Boys basketball: Simpson, Hart lead Lourdes over Spackenkill in MHAL final
STONE RIDGE - Beyond Zach Hart, most of the Our Lady of Lourdes players knew little about the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship. They'd heard athletes from other schools making esoteric mention of "the MHALs," but it wasn't their concern.
The Warriors had long been ensconced in Section 1 and their focus there always was a pursuit of the signature golden ball. But the school shifted its athletic department to neighboring Section 9 last fall, meaning its teams would have to learn about new opponents and communities this season, and adjust to the competition and customs.
"I didn't understand the significance of the MHALs," longtime Lourdes boys basketball coach Jim Santoro said, "but everyone explained to me that it's important. I said, 'If it's important, that means we need to go win it.'"
The celebration was spirited as the Warriors huddled and hoisted the trophy proudly on Thursday night, celebrating a 69-47 win over Spackenkill in the all-Poughkeepsie MHAL final at SUNY Ulster. Lourdes surged through the two-game tournament, winning the title in its inaugural season in this section.
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"I knew about it because my older brothers went to (Franklin D. Roosevelt High School) and they talked about it," said Hart, a sophomore. "We're happy that we've played well. We beat two good teams and came away with a trophy, so that's always a good feeling."
Tommy Simpson scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, and Hart had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Lourdes, whose collective size and physicality could prove a difficult matchup for most opponents in the upcoming playoffs.
Even more encouraging for them than the victory was Patrick Faughnan's comfort and continued improvement following an injury. He missed two weeks with a high ankle sprain but has shown few ill effects of it since returning. The forward had 12 points, moved well on both ends, and insisted his ankle "felt great."
"When it first happened, my initial thought was that I'd be out for the rest of the season," Faughnan said of the painful grade 2 sprain suffered during a Feb. 4 game. "I'm thankful it wasn't that serious and I'm back before the postseason."
The athletic 6-foot-5 forward is among the area's leading scorers at 27 points per game. That he less than halved that output Thursday was more indicative of his team's dominance in the game, which eliminated the need for him to be more assertive.
Hart shined particularly in the first half, the 6-foot-7 forward controlling the paint and using his length to alter and disrupt shots. He also was aggressive in driving the baseline and powering through contact to finish.
"It's a big advantage going against a lot of teams," Hart said of Lourdes' front court. "Not many teams have great height, and most don't have more than one true big."
The Warriors have a quartet that Santoro has nicknamed the "Four Kings," with Mark Burlingame and Jon Selander joining Hart and Faughnan as key players who all stand at least 6-foot-3.
That size was complemented by Simpson's shooting, the sophomore consistently finding openings on the perimeter and capitalizing on the attention inside. He scored 11 points during a 26-9 third quarter in which Lourdes pulled away.
The Warriors led 30-26 at intermission, but the defense stifled Spackenkill in the second half and they thrived in transition. Selander added 10 points, Dylan Cervone scored nine and Hall Scofield provided solid back court defense for Lourdes (15-5).
Nasir Snell scored 13 points for Spackenkill (17-4). Richie Decker added nine and Sanad Sahawneh hit three 3-pointers in the first half.
The MHAL tournament groups four division winners for competition in a prelude to the playoffs. Some consider it a warmup as, regardless of the result, the teams each advance to their respective sectional tournaments. But, Santoro said, "getting in two extra games against quality teams is good preparation for the playoffs.
Lourdes, seeded third in Class A, will host Monticello at 6 p.m. Monday in a quarterfinal. Spackenkill, No. 1 in Class B, hosts Rondout Valley at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Barring an upset, the Warriors could face second-seeded New Paltz in the sectional semifinals. Their 59-52 win over them in the MHAL semifinal Monday, of course, made a statement. This team would love to duplicate the success of its girls and boys soccer teams in the fall, which captured the MHAL and went on to win section titles.
"I'm real proud of the hard work they've put in and how they've played down the stretch," Santoro said. "We came into this year knowing that guys had to step up, and they have."
Lourdes made it the Section 1 final last season and narrowly lost to Poughkeepsie, which went on to reach the state semifinals. But the Warriors graduated four standouts and, entering a season facing unfamiliar opponents, there was some uncertainty about how smooth their transition would be.
"We lost some great players who were also big leaders for us," Faughnan said of the group that included his brother Chris. "But we've stepped into those roles and my teammates have done a great job. Now, we're ready for sectionals. We're psyched."
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Boys basketball: Simpson, Hart lead Lourdes to first MHAL championship
