A Late Burst Lifts the Bobcats Past Fox Lane
Just when it seemed Fox Lane had seized the momentum in Friday night’s showdown with neighboring rival Byram Hills, the Bobcats’ two senior guards, Jeff Lynch and Brian Skelly, stepped up to answer the challenge.
They ignited a 7-0 spurt at the end of the third quarter that enabled the Bobcats to start the final period on even footing and set the stage for a big run in the final minutes that finally finished off the Foxes. Undefeated Byram Hills emerged with a 60-52 road victory in front of an overflowing and effusive crowd that did its best all evening to create a playoff atmosphere.
“When you have seniors with experience,” said Bobcats coach Ted Repa afterwards, “they seem to rise to the occasion.”
Lynch finished with a game-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers, as he continues to progress following a pair of offseason foot surgeries. His conventional 3-point play began the late burst in the third quarter and was quickly followed by a 17-foot jumper from Skelly. Lynch’s layup on an up-and-under fake just before the buzzer concluded the quick run and tied the game at 39-39.
“I think that was the turning point in the game,” said Repa about the last few moments of the third quarter. “If we had not pulled back (even) at the end of the third, it would’ve been a different story.”
Still, the fourth quarter had plenty of intrigue as the lead changed hands seven times. Lynch’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:38 remaining gave Byram Hills a 50-48 edge and began a 9-0 blitz that all but decided the outcome. The Bobcats outscored Fox Lane 13-4 down the stretch, getting five of the points from another high-scoring senior, Ryan Golden, who had been limited to just three points over the first three quarters.
“Ryan really stepped up right when we needed him in that second half,” said Repa. “He finally got going. Once we get four or five guys contributing on the offensive end, it makes it very tough to guard.”
The Bobcats’ big finish foiled the Foxes for the second time in three weeks. When the teams met at Byram Hills early in the season, a disastrous second quarter left Fox Lane facing a 16-point halftime deficit and a fourth-quarter comeback bid fell just short. This time, the Foxes only trailed 25-24 at the intermission and they took the lead six different times in the second half.
“The bottom line is they hit big shots and we didn’t,” said Fox Lane coach Chris Violante. “I just don’t think we executed in the fourth quarter. That was a game we could’ve won. We had a seven-point lead in the third quarter and we let it get away.”
The Foxes never trailed in the opening quarter, sparked by the tenacious play of senior forward Will Quaranta, who worked his way inside to score three early buckets while the huge crowd was still filing into the gym.
“He played fantastic,” said Violante about Quaranta. “All season, he’s been that. He’s just a go-getter. He plays so hard, does everything he’s supposed to do. He’s a great captain, a great team player. He’s a special kid and I love coaching him.”
Unfortunately for the Foxes, Byram’s Skelly connected on a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Bobcats close and Fox Lane only led 12-10 after the first eight minutes. James Morales, who led the Foxes with 14 points, made a short jumper to begin the second quarter, but then Skelly and Lynch took turns from the perimeter, scoring all the Bobcat points in an 11-0 spurt that opened up a 21-14 Byram Hills lead.
The half ended with a Fox Lane flurry as Nick Bonura made consecutive jump shots, the first one a 3-pointer, and Morales supplied a 15-foot jumper with 55 seconds to go. Byram Hills, now 7-0 this season, was clinging to a one-point lead at halftime.
“Honestly, the second half was about senior leadership,” said the Bobcats’ Repa. “I think the experience of playing in a lot of big games, because it was tight. Fox Lane was playing great. In the fourth quarter, we were both hitting shots, but our guys, the belief they have in each other and themselves, I think that’s what really determined the game. It was that senior experience.”
Neither team could open up anything more than a two-point lead in the third quarter until the Foxes went on their own 7-0 run late in the period, thanks to four points from Quaranta and then an off-the-dribble trey from Morales with 1:45 to go. But Skelly and Lynch put a sudden end to the Foxes’ momentum and the fourth quarter began with the teams deadlocked.
After Lynch’s late 3-pointer gave the Bobcats the lead for good, Golden followed with a layup almost a minute later to extend the Byram advantage to 52-48. The Bobcats then made eight free throws in the waning moments, four of them coming from sophomore center Andrew Groll, who also finished with 13 rebounds.
“This was a tremendous test and it’s only going to get more challenging,” said Repa. “So, hopefully, we can keep it going and stay healthy.”
Meanwhile, the Foxes, now 7-2, will have to pick themselves up after their second disheartening loss to the Bobcats. “We’re down, we’re down,” said Violante. “We’re obviously not happy. It’s a top-to-bottom loss. I take full responsibility, but we’ve gotta play a little better. I told the kids before this game, ‘It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We’ve got a long season to go.'”
Andy is a sports editor at Examiner Media, covering seven high schools in the mid-Westchester region with a notebook and camera. He began there in the fall of 2007 following 15 years as a candid photographer for the largest school picture company in the tri-state area.
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