather).
Check it out at http://www.carp.lohudcrime.com