Many different things went wrong for the Liverpool boys basketball team in Thursday night’s game against Bishop Ludden in the finals of the Rosemary Corcoran Holiday Classic, from a rash of early turnovers to a string of fouls that slowed down the tempo in the third quarter.
And none of that mattered one bit.
Thanks to a stifling defense that took over late in the first half, the state Class AA no. 11-ranked Warriors cruised to a 63-47 victory over the Gaelic Knights, leading by as much as 28 before easing up in the latter stages as it moved to 8-0 on the season.
Many different factors made this game an attractive one. Liverpool lost to Ludden in the 2016 Section III Class AA final at SRC Arena, only to avenge that defeat last winter in the sectional semifinals on the way to the title.
Also, the Warriors had played in this same tournament in 2016 but lost to Rochester Aquinas in the first round. That didn’t happen here as Liverpool beat the Little Irish 63-49 in Wednesday’s opening round.
Ludden, meanwhile, took out New Hartford 66-42, its fifth consecutive win following an 0-2 start, setting up a final that pitted the Gaelic Knights’ big, strong frontcourt against the Warriors’ superior depth.
All through the first quarter, Liverpool kept giving the ball away, but Ludden couldn’t take full advantage, only gaining a 10-6 lead. Once the Warriors went on an 11-0 run that bled into the second period, it never trailed again.
But the real getaway came late in the half. Over the last 4:51, Ludden was held without a field goal, swarmed all over the court by Liverpool’s defensive pressure and, more often than not, unable to even get a clean shot.
That served as a basis for a 15-1 spurt that created a 39-19 halftime advantage. Here, Nas Johnson picked up 13 of his 15 points, while Charles Pride earned most of his 17 points (he was named tournament MVP) before the break.
Just as important was the latest display of the Warriors’ depth. Noah Issakainen hit on four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points overall, bench production that Ludden could not match, though Joe Connor did finish with 16 points and Sh’ikem Lee added 13 points.
All of this followed the first-round game against Aquinas. Not content with an early lead, the Warriors outscored the Irish 18-3 in a decisive second quarter. By the time the final period arrived, Liverpool had a 56-25 advantage, and did so with just a single field goal from Pride, who got all six of his points at the foul line.
But all 12 players that saw action got on the scoresheet, led by Johnson, who had 14 points. Peter Cerrone had nine points, with Issakainen and Alan Willmes earning eight points apiece.
The win over Ludden followed, and Liverpool would bring an eight-game win streak into games in the first week of 2018 against West Genesee and Corcoran.
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