Go ahead, if you’d like, jump all over Briarcliff for losing tonight.
Most of you already have and you’re entitled to do so. The unbeatable Bears were beaten at home by Lincoln Hall in the biggest upset of the season. The reigning Class B champs blew a 12 point lead and lost, 70-64, to a United team that could have, and probably should have, beaten them three weeks ago.
Section 1 was supposed to have its champions penciled in since December with Mount Vernon and Peekskill destined for Glens Falls, and with Briarcliff a heavy favorite to make the trip with them.
Hold the buses. Class B just got interesting.
Lincoln Hall did it by having its key players avoiding foul trouble, rebounding and defending about as well as it probably could, and simply outhustling and outplaying a Briarcliff team that looked like it was just waiting for the switch to be flipped and would find a way to win. It never happened.
With the entire Pleasantville team there watching (and rooting), Lincoln Hall exposed a few things about this Briarcliff team that we didn’t really know. The United proved they can rebound with the Bears. They proved they run on them. They proved they could force turnovers, draws fouls and rip through.
They proved that, under the ideal circumstances, Briarcliff can be beat.
Sir Aaron Taylor had 18 points and 19 rebounds and Darren Brown added 16 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. The lead changed hands seven times over a six-minute span from the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, before Lincoln Hall scored 13 of the games 18 points.
I detail the game pretty extensively in my podcast tonight. I go over why Briarcliff lost the game, the X-factor for Lincoln Hall, and why Lincoln Hall is a bad matchup for Briarcliff — and a team the Bears should fear playing in the postseason.
View video highlights of the game here. You can listen to my podcast below. I was pretty tough on the Bears. But when expectations are as high as they are with team, you have to expect that. I called out their character and effort. As I note, last year’s team wins this game:
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If you’d like, my interview with Lincoln Hall coach Henry Taylor after the game was interesting. Taylor was great in the interview, crediting a scrimmage on Saturday against Peekskill for the team’s win over Briarcliff. You can listen here:
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What struck me most about Lincoln Hall after this game was the players and coaches attitude. When Lincoln Hall shocked Kennedy two years ago, becoming the first Class B team in Section 1 to beat it in three years, the United players talked about two things:
1. Winning the section.
2. Going to Glens Falls
They were beaten in the first round of sectionals. As I discuss in the podcast, this team is far more level-headed and have better perspective. There wasn’t the crazy celebration after this win as there was two years ago. I think the teams two years ago was too cognizant of Kennedy and thought beating them would guarantee their place in the County Center. This team doesn’t look at Briarcliff any differently from any other team.
Some interesting stats from the game:
— Joe Lombardi had three fouls in the game. All three were offensive.
— Lincoln Hall outrebounded Briarcliff 20-14 in the second half
— Lincoln Hall only attempted six free throws in the game, five of which were in the final 30 seconds.
— Four players scored in double figures for Lincoln Hall.
— Briarcliff only got four points from its bench.
— Briarcliff had only 27 second-half points. It had 52 in the second half on Monday versus Byram Hills.
— Kyle Beechum had 23 points and 11 rebounds. He’s played so well of late.
— Garth Muratori had all nine of his points in the first quarter for Briarcliff.
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