Finally, the Hamilton boys basketball team is in the win column after a six-game skid to open the 2009-10 season.
The Emerald Knights’ drought ended in Tuesday night’s opening round of the Morris Holiday Tournament, where it started fast and held on for a 59-51 victory over Edmeston, from the Section IV ranks.
A steady, productive attack in the first quarter helped Hamilton gain a 19-12 lead, and the margin grew to 30-19 by halftime. Despite all of Edmeston’s attempts to rally in the late going, the Emerald Knights would answer and maintain that lead.
Mikey Jones, with 16 points (including four 3-pointers), led a four-pronged attack where Dan Meeks sank three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points. Keith Upton’s 15 points included a pair of treys, while Coley Graham worked inside for 11 points of his own.
In the Madison Christmas Tournament, Morrisville-Eaton erupted in the second quarter of its opening-round game against Stockbridge Valley, leading to an 81-50 victory.
Ben Thomas’ steal and two-handed dunk early in that second period fired up the Warriors and led to a 26-2 outburst that helped M-E overcome a 21-13 first-quarter deficit.
Overall, the Warriors outscored Stockbridge 51-13 in the second and third periods. Freshman Will Thomas continued to impress, with 26 points, 14 rebounds and four steals, while Ben Thomas got 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and six assists.
Matt Pelton and Jake Landher each had 10 points, with Shane Carroll (eight points) and Jamison Maciag (seven points) had solid contributions, too.
M-E wasn’t done, either, as it would face Remsen in the championship game and dominated the early stages in a 64-59 victory that really wasn’t close as the final score would indicate.
Steadily, the Warriors worked itself to a 40-28 halftime lead, but then decided matters by going on a 24-8 run that covered the third quarter. The Thomas brothers dominated that run, each of them getting 10 points on the way to equal totals of 23 points on the night. Carroll and Maciag added seven points apiece.
So, with 64-36 lead, all the starters went to the bench. Remsen then went on a 23-0 run to close the game, though most of those points came in the last couple of minutes.
With that win, M-E improved to 6-3, with games against Oriskany and Rome Catholic this week as Hamilton had to face unbeaten, state Class C no. 5-ranked West Canada Valley on Tuesday before a Thursday test against Waterville.
