November 20, 2022
An Instant Classic
Code:
Lafayette 88, Long Island 87
-------------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette (3-1, 0-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Matt Robles PF 43 5-13 6-8 3 16 2 4 16
Asdrubal Cruz PF 13 1-2 1-2 2 3 0 5 3
Byron Shores SF 35 7-18 4-6 0 3 2 4 23
Thomas Lucy SG 38 3-10 3-6 1 11 2 2 12
Ben Miele PG 38 1-5 1-2 0 2 7 2 4
Micah Rodriguez SF 26 8-13 4-4 3 3 3 4 25
Kurt Ritchie C 34 0-4 0-0 0 8 0 2 0
Kamari Stone PG 6 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 0
Jeffrey Hampton PF 10 0-0 1-2 2 3 0 2 1
Jonathan Baldwin C 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Joseph Hubbard SF 8 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 4
Turnovers: 10 (A.Cruz 2, B.Shores 1, T.Lucy 3, B.Miele
2, M.Rodriguez 2)
Blocked Shots: 3 (M.Robles 2, J.Hampton 1)
Steals: 2 (B.Shores 1, B.Miele 1)
3P FGs: 14-35 (B.Shores 5-10, T.Lucy 3-9, B.Miele 1-5,
M.Rodriguez 5-8, K.Ritchie 0-1, J.Hubbard 0-2)
Long Island (2-2, 0-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Jason Kubiak PF 36 4-10 7-14 4 14 0 1 15
Miles Marin PF 26 6-9 6-8 1 7 1 4 18
Vaughn Tate SF 27 2-8 0-3 1 4 6 5 4
Boyce Eslinger SG 43 4-14 2-2 1 5 0 2 12
Barton Russ PG 36 4-10 1-2 2 4 2 2 12
Michael Gaona C 20 1-2 2-2 1 3 2 4 4
Pete Perez PG 18 3-5 2-2 0 1 0 2 10
Morton Crim SF 19 3-11 2-2 2 3 2 1 8
Archie Williams SG 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0
Daniel Loehr C 17 2-3 0-0 3 8 0 0 4
Ricky Williams PF 5 0-1 0-0 1 3 0 1 0
David Peavy C 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 1 0
Turnovers: 9 (J.Kubiak 1, M.Marin 2, B.Russ 2, M.Gaona
2, M.Crim 1, A.Williams 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (J.Kubiak 1, P.Perez 1, M.Crim 1,
D.Loehr 2)
Steals: 3 (V.Tate 1, B.Eslinger 2)
3P FGs: 7-26 (J.Kubiak 0-3, V.Tate 0-4, B.Eslinger 2-8,
B.Russ 3-5, P.Perez 2-3, M.Crim 0-3)
Player of Game: SF Micah Rodriguez (LFYTE)
The game is closely contested and exciting for 40 minutes. We're 5 points behind midway through the first half, and we're 7 points ahead midway through the second half. Both teams establish these leads with 9-0 runs.
We trail, 75-72, with 25 seconds remaining in the second half.
Micah Rodriguez coolly knocks down a three from the right corner to send the game into overtime.
Neither team can pull ahead by more than a single point in the extra session. LIU's
Jason Kubiak steps to the free throw line for two shots with 0:27 on the clock and the Sharks ahead, 80-79. Kubiak clanks both shots.
Kurt Ritchie clears the boards, and on the ensuing possession,
Thomas Lucy elevates for a dunk and is fouled hard by Kubiak, who had no other option. Thomas calmly makes both shots, and we lead 81-80 with 17 seconds to play.
Sharks coach
Tom Cowan, a very good tactician, decides his team's best chance involves getting the ball inside to Kubiak. The 6'11" center gets to the rim, and he's fouled by
Matt Robles.
The clock shows all zeroes as Kubiak lines up for two shots. The first is good. One more like it, and Kubiak sends the Sharks followers home happy.
He misses. Five more minutes.
With 2:12 remaining,
Boyce Eslinger strips
Ben Miele and throws down a vicious two-handed dunk to put his team ahead, 87-86. Eslinger taunts our bench on the way back up the floor, the way
Alvaro Kinard used to enjoy doing.
But we get the last laugh. Again, the hero is
Micah Rodriguez. With 14 seconds on the clock, Micah drops in a floater.
Barton Russ's attempt at an answer falls short, and we ride home from Long Island with a very satisfying victory.
Several Leopards play like heroes tonight.
Matt Robles battled the much larger
Jason Kubiak tenaciously and effectively for 43 minutes; both big men produce solid double doubles.
Byron Shores demonstrates why defenders must contest him every time he catches the ball behind the three-point arc.
Thomas Lucy again plays much bigger than 6'4" with a double double of his own.
But the biggest story of all is the poise under pressure demonstrated not once, but twice, by
Micah Rodriguez.