Basketball

Wildcats drown Lakers

By Stan Ross

YORK - Last Friday, Jan. 5, Wildcats boys' basketball (5-3) had two points on the board before the Lake Region Lakers (2-5) took the floor.

One Laker starter had changed his jersey number without it being corrected in the official score book, which resulted in a technical foul. York Coach Rick Brault selected Zach Prugar to shoot the free-throws and he drained both of them. Then Phil Alibrandi (team high 16) opened the scoring for York on a put-back.

High scoring senior Chris Shane (game high 31) countered with three free-throws for the Capers.

York sophomore Dan Sheehan used his height under the boards to add two quick hoops on feeds from Joe Corsello and Tony Romano. Then Romano and Corsello each scored on put-backs for York before Shane countered with a slash to the hoop.

York led 13-9 going into the second period and Alibrandi tallied on a trey from the wing and a slash to the hoop. The Lakers bounced back on a pair of hoops and then a trey from mid-court by Phillip Ellis before Pat Cartier fed Corsello on a breakaway. Corsello made a good block and Greg Wilson grabbed a rebound before York called time with a 21-17 lead at the 2:35 mark. Then the Lakers used a fast break and four free-throws to offset Corsello's put-back and even the score at 23-23 at the half.

Alibrandi and Romano each scored on a slash to the hoop but Shane scored all eight points for the Lakers in the third period.

Corsello countered with a spin move and Romano was fouled on a hook shot as he made three the old fashioned way to give York a 32-31 lead going into the final quarter. Then the Wildcats took control with a spin move by Alibrandi, a steal for a breakaway by Prugar and a put-back by Sheehan to take a 38-31 lead and force the Lakers to call time at the 5:57 mark.

Shane was a one-man scoring machine for the Lakers as he scored 14 points in the final period, but it was not enough.

York answered with a baseline bucket by Sheehan and on a feed from Wilson to Sheehan for another lay-up. Romano scored on a put-back and Sheehan added two more hoops on feeds from Corsello and Prugar.

After York scored two more hoops on a steal by Alibrandi and a put-back by Romano, Brault cleared his bench. Al Blomquist nailed three free-throws and Tim Jones added one to make the final score York 58, Lake Region 47. Unofficial stats showed Alibrandi with six steals and nine rebounds and Corsello with eight rebounds.

Wildcats lose at Wells, 45-34

The York Wildcats (4-3) fresh off a three game sweep at Oyster River in the Christmas tournament, were upset last Wed., Jan.3, at Wells (2-5) by the final score of 45-34. York got off to a slow start with just five points in the first period and four in the second as Wells built an 18-9 lead at the half.

Juniors Hunter Spearin and Joshua Tufts led Wells with 13 points each as the Warriors increased their lead to 30-13 after three periods.

York rallied with 17 points in the final quarter but it was too little, too late. Zach Prugar was the only Wildcat in double digits with 12 points.

Wildcats come back to rout Capers, 63-58

'Twas the Friday night before Christmas, too late for the deadline, when all through the house the York Wildcats (4-2) were scrambling to counter the free-throw shooting of Cape Co-Captain Austin Brown, 6 of 6 in the first period.

Despite a fast-break bucket from Tony Romano to Phil Alibrandi, a baseline bucket by Joe Corsello, a fast-break feed from Corsello to Dan Sheehan and a trey from the top by Pat Cartier, the Capers led 14-10 at the quarter.

The Wildcats had already been charged with nine fouls and the Capers were in the "double bonus." But York countered on a trey by Zach Prugar and a block by Sheehan plus a feed from Prugar to Sheehan to even the score at 19-19.

Romano took a charge to negate a Caper hoop and Prugar countered with a pair of free-throws for York. Then Greg Wilson and Prugar each drained a trey from the wing, and after Alibrandi fed Wilson for a smooth spin move, York led 30-21 at the half.

York Coach Rick Brault said after the game, "We thought we could get Sheehan more involved in the low post and made an adjustment at half time."

Sheehan scored 12 of the next 14 York points and the Wildcats led 40-30 at the 3:42 mark. Alibrandi added three the hard way on a good spin move to give York a 47-37 lead going into the final quarter. Corsello fed Prugar for a pop from the corner and Sheehan added two more rebounds and two more hoops and York led 55-47.

Brault commented, "a career high with a double-double for sophomore Sheehan" with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Alibrandi also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and it was his two free-throws with five seconds to play that gave York their winning margin of 63-58.

Next on the schedule are a home game versus Freeport this Thursday, Jan 11, at 6:30 p.m., and then a road game at Traip Academy on Sat., Jan 13, at 7 p.m.

York vs. Lake Region
Score by Quarters
Wildcats 13 10 9 26 58
Lakers 9 14 8 16 47
York scorers: Romano 14, Prugar 4, Alibrandi 16, Corsello 9, Blomquist 3, Jones 1, Sheehan 14 Three pointer: Alibrandi 1

York vs. Wells
Score by Quarters
Wildcats 5 4 8 17 34
Warriors 10 8 12 15 45
York scorers: Alibrandi 9, Corsello 5, Prewitt 2, Prugar 12, Romano 4, Wilson 2
Three pointers: Prugar 2, Alibrandi 1

York vs. Cape
Score by Quarters
Wildcats 10 20 17 16 63
Capers 14 7 16 21 58
York scorers: Sheehan 20, Prugar 14, Alibrandi 12, Wilson 7, Romano 4, Corsello 3, Cartier 3
Three pointers: Prugar 2, Cartier 1, Wilson


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