Lions upset Cisco, push back Anson
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions basketball team fashioned a pair of playoff-caliber performances last week, clinching a playoff berth and avenging District 10-2A losses in the process.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Lions upset district leader No. 23 Cisco 47-43 on the road, making up for a 55-50 home loss on Jan. 7. On Saturday, Feb. 5, Albany followed up with a 42-40 home victory over Anson, gaining a split with the Tigers following a 48-37 road loss on Jan. 11.
The Lions kept building momentum for the playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 8, beating Stamford 57-38. Albany (10-5 overall, 5-4 district) closes out the regular season Friday, Feb. 11, at Haskell, and has an open date on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
The bi-district round of the playoffs will be Monday or Tuesday, Feb. 21-22. Last week’s wins put Albany in position to finish third in the district standings.
“Those were playoff-type games, playoff-type atmospheres,” Lion coach Ryder Peacock said. “Both games were very close and the guys had to close them out.”
Peacock said the experience bodes well for the postseason.
“That’s the kind of emotions the guys are going to have to play with and play within themselves to get back into playoff games,” he said. “It was good for us and is preparing us for the playoffs.”
In the 47-43 victory at Cisco, Albany jumped out to a double-digit lead early, then saw Cisco battle back to go in front in the fourth quarter. But unlike the first meeting, when the Loboes scored the last 12 points to win, the Lions were able to respond, closing the game on a 7-0 run to pull off the upset.
Adam Hill scored 14 points to lead the Lions with Lanxton Viertel putting in nine off the bench.
The difference came at the free throw line, where Albany made 18 of 23 attempts (78.3 percent), while Cisco finished 7 of 16. Hill converted his first eight tries.
“Free throws are huge,” Peacock said. “A lot of times, it’s what separates a team from an opponent, and it did against Cisco.”
ALBANY 47, CISCO 43
ALBANY – London Fuentes 7, Coy Lefevre 5, Cole Chapman 7, Adam Hill 14, Houston Heatly 2, Luke Marshall 3, Lanxton Viertel 9.
Albany 18 12 7 10 - 47
Cisco 8 11 15 9 - 43
Free throws were again key in the 42-40 victory over Anson. Hill hit two with 6.35 seconds remaining to give Albany the lead for the final time as the Lions finished 10 of 15 at the line.
Hill again finished with 14 points, scoring seven of Albany’s last nine. Cole Chapman added eight points. The game was postponed from Friday, Feb. 4 because of severe weather.
As in the first meeting, the Tigers got off to a fast start, hitting four 3-pointers in the first quarter to go up 14-3. Albany responded with a 10-2 run to get within three at 16-13 on Coy Lefevre’s 3-pointer with 5:14 left in the second quarter, but Anson held on to lead 24-19 at halftime.
The Tigers pushed the lead to nine points in the third quarter before Albany mounted another comeback.
The Lions went on an 11-2 run, getting a 3-pointer from Lute Wheeler with 23 seconds left in the third quarter to get within three, before pulling even at 32-32 on a Lefevere free throw with 6:43 remaining.
After Anson went back in front, Albany took its first lead at 35-34 on a Hill basket with 5:29 to go. The lead changed hands six more times before Hill hit the deciding free throws.
ALBANY 42, ANSON 40
ALBANY – London Fuentes 6, Coy Lefevre 6, Cole Chapman 8, Adam Hill 14, Luke Ivy 1, Luke Marshall 4, Lute Wheeler 3.
Anson 14 10 8 8 - 40
Albany 8 11 10 13 - 42
Junior Varsity
The Lions JV team had only one game last week, losing at Cisco 32-28. Albany led 16-12 at halftime, but Cisco rallied for a 21-21 tie in the third quarter.
Branson Beal led Albany with 14 points. Bryson Herring added seven points, Cason Fairchild three, and Cole Read and Andrew Leverton two each.
The JV game against Anson was cancelled because of the winter storm that hit the area. It was the fourth cancellation for the JV since Jan. 14.
