Lions close out first half with 2 wins
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions basketball team bounced back from a disappointing loss to record its first home win in emphatic fashion last week.
The Lions lost 48-37 at Anson on Tuesday, Jan. 11 before defeating Stamford 71-29 on Friday, Jan. 14 in District 10-2A play.
Albany (6-4 overall, 3-3 district) hosted Haskell on Tuesday, Jan. 18, to wrap up the first half of the district schedule, winning 54-26. Details will be reported next week.
The Lions have an open date on Friday, Jan. 21, then will be back on the court next Tuesday, Jan. 25 in Hawley.
“We felt a lot better ending last week with a win,” Lions coach Ryder Peacock said. “We put a lot emotionally into the Cisco game (a 55-50 loss on Jan. 7), and it carried over against Anson. It was nice to see the guys respond and get back into the groove and hopefully set us up for a strong finish to the first half of district that will jump-start us into the second half.”
In the 48-37 loss at Anson, Albany fell behind 10-0 as the Tigers hit five of their first six shots, while the Lions missed their first four. Albany closed the gap to 31-25 at the end of the third quarter before Anson pulled away in the fourth.
Cole Chapman led the Lions with 13 points, while Adam Hill added 10.
In the 71-29 victory over Stamford, Albany used defense to create offense, converting numerous Bulldog turnovers into fast-break baskets. The Lions used a 9-0 run to build a 10-point lead in the first quarter, then blew the game open with a 17-3 run in the second.
“We talk about defense creating offense, and that’s what happened,” Peacock said. “We didn’t do that at Anson and never got into a rhythm.”
Peacock said some defensive changes made a difference against Stamford.
"We’re still trying to figure out what kind of defensive team we are right now,” he said. “I thought the guys responded well, and we did some good things. Hopefully that will propel us forward as we get into the rest of the season.”
Chapman and London Fuentes each scored 19 points to lead the Lions, who had nine players score in the game. Coy Lefevre had nine points and Lute Wheeler came off the bench to score eight.
Peacock said Albany’s bench play was a welcome addition. Lion substitutes combined for 17 points with Luke Marshall and Lanxton Viertel making an impact defensively.
“It was nice to get those guys quite a bit of time on the floor,” Peacock said. “It wasn’t just clean-up minutes. They were in there when the game was still pretty tight.”
ANSON 48, ALBANY 37
ALBANY – Coy Lefevre 6, Cole Chapman 13, Adam Hill 10, Luke Marshall 5, Lute Wheeler 3. Totals 11 11-16 37.
Albany 4 10 11 12 - 37
Anson 14 8 9 17 - 48
ALBANY 71, STAMFORD 29
ALBANY – London Fuentes 19, Coy Lefevre 9, Cole Chapman 19, Adam Hill 5, Luke Ivy 2, Houston Heatly 2, Luke Marshall 4, Lute Wheeler 8, Lanxton Viertel 3. Totals 29 10-16 71.
Stamford 11 5 8 5 - 29
Albany 15 19 23 14 - 17
Junior Varsity
The Lions junior varsity lost 42-36 at Anson on Tuesday, Jan. 11 in its only outing of the week. The JV game against Stamford was cancelled because of the amount of illness plaguing the schools.
Against Anson, Albany fell behind 9-8 in the first quarter and trailed 21-16 at halftime. Anson pushed the margin to 31-20 in the third quarter and held on as the Lions rallied in the fourth.
Bryson Herring scored 19 points to lead Albany.
ANSON 42, ALBANY 36
ALBANY – Cason Fairchild 5, Andrew Leverton 4, Branson Beal 6, Bryson Herring 19, Brayden Watson 4.
Albany 8 8 4 16 - 36
Anson 9 12 10 11 - 42
