Lions finish first half of district undefeated
The Albany Lions wrapped up the first half of district play with a 60–42 win over Hawley on Jan. 20, finishing the opening round a perfect 6–0.
Coach Ryder Peacock said the win was a physical one, as expected when the two teams meet, and credited his players for controlling the boards and staying composed against Hawley’s deliberate, ball-control approach.
“Hawley is always physical, and they try to get extra possessions through rebounding,” Peacock said. “I thought our guys did a good job emphasizing rebounding on both ends and not panicking when they slowed the game down.”
Peacock said Hawley held the ball for extended possessions to limit scoring opportunities, at times keeping the ball for more than a minute before attempting a shot. Albany remained patient and took advantage of opportunities when they came.
With the win, the Lions completed the first half of district undefeated, a milestone Peacock said is difficult to achieve in a competitive district where teams are familiar with one another.
“Going 6–0 is huge,” he said. “This district is tough every year, and it’s hard to get through the first half without a hiccup. Our guys put themselves in a really good position.”
Albany now enters the second half of district play facing a challenging schedule that includes four road games. Peacock said the team’s ability to win in different ways has been key so far, including pulling away late in close games and protecting leads when ahead.
The Lions were scheduled to open the second half against Stamford, which finished 5–1 in the first round and sits second in the district, with its only loss coming against Albany. Due to icy weather conditions, the game was moved from Tuesday to Wednesday night and was played after press time. Results will be reported next week. There was no JV game due to the reschedule.
“Stamford is the number two team in the district,” Peacock said. “They can score, they’re athletic, and they play good defense. We’ll have to raise our level of play.”
Albany will host Haskell on Friday night. The Lions defeated Haskell 62–50 in the first meeting, but Peacock said the Indians are playing better and remain in the mix for a playoff spot.
JV Lions continue steady growth
The Albany junior varsity Lions also closed the first half of district play with a 37–24 win over Hawley, finishing the opening round with a 5–1 record.
Peacock said the JV team came out strong against Hawley, jumping out early before settling into a more uneven rhythm as the game progressed.
“I thought we started fast and did some good things early,” Peacock said. “We probably could have put the game away by a bigger margin, but we made some mistakes we don’t usually see.”
Peacock attributed some of those mistakes to facing a larger, more physical opponent and noted that JV games often stay closer than expected, regardless of records.
“JV games are always interesting,” he said. “They tend to be closer, and you don’t see many games get out of hand. That’s part of the level.”
Much of the JV scoring has come from freshmen, and Peacock said the coaching staff remains focused on development as those players gain experience. He said the JV players spend significant time practicing alongside the varsity, which has helped accelerate growth.
“We love winning, but more importantly we love seeing improvement,” Peacock said. “Those guys are getting better every game, and that’s what we want to see when we walk off the floor.”
