Varsity Boys Basketball suffers overtime loss in NYS Basketball Championships

Haldane 63, Canton 54 (OT)

The Bears left Canton Central School on Thursday afternoon with a sendoff from the students and primed to win a State Championship. Unfortunately Canton fell just short of advancing to the State Championship, suffering a 63-54 loss to Haldane in overtime.

Canton came out slow to start the game, missing layups and dropping passes and putting Canton in a tough spot. But coming off the Bench and hitting multiple threes was Vincent Nelson-Fuse. This effort from Fuse kept the Bears within seven points after the first quarter.

The second quarter seemed to be the same story as Haldane came out and scored five straight points making the score 18-6. But over the remainder of the second quarter the Bears were able to go on a 13-0 run, giving them a one point lead going into halftime with all the confidence in the world.

Canton picked up right where they left off to start the third, as Ayomi Odeytoimbo slammed down a right hand jam over a Haldane defender. The Stadium erupted and it seemed as though Canton might win this one, as they were firing on all cylinders in the third, hitting threes and getting to the hoop for buckets. They had gained a ten-point lead to start the fourth and they needed every point of it.

The fourth quarter was a dogfight as Ayomi Odeytoimbo and Matteo Cervone went at it in the paint, battling back and forth for position. Cervone would take over in the fourth from an offensive standpoint for Haldane, getting multiple and-ones and floaters to get Haldane within striking distance. But late into the fourth he fouled Odeytoimbo along the baseline and fouled out. The score was 48-48 as Haldane could hold the ball for one last shot. And due to Ethan Francey’s great aggressive and tenacious defense the Bears were able to send to game to overtime.

In overtime Haldane took over, getting to the hoop at will and shutting the Bears down on defense. This would ultimately result in a loss for the Bears, and Haldane would advance to the Class C State Championship.

Awards: Ryan Jones, Sportsmanship

Awards: Ayomi Odeytoimbo, All-Tournament Team

The team would like to reach out and extend a special thank you to all the parents, students, fans and anyone else who has supported us along the way for this unforgettable journey.

Thank you