Albany, N.Y. - Sunday afternoon, the ACPHS men's basketball team (2-1) won their home matchup 88-82 against College of Mount Saint Vincent.
After a disappointing loss Friday evening, the Panthers came into this matchup looking to make a statement – and hoped to avoid dropping back-to-back games.
First-half breakdown
CMSV came out red-hot to start the game, hitting their first five 3-point attempts and building a double-digit lead. However, Tim Hudson Jr. (Hanford, C.A.) gave the Panthers the spark they needed off the bench to get themselves back in the game. Hudson immediately hit a 3-pointer and began grabbing every rebound that came his way – showing his team this game was far from over.
Hudson's energy resonated with his team – and after he was subbed out because of foul trouble, his team continued bringing the fight to CMSV. ACPHS ran the Dolphins off the 3-point line and forced turnover after turnover, building a double-digit lead and closing the half 48-37.
"I want to duplicate the first half, and I don't want them to score more than fifty points," Head Coach Robert Coleman said. Although unlikely, Coleman wants his team to continue turning their defense into offense and never take their foot off the gas.
Second-half recap
Coach Coleman got what he wanted from his players to start the second half. ACPHS came out pressuring CMSV and converting into 3-pointers on the other end. Unfortunately, late in the half, CMSV switched to a full-court press defense, and it caused some trouble for the Panthers.
As a result of the press, the Dolphins cut the double-digit lead to one point with under eight minutes left to play. With two minutes remaining, point guard Nathan Lyles produced three key steals, sealing the victory with fastbreak layups on the other side of the floor.
Who stood out?
Although all players contributed to this impressive performance, Brett Richards (Kinderhook, N.Y.) proved to be an absolute threat wherever the ball went. Richards scored 30 points and nine rebounds while shooting 73.6% from the floor.
What was said after the game?
Coach Coleman shared his thoughts after the win, "The defense we played tonight, we actually came up with it yesterday. We went back and made some needed adjustments, but we still have some wrinkles we need to iron out. You can't get too high, and you can't get too low. It doesn't matter if you're up or down twenty points. The biggest thing was our intensity. Our bench came to play today; they lifted our team up and kept the energy high the whole way through."
When do they play next?
The Panthers return to action Saturday, Nov. 12, when they host Great Bay Community College in their first YSCC game.
How to follow the Panthers: For the latest information on ACPHS athletics, visit acphspanthers.com or check out the ACPHS athletics social media platforms on Instagram @ACPHSPanthers or Twitter @ACPHSAthletics.
This story was contributed by Nikolas Gheiler
