CBA staves off Green Tech's upset bid to reach Class AAA boys' sectional final
· Yahoo Sports
GLENS FALLS - On an evening when the undefeated Christian Brothers Academy boys' basketball team struggled on offense, a 3-point attempt from junior guard JT Vogel hit the rim and bounded high.
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Then, the late shot nestled through the net to provide some much-needed points, and confidence, for the Brothers.
The top-seeded Brothers, ranked No. 4 in the Class AAA state poll, were severely tested by Green Tech, which took its first lead of the game in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, though, the Brothers finally secured a 43-36 victory over the fourth-seeded Eagles at Harding Mazzotti Arena to clinch their spot in Sunday's final.
"It felt good to make some shots for my team," said Vogel, who went 2-for-5 from 3-point range to finish with six points. "Defensively, we did what we needed to do to win. We've got to pick things up on offense. That wasn't very good from us."
Friday, the Eagles - led this season by former University at Albany men's basketball coach Will Brown - surrendered the game's first 10 points and were on the verge of peril the majority of the first half. Eventually, the Brothers (21-0) advanced to Sunday's title game against Shaker despite shooting a woeful 4-for-23 during the second half, although the Suburban Council champions did go 3-for-4 from the field over the final 3:40.
"We get everyone's best shot, being undefeated. (Green Tech) had nothing to lose and they played like it," Vogel said. "We need to play better Sunday. Shaker is a very good team and they are well-coached. We're going to need to be at our best and I think we will be. We know what is at stake."
Green Tech junior point guard Carter Clay helped his team stay close. By the end of the third quarter, when CBA made just one shot, Green Tech's deficit had been reduced to 33-31.
But, after tying the game at 35 midway through the fourth quarter, Green Tech's final eight possessions of the game included missed shots and five turnovers. Still, Green Tech stayed closed, and CBA couldn't pull away until Vogel's second made 3 sank through after bouncing high off the rim with two minutes to go.
Key moment
The first of Vogel's two 3-pointers put CBA ahead 38-35. The junior wore a relieved smile when talking about making the second one that provided the Brothers a 41-36 advantage.
"Not much went right for us on offense in the second half. I was happy to see that one go through," Vogel said.
Star of the game
If not for the all-around efforts of Clay, Green Tech would likely have been soundly defeated.
He ended going 6-for-12 from the field in scoring 19 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
He tallied seven of his team's nine points in the first quarter and scored the Eagles' first six points during the third quarter.
Numbers to know
19: Total turnovers for Green Tech, which hindered the team's comeback bid. Ten of those miscues occurred over the final 10 minutes.
17: Points on Friday for JJ Osinski, CBA's all-time leading scorer. He was the only player to reach double digits in points for CBA.
4: Baskets CBA made during the second half on 23 attempts. The Brothers missed on 18 of 19 shots before converting three of their final four attempts.
What's next
Green Tech: The first season for the Eagles under the tutelage of Brown concludes with Green Tech finishing up at 18-3 overall. The loss denied the Eagles a fifth straight appearance in a sectional final.
CBA: The next task for the Brothers comes on Sunday afternoon when they take on second-seeded Shaker for the title at Harding Mazzotti Arena.
This article originally published at CBA staves off Green Tech's upset bid to reach Class AAA boys' sectional final.