MORAVIA - A win is always rewarding - but especially when it comes on the coach's birthday.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Greg Pasho, a Moravia junior, takes it to the hoop with Zach Newkerk, a Delhi junior, guarding. Pasho had 15 points in the game.
Greg Pasho, a Moravia junior, takes it to the hoop with Zach Newkerk, a Delhi junior, guarding. Pasho had 15 points in the game.
The second-seeded Moravia boys basketball team gave its head coach Todd Mulvaney a nice present in a 70-57 victory over No. 10 Delhi in the Section IV, Class C quarterfinals Friday.
Moravia (16-6) will host the winner of Elmira-Notre Dame and Odessa-Montour Wednesday.
It seemed to take the Blue Devils some time to get settled in, as the Bulldogs came out with an 11-9 lead, but it quickly disappeared within two minutes.
“I came out a little slow,” Blue Devils' point guard Dillon Langtry said. “After that, we hustled around and got everyone involved. It all started coming together at once.”
Junior Jeremy Stewart took things over as he scored six quick points in the first quarter and assisted Pat Mott to help put the Blue Devils up 15-11. Moravia never trailed from there.
“We had good spacing and we were moving the ball well,” Mulvaney said. “At times, our shot selection was off, but other times it was good. It was kind of up in the air, but that will come over time.”
Stewart finished with a team-high 16 points, while he stole the ball three times on defense and had five rebounds despite being in foul trouble for most of the second and third quarters. That's when his teammates had to step up. Lee Wakefield led the team in rebounds with nine, while also scoring 10 points and having two steals, Mott earned six assists and also chipped in with eight points, while blocking two shots and coming down with seven boards. Langtry had three steals and seven rebounds on top of his 14 points, while Greg Pasho chipped in with 15 points.
“We all came together as a team,” Stewart said. “The team picked it up when I had to sit out.”
Before the IAC playoffs last weekend, the Blue Devils seemed to be wearing down. They decided to sit down as a team and make a list of what was wrong and how they could fix it. The one important thing they wanted to achieve was to make the IACs.
“We just set our eyes on the prize,” Langtry said. “We have to watch that the whole time. We know what we want and we can't let anyone take it away.”
After their 60-58 loss to Watkins Glen in the IAC finals, the Blue Devils took the six days in between games to focus on winning their first sectional game in three years. Moravia would allow the Bulldogs to look like they were peaking, but then went on runs to extend the lead to double digits.
“We moved the ball well as a team,” Mulvaney said. “At times on defense we played well and with a lot of intensity. I was proud of some of the plays we made, but at times we fell asleep. We knew their tendencies and we just slept on them. Obviously we can get better though.”
With a team that consists of all juniors and sophomores, getting better is something they expect to do. But playing senior-laden teams can be a challenge.
“They have great chemistry,” Mulvaney said. “They have to mature at such a fast age and they have to step up and be leaders. By them doing that this is where you're starting to see it and it's paying off.”
Blue Devils 70
Bulldogs 57
Moravia (16-6) will host the winner of Elmira-Notre Dame and Odessa-Montour Wednesday.
It seemed to take the Blue Devils some time to get settled in, as the Bulldogs came out with an 11-9 lead, but it quickly disappeared within two minutes.
“I came out a little slow,” Blue Devils' point guard Dillon Langtry said. “After that, we hustled around and got everyone involved. It all started coming together at once.”
Junior Jeremy Stewart took things over as he scored six quick points in the first quarter and assisted Pat Mott to help put the Blue Devils up 15-11. Moravia never trailed from there.
“We had good spacing and we were moving the ball well,” Mulvaney said. “At times, our shot selection was off, but other times it was good. It was kind of up in the air, but that will come over time.”
Stewart finished with a team-high 16 points, while he stole the ball three times on defense and had five rebounds despite being in foul trouble for most of the second and third quarters. That's when his teammates had to step up. Lee Wakefield led the team in rebounds with nine, while also scoring 10 points and having two steals, Mott earned six assists and also chipped in with eight points, while blocking two shots and coming down with seven boards. Langtry had three steals and seven rebounds on top of his 14 points, while Greg Pasho chipped in with 15 points.
“We all came together as a team,” Stewart said. “The team picked it up when I had to sit out.”
Before the IAC playoffs last weekend, the Blue Devils seemed to be wearing down. They decided to sit down as a team and make a list of what was wrong and how they could fix it. The one important thing they wanted to achieve was to make the IACs.
“We just set our eyes on the prize,” Langtry said. “We have to watch that the whole time. We know what we want and we can't let anyone take it away.”
After their 60-58 loss to Watkins Glen in the IAC finals, the Blue Devils took the six days in between games to focus on winning their first sectional game in three years. Moravia would allow the Bulldogs to look like they were peaking, but then went on runs to extend the lead to double digits.
“We moved the ball well as a team,” Mulvaney said. “At times on defense we played well and with a lot of intensity. I was proud of some of the plays we made, but at times we fell asleep. We knew their tendencies and we just slept on them. Obviously we can get better though.”
With a team that consists of all juniors and sophomores, getting better is something they expect to do. But playing senior-laden teams can be a challenge.
“They have great chemistry,” Mulvaney said. “They have to mature at such a fast age and they have to step up and be leaders. By them doing that this is where you're starting to see it and it's paying off.”
Blue Devils 70
Bulldogs 57
Citizen
Hot Jobs
Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.