PEARL RIVER Eight minutes into the game one thing was very clear.
Jack Sullivan (pictured right) and Kevin Degnan (pictured below) are both stars.
Sullivan would get the best of Degnan though as Albertus Magnus topped Pearl River 58-56.
In the first quarter alone Sullivan (30 points) had 14 of Albertus’ 19 points while Degnan (30 points, 13 rebounds) had seven point and seven rebounds.
The difference between these two teams would have to come from the other eight players on the court, and while only one other player reached double-digits among the two teams (Thomas Armour had 10 points for Pearl River), it was when the Falcons hit their shots that mattered.
After his hot start in the first quarter Sullivan was held scoreless in the second thanks to quick double-teams coupled with strong defense from Degnan, who marked him for the majority of the quarter.
”(Sullivan) shot the ball really well,” said Pearl River coach Jerry Houston. “We felt like we made him take some tough shots but he really knocked them down. Great night for him.”
Although the Falcons’ were outscored 12-9 in the second, they still held on to the lead without Sullivans’ help, holding a 28-23 advantage at halftime.
“I think we do have a number of guys who can help us,” said Albertus coach Pat McFadden. “Obviously Jack is a tremendous weapon, but the thing about Jack is he is a very good passer too and we’re confident that the shots our guys took were good shots and we made them.”
At 8-2, the Falcons have gained plenty of confidence. Albertus has won five straight since its 63-62 double-overtime loss to North Rockland in mid-December.
Late in the third sophomore Christian Conklin would hit a corner 3, his only points of the game, to push the Falcons’ lead back up to six, effectively killing the momentum the Pirates had started to gain.
With just under three minutes left in the game it was another big 3, this one made by Matt Dale (nine points, nine rebounds), that allowed the Falcons to maintain a comfortable lead.
Things got interesting in the final minute-and-a-half as Albertus had an opportunity to ice the game but made only 1 of 6 free throws, all taken by seniors, down the stretch. The Pirates weren’t able to take advantage of the Falcons’ poor free throw shooting as they too struggled at the line and couldn’t capitalize on man-up opportunities late in the game.
“They shoot hundreds of foul shots during the day so I think I’m confident with them getting to the line,” McFadden said. “Hey, anytime you can beat Pearl River at Pearl River, my goodness, it’s a great win. This is a tough place to win.”
Photos courtesy of John Meore/The Journal News. Click here for the complete gallery.
7 Comments
Missed game due to work. I heard Sullivan was on fire. Nice win for AM. 8-2!! Who would have thought that in the beginning of the season. McFadden is a good coach.
Biggest problem for PR he is never in the post both on defense and offense.
@Hoops…good point about the post, I saw Pashcall play AM and he too stayed out on perimeter, are kids spending so much AAU time getting ready for college and shooting threes that the low post game gets overlooked? Go watch Dominican to see an old school low post player in Quimby
Love watching Quimby. These guys are going to be swingmen on the next level. They are going to have to be able to shoot and play like a guard in order to survive. That is the dilemma that high school coaches face. Do they play them inside and do what is best for the team? Or do they let them develop their game and do what is best for them on the next level?
shouldnt it always be about developing a player for the next level? if a 6ft7 kid can hit the three and will be recruited as a 3 then a HS coach would be doing him a disservice by keeping him in the post. Love how people blame AAU for everything..LOL
McFadden does a great job. These guys are winning because of how hard they play not just talent. They are great to watch!
The worst thing a Coach can do is split big men and guards up during practice reps. A great player wants to be great at both positions. To be honest a lot of these taller kids are soft and would rather play away from the rim to avoid contact.
One note on McFadden this guy has his team winning on heart and hustle cause other then Sullivan there ain’t to many basketball players on this team. He is a great coach.