Boys basketball: Undermanned Hastings holds off Briarcliff, extends winning streak to five
NEW ROCHELLE - Hastings was missing three key players entering its Slam Dunk Showcase matchup with Briarcliff, but the Yellow Jackets weren't about to make any excuses.
They had already experienced defeat earlier in the season, and they were determined to avoid that feeling again. Despite missing approximately one-fourth of its roster, Hastings scraped by Briarcliff in a 51-43 win, and extended its winning streak to five games.
"We have eight players right now, but it's only up from here," Hastings junior Robert Kennedy said. "We had some devastating losses at the beginning of the year, but we rallied the guys. We just got to stick with it, because once you get through those tough times, the good times will come."
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The Yellow Jackets' poise was put to the test and on a big stage like Iona College's Hynes Center, they were able to rise to the occasion and even battled from behind.
Briarcliff used a 9-0 run that stretched across the final four minutes of the first half, but Hastings was able to slow down some of the Bears' momentum with a last-second layup by Casey Maiorino to trim the halftime deficit. Briarcliff took a 23-17 lead at the break.
"Coach gave us a good talk about lessening the turnovers," Hastings senior Josh Thigpen said of the message at halftime. "We came out, played hard and stayed consistent through the second half. We had a great second half that led us to the win."
After the break, the Bears managed to extend their lead into double figures, but that didn't last long. Hastings strung together a couple of three-pointers to bring the game within reach.
The Bears clung onto a 34-32 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Yellow Jackets continued to persist onward. Both teams traded baskets to start the final quarter, until Hastings was able to eventually take the lead for good.
Briarcliff never made it easy, though, but the Bears were unable to answer back and overtake the Yellow Jackets.
"We just had to break the trap more," Kennedy said of being able to complete the comeback. "They were forcing turnovers. We were dribbling into the traps. They were baiting us, and we kept falling for the bait. All we had to do was stay patient, push the ball when we could and really just let the game come to us."
Turning point
After a back-and-forth series to open the fourth quarter, Kennedy drove inside and kicked it out to an open Thigpen, who ignored a late close-out for a three-pointer to give Hastings a 43-40 lead, with 4:11 remaining in the game. Briarcliff kept it close for the remainder of the game, but Hastings never gave up the lead..
Player of the game
Josh Thigpen, Hastings: The Yellow Jackets' senior made an impact on both ends of the court and elevated his play in the crucial moments of the game. Thigpen was named the Most Valuable Player of the game, finishing with a game-high 27 points, with five rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Ten of his points came in the fourth quarter.
By the numbers
Hastings (7-3) — Casey Maiorino had 14 points. Robert Kennedy chipped in four points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Briarcliff (3-4) — Luke McCann paced the Bears with 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Cooper Plank and Evan Van Camp had six points each.
Quotable
"The first couple of losses humbled us, we won a championship two years ago, and we're all locked in on trying to get back to that point," Thigpen said of his team's five-game winning streak since starting 2-3. "The wins keep helping, and we're trying to keep stacking them up."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Boys basketball: Hastings holds off Briarcliff in 51-43 win
