MERIDIAN - The fact that the Cato-Meridian boys basketball team was undefeated didn't bother Port Byron.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Port Byron sophomore Brad Anderson (15) takes the ball to the basket under pressure from Cato-Meridian senior forward Nate Modafferi (32) during the Panthers' 52-35 win over the Blue Devils at Cato-Meridian Friday.
Port Byron sophomore Brad Anderson (15) takes the ball to the basket under pressure from Cato-Meridian senior forward Nate Modafferi (32) during the Panthers' 52-35 win over the Blue Devils at Cato-Meridian Friday.
Neither did the boisterous, yellow-and-blue-clad “Cato Crazies.” Even a late start due to an overtime junior varsity game that the Blue Devils won, 65-62, didn't derail the Panthers from their game plan.
Port Byron was ready to play, and didn't waste a minute proving it. Brad Anderson sparked a 9-0 run to start the first quarter, and the Panthers never relinquished their lead in a 52-35 victory.
“Port Byron played a great game,” said Blue Devils coach Ryan Brunelle. “They played smart and they played fast.”
The Panthers paced the up-tempo game, worked well in transition but still took the time to be selective. At the half, Port Byron held a 23-15 lead and was shooting 50 percent.
“We had to go off from the start or else we would have been down,” said Panther Matt Cornish, who had 11 points. “Everybody would have lost their focus.”
“I told our kids that we had to come out, play hard, keep it competitive and give ourselves a chance at the end of the game,” said Port Byron coach Chris Ford. “They played hard right from the start.”
While the Panthers' offense was clicking, their 2-3 zone gave the Blue Devils fits all night. The Port Byron defense held Cato-Meridian to just 10 buckets, and 10-of-61 shooting.
The zone rattled the Blue Devils from the start, forcing off-balance shots. Even when Cato-Meridian did manage to penetrate, the zone collapsed in to double- and triple-teaming.
“Half of our practice is defense and that's the way we run,” said Port Byron forward Neale Taylor, who had seven rebounds.
After the Panthers' initial run, the Blue Devils scored seven unanswered points. But Blue Devils could never find a rhythm on offense, and trailed 14-7 at the end of one quarter.
Cato-Meridian's size gave it a 38-32 rebounding advantage - mostly on the offensive glass. However, the shots just weren't falling, and no matter how many second-chances the Blue Devils got, the Panthers would find a way to get the ball into their end of the court.
Port Byron kept inching up its lead throughout never letting it fall below eight. The transition game took over in the fourth when the Panthers had a 19-point advantage with 4:31 left.
“We need to learn to finish ball games and we have trouble with that,” Ford said. “We lost in overtime to (Manlius Pebble Hill) because we didn't finish the ball game. I think that was weighing on our minds a little bit and I think this was a good way to get this off our backs and finish on a positive note.”
Anderson had 15 points to pace the Panthers, while Mitch David added 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Frank Smart had four rebounds.
Tim Pierce led the Blue Devils with 15 points, and Nate Modafferi pitched in with 10.
Port Byron (3-2) travels to Weedsport on Wednesday, while Cato-Meridian (3-1) faces Syracuse Academy of Science.
Port Byron was ready to play, and didn't waste a minute proving it. Brad Anderson sparked a 9-0 run to start the first quarter, and the Panthers never relinquished their lead in a 52-35 victory.
“Port Byron played a great game,” said Blue Devils coach Ryan Brunelle. “They played smart and they played fast.”
The Panthers paced the up-tempo game, worked well in transition but still took the time to be selective. At the half, Port Byron held a 23-15 lead and was shooting 50 percent.
“We had to go off from the start or else we would have been down,” said Panther Matt Cornish, who had 11 points. “Everybody would have lost their focus.”
“I told our kids that we had to come out, play hard, keep it competitive and give ourselves a chance at the end of the game,” said Port Byron coach Chris Ford. “They played hard right from the start.”
While the Panthers' offense was clicking, their 2-3 zone gave the Blue Devils fits all night. The Port Byron defense held Cato-Meridian to just 10 buckets, and 10-of-61 shooting.
The zone rattled the Blue Devils from the start, forcing off-balance shots. Even when Cato-Meridian did manage to penetrate, the zone collapsed in to double- and triple-teaming.
“Half of our practice is defense and that's the way we run,” said Port Byron forward Neale Taylor, who had seven rebounds.
After the Panthers' initial run, the Blue Devils scored seven unanswered points. But Blue Devils could never find a rhythm on offense, and trailed 14-7 at the end of one quarter.
Cato-Meridian's size gave it a 38-32 rebounding advantage - mostly on the offensive glass. However, the shots just weren't falling, and no matter how many second-chances the Blue Devils got, the Panthers would find a way to get the ball into their end of the court.
Port Byron kept inching up its lead throughout never letting it fall below eight. The transition game took over in the fourth when the Panthers had a 19-point advantage with 4:31 left.
“We need to learn to finish ball games and we have trouble with that,” Ford said. “We lost in overtime to (Manlius Pebble Hill) because we didn't finish the ball game. I think that was weighing on our minds a little bit and I think this was a good way to get this off our backs and finish on a positive note.”
Anderson had 15 points to pace the Panthers, while Mitch David added 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Frank Smart had four rebounds.
Tim Pierce led the Blue Devils with 15 points, and Nate Modafferi pitched in with 10.
Port Byron (3-2) travels to Weedsport on Wednesday, while Cato-Meridian (3-1) faces Syracuse Academy of Science.
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Kent wrote on Dec 18, 2006 10:13 PM:
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