Through the years, Bob McKenney had made many trips to Glens Falls Civic Center and won many state championships.
Now, with the state final four making one last stop in Glens Falls before it moves to Binghamton next March, McKenney was aiming to go there again, this time coaching the Bishop Grimes Cobras, as it took on Section IV champion Norwich in Saturday’s Class B regional final at SUNY-Cortland.
And just when it was required, Grimes put together a superb effort, start to finish, where all of its best qualities were on display and the Purple Tornadoes got quieted in a 69-60 victory that continued a dream run for a program that didn’t even reach the .500 mark a season ago.
Senior forward Mark Shattuck, whose series of late baskets helped seal the victory, said that, while he knew his team would get better this season, even he could not have imagined a state final four berth.
“This is the best feeling ever,” said Shattuck.
It only figured that, after the final horn sounded, Grimes’ players ran to the opposite end of the floor to share their victory with the large student section that made their way to Cortland. For here, just as it has for most of the season, the Cobras didn’t mind sharing the production on the offensive end.
Shattuck’s eight points trailed five teammates that reached double figures. Jonah Cummings led with 14 points, but Johnny Wike (13 points), A.C. Ater (12 points), Lucci Vigliotti (11 points) and Shawn Gashi (10 points) all were close behind.
Great as the offense was, though, it was Grimes’ defense that made the loudest statement, pressuring Norwich from the opening tip and forcing the Purple Tornadoes into all kinds of poor shots and turnovers before it finally started making baskets in the final two minutes, when the outcome was settled.
“For three quarters, we defended as well as we can,” said McKenney.
Having taken the lead for good with opening 3-pointers from Cummings and Gashi, the Cobras took energy from those baskets to the other end, where it held Norwich to a single field goal in the game’s first five-plus minutes.
Then it was Vigliotti’s turn to spark a run in the second period. With Grimes clinging to a 13-11 lead, Vigliotti’s 3-pointer led to an 11-3 run, and as the half wound down, Wike took his turn, notching five points in a 9-2 spurt that created a 35-21 halftime margin.
That run extended deep into the third quarter, a decisive 16-3 burst that made it 42-22 in the Cobras’ favor. For the rest of the game, any time Norwich tried to make any kind of sustained run, Grimes would answer it with a timely basket.
Fittingly, it was Shattuck who finished it off. His back-to-back short jumpers midway through the fourth quarter made it 63-44, with the Purple Tornadoes only making it closer after the Cobras started celebrating its unlikely rise from middle of the pack to the state final four.
Now the Cobras will take on Section IX champion Marlboro in Friday night’s state semifinal at 8 p.m. The winner advances to Saturday night’s 9 p.m. title game against Olean (Section VI) or Hudson (Section II).
