Somers outlasts Clarkstown North in 53-51 Victory

Please see tip, pledge and subscribe buttons or my venmo : @Rich-Monetti

On Friday December 27, Somers left the holiday festivities behind for the first round of the Pelham Holiday Tournament, and a lot of Clarkstown North length initially put a damper on the after party. A 29-18 first half deficit resulting, Somers was in danger of being run out of the gym. This especially since a halftime speech wasn’t going to make any of the elephants taller. But Coach Loughran disagreed.

“Our struggle all year has been matching the other team’s intensity. That’s just what it was,” he said. “I told them to come out with a different mindset,” and inspired defense led to an exciting 53-51 Somers victory.

Long before, Somers quickly saw what they were up against, and Phil Santore was introduced first when the opening tip had him guarding the Rams center. “He’s huge,” the guard said of Rotimi Esiso. “I switched immediately.”

No matter, Esiso drove to the hoop and sank one from the line. He was pretty fearsome on the other end too. Three times he swatted away drives into his domain, and the Rams would take a 3-0 lead when Kyle Kirkland converted a steal into a fast break layup.

Still, the Tuskers weren’t cowed. Nico Quinones made a perfect inbound pass to Chris Decker, and after Connor Cullen hit a pull up jumper, Santore matched the Ram just the same for a 5-4 game.

The road was about to get long, though. Up pretty high too, Hudsyn Pincus and Jack Kavanagh took the height advantage on guard penetration, and Clarkstown went up by six on consecutive layups.

Julian Rosa did answer with a three, but then Somers learned that the big man could run too. He led the break on the defensive rebound and fed to Kavanagh to close the first quarter scoring at 12-7.

Opening up the second, Esiso added passing to his game. Double teamed down low, he hit Pincus, and the open layup doubled up the score.

So Somers gave Clarkstown a dose of Santore. The senior penetrated twice on the baseline, and he was pretty underhanded with the results. A dish to Decker went for two, and a scoop layup brought the game back in range.

A three point deficit, a little foretelling came next. Timmy Monahan drew a charge on Cullen, and while the senior’s grittiness didn’t really stall Clarkstown at this point, the second half was another matter.

For now, Clarkstown primed up to pull away, and it was Esiso who brought another wrinkle. He lined up for an open three and buried it for a 17-11 lead.

A pair of Leo Keimig triples slowed the Rams but not for long. Kirkland and Esiso went deep from downtown, and the play of Clarkstown’s day was on the way. Gilad Gabai saved the ball under the Somers basket, and the long outlet pass caught the defense off guard. Pincus received and ended the half with a conventional three point play.

Eleven points to make up, Somers didn’t wait to get started. Santore’s spin through the paint gave Decker a layup, Chris Spano followed with a strong post up, and Ben O’Brien dropped a putback for a 29-25 game.

Off a Santore miss, there wouldn’t be much more of that, and the sharp shooter made good on the next three to pull within one. Esiso didn’t go away, though. He grabbed the defensive board and went coast to coast to reassert a 31-28 Clarkstown lead.

Santore missing the message, he immediately duplicated the feat, and Clarkstown now feeling the pressure, bad shots and miscues took over. Completely unsympathetic, Santore willed his way through heavy traffic in the paint and contorted his body to give Somers its first lead at 32-31.

Quinones gave Clarkstown no chance to gather either. He drove hard through the paint too, and Somers was now up three.

2:35 left in the third, Clarkstown got inside twice to cut the lead back to one, and the continuing grind set the stage for Monahan. He stood down Kavanagh, and the charge call prompted a full court press from Clarkstown. The inbound coming to Decker, he connected with a streaking Santore, and the layup ended the third quarter with Somers up 38-35.

Onto the fourth, Somers went right to work on the defense. The Tuskers forced a turnover on the opening inbound, and the next trip down, Esiso traveled. Clarkstown frazzled, the next turn had Monahan fearlessly doing his thing. “That’s why we love football players playing basketball,” joked Loughran.

No points yet, the Somers defense forged the inevitable. Keimig got the block under the Clarkstown basket, the ball made its way to Santore, and he went coast to coast for a five point lead.

Now in panic mode, Clarkson ran into Monahan again. Pincus this time, the defensive back made legend of the fall. “I just brace for impact,” said the senior. “Football prepares for this.”

Only thing, the ref didn’t see it that way with bodies all over the floor. No call, Monahan had the last laugh. Trailing the play on the break, he credited Quinones for a sixth sense. “Nico, he’s got eyes in the back of his head,” said Monahan.

Still, Monahan admitted the open finger roll was not a given. A miss, he said, “was pretty likely.” But the Tusker had it all the way, and Somers led 42-35.

5:53 remaining, there was no calm for Clarkstown. More bad misses and erratic play had Somers continuing to take advantage. Quinones hit a jumper off the dribble, Decker muscled a put back, and Keimig hit a three to give Somers a 49-40 lead with 3:41 left.

A long way to go, Clarkson made sure. After Kirkland got inside for a layup, Clarkstown stretched out to tie the game. One putback for Esiso and two for Pincus had it 51-51 with 21 seconds remaining.

Timeout, Somers ran 14 seconds off the clock and called for time again. Once more, Santore received, and Clarkstown was called for a foul before Santore nailed a jumper. Initially perturbed, the guard realized Clarkstown was over there limit, and his Coach conveyed the chill. “Phil was ice cold,” he boasted.

Two effortless swishes, the automatic identified his inspiration. “I try to make my Dad proud everyday,” Santore assured.

The last shot falling way short for Clarkstown, mission accomplished, and Santore predicts a lot more the rest of the way. “I think we could make some noise,” he concluded.