AMSTERDAM – After a slow start, the fourth-seeded Amsterdam Rams got on track in the second quarter and rolled to a 80-65 win over 13th-seeded Bishop Maginn in a Section II Class A first round matchup at Amsterdam High School.
“We came out a little sluggish, but in the second quarter, we picked it up,” Amsterdam senior Matt Fedullo said. “We got our rebounding going and we pushed the ball more and things came off of that.”
Amsterdam got a free throw from Keenan Holloway to start the scoring. Bishop Maginn’s Taylor Blue Clarke hit four straight free throws and Dominique Threatt scored to give the Griffins a 6-1 lead three and a half minutes into the game.
The Rams applied full-court pressure to create turnovers and Bryan Stanavich came off the bench and connected on three consecutive baskets followed by a three pointer from Kory Bergh to give the rams a 10-6 lead at the 3:27 mark. The Griffins managed to break the press and went on a 10-0 scoring run over the next two minutes to retake the lead 16-10. Dale Stanavich hit a bucket with a minute left and the quarter ended with the Griffins out in front, 16-12.
Bryan Stanavich opened the second quarter with a free throw, but Clarke answered with a 3-point shot and Joey Ward added a free throw to extend the Griffin lead to seven. Bergh drove the lane for a layup and Holloway scored to cut the lead down to three.
After Tyshane Vastion hit a bucket to make the score 22-17 with 4:48 left, the Rams started rolling. Tysean Hanna, Bryan Stanavich, Ben Rhodes, Matt Fedullo, Bergh and Holloway combined to outscore the Griffins 16-0 over the next four minutes, giving the Rams an 11-point lead. Vastion hit two free throws for Bishop Maginn to close out the half with the score 33-24.
“Bryan [Stanavich] led, like a senior should lead, and he did a great job tonight,” Amsterdam coach Tim Jones said. “Keenan [Holloway] did a good job on the inside tonight. When he checked in, he was locked in.”
The third quarter began with both teams trading baskets. Holloway, Matt Fedullo and Rhodes picked up seven points for the Rams while Threatt and Clarke managed to grab nine points for the Griffins to make the score 40 -33 with just under five minutes to go in the quarter. Matt Fedullo made a basket and a foul shot to put the Rams in front by 10.
Holloway and Rhodes added three more points to make the score 46-33.
Bobby Frazier, Treavon Wallace, Ward and Clarke combined for nine points in the final two and half minutes but the Rams matched that with buckets from Holloway, Rhodes, Louis Fedullo and Dale Stanavich to end the third quarter with the score, 55-42.
Amsterdam outscored Bishop Maginn 25-23 in the final period. The Rams got four more points from Hanna, three from Bergh and two from Holloway while the Griffins picked up three points from Clarke, five from Vastion, three from Wallace and three from Ward to cut the Rams lead to eight with 4:12 to go in the game. The Rams got six quick points to stop the Griffins’ momentum and seal the win with the score 70-56 with under three minutes to go.
Amsterdam matched baskets with Bishop Maginn over the final 2:36 of the game to get the 80-65 victory.
“I thought we played well,” Bishop Maginn coach Anthony Cioffi said. “Our goal was to keep them in the 60s, but it got away from us in the second quarter.”
Holloway finished the game with 15 points and 17 rebounds.
“We’re just excited to be moving on and we’ll see what Sunday will bring us.” Jones said.
The Rams (15-6 overall) move on to the quarterfinal round where they will face fifth-seeded Averill Park at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy on Sunday at 1 p.m.
“I’m real excited to go play [Averill Park],” Matt Fedullo said. “If we keep playing upbeat and with energy I don’t think anyone can stop us.”
Amsterdam 80, Bishop Maginn 65
Amsterdam12 21 22 25 – 80
Bishop Maginn16 8 18 23 – 65
Bishop Maginn
Vastion 4-3-12, Wallace 3-0-8, J. Ward 4-3-11, Ayyub Ward 3-0-6, Threatt 5-1-11, Clarke 4-6-16, Frazier 0-1-1. Totals 23-14-65.
Amsterdam
Holloway 5-5-15, Rhodes 4-2-11, Bergh 4-5-15, Hanna 2-2-6, M. Fedullo 6-3-16, L. Fedullo 1-0-2; D. Stanavich 2-0-4, B. Stanavich 5-1-11. Totals 29-18-80.
3-point goals: Bishop Maginn 5 (Wallace 2, Clarke 2, Vastion); Amsterdam 4 (Bergh 2, M. Fedullo, Rhodes).
