Somers Beats Byram Hills on Both Ends of the Court

On Thursday January 11, Somers traveled to Byram Hills, and one thing really stuck out. The hulking frame of Bobcat center Zachery Efobi could not be missed, and the Tuskers certainly knew the tall order coming in. “A big kid, with big strong moves, we had to double him in the post,” said Andrew Violante. “That’s what we did and it worked.” But the Tuskers also had to play on the other end, and Violante led the way their too.

After Efobi manhandled two offensive rebounds and muscled the put back for a 4-0 lead, a long night seemed ahead. Instead, Violante buried a three for the first of his game high 19 points, and along with Nate Cohen, the sharp shooting continued for a 61-46 victory.

Even so, Byram remained ahead in the early going. Max Miller hit a three, Tyson Repa dropped a runner, and Efobi went to town under the offensive boards. He skied the rebound over the top of Jacob Hauser and Cohen, and his kick out to Benjamin Wolf made for a 12-7 lead at 3:55.

So Brady Leitner stepped in and proved size doesn’t matter. He dribbled into the paint, and the defense drawn, he deftly found Chris Spano for the easy layup at 3:40.

The tie next, Matthew D’Ippolito got the chance to showcase his passing skills too. Dribbling left above the arc, Nate Cohen cut, and the backup guard sent a nifty short hop that led his teammate to the hoop for the three point play.

The emphatic D’Ippolito first pump just as nice, the moment almost foretold the lead that was coming for good. The honors going to Cohen, his stop and pop on the foul line were good for two of his 18 points and a 14-12 score.

2:27 left in the quarter, getting the ball into the big guy seemed the right play and the unenviable task of defending fell on Hauser. He elbowed and angled the big man, and the Bobcats were forced into a missed Chris Amenedo jumper.

Of course, the effectiveness didn’t come out of nowhere. “All week we repped post defense,” said head coach James Loughran.

No easy task without a similar big sized man on the roster, Loughran had to come up with a substitute. “Coach Violante,” Loughran amusingly revealed.

Nonetheless the rebound did go back to Efobi. But Somers turned the second chance into a steal and fast break basket for Violante. Time called by Byram, the home team got the gimme they wanted upon return.

Efobi received on the low post, and despite the three defenders in his face, he went off glass to make it a 16-14 game. Somers didn’t fret, though, and showed that they prepared for the little, fast guys too.

Out on the break, Amenedo received the outlet and was poised to tie. No way, Cohen got the clean block to preserve the lead, and a possession later, Leitner showed the Bobcat’s how the break is done. He grabbed the defensive board with 45 seconds left and went bicoastal to end the quarter scoring at 18-14.

Into the second, Cohen kept it there. First the senior blocked Repa’s baseline drive, and drew the charge on Repa’s follow. Not done, Cohen pulled down the defensive rebound on Byram’s next possession, and back the other way, he hit another pull up at the foul line.

Avi Dreilinger did respond with two from the line, but Cohen answered two fold. The guard buried the three, and the foul by Amenedo netted a four point play.

A 24-16 game, all the Tuskers got into the act after Byram called for time. On the ball inside and out, the elephants forced a shot clock violation, and a double digit lead was on the way. Leitner trailed the play up court, and receiving back from Violante, the point guard made no apologies for the kind roll that gave his team a 27-16 lead.

Three minutes to go in the half, Somers proceeded to get separation, and the coach was not surprised that a Violante triple and a Cohen deuce engaged the accelerator. “They make our bus run,” said Loughran.

Of course, the Tuskers still had Efobi to contend with, and three offensive rebounds kept the Bobcat’s next possession alive. On the other hand, he had to contend with double and triple teams, which forced the ball outside for misses.

Far from pain free, Violante knows the name of the game anyway “That’s basketball, you got to be tough,” the senior assured.

That said, it was Violante who applied the hurt. He drained two more threes, and Somers led by 15 at the half.

Well on their way, Cohen took the reins after intermission. His half court steal made for two foul shots, and a corner three gave Somers a 44-30 lead at the halfway mark. He hit another three with two minutes to go, and went coast to coast 30 seconds later.

47-35 now, the guard allowed his running mate to get back in the saddle. Taking the bounce pass, Violante rose above the arc and knocked down a defended three to make it 50-35.

A quarter to go, Leitner put on the finishing touches. He sunk a baseline drive through heavy traffic and hit the open three that had Loughran praising the heat all around. “Everyone was on fire tonight,” he concluded.