STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Since Susan Wagner’s jump to the PSAL’s rugged Brooklyn/Staten Island 4A division three years ago, the Falcons have had their share of success against some of the top, powerhouse programs in the city.
Foregoing the nightly rivalries of Staten Island to play against some of the city’s best week in and week out may have been a tough decision, but it is something that has made the Sea View school’s program very successful.
The Falcons have scored big wins in that span over powerhouse programs like Jefferson, Canarsie, South Shore and Eagle Academy II (Brooklyn).
The physical games can take its toll and the undersized Falcons had a tough 79-67 loss to Jefferson Tuesday with Eagle II (the top-ranked team in the city) visiting Thursday.
While there is no column for moral victories, Danny Lanigan’s squad registered one when they hung with the unbeaten division leaders for three and a half quarters before running out of gas in an 86-66 defeat.
The gritty Falcons trailed by six after one, 11 at the intermission and 10 to begin the fourth before a mini, 6-0 run sliced the deficit to 65-59 at the 4:35 mark, putting the Brooklynites in unfamiliar territory as head coach Kevin Hamilton’s troops have outscored opponents by a whopping 30.3 ppg. in nine league wins thus far.
Charles Gambino drives to the hoop for Susan Wagner in the Falcons’ 86-66 PSAL 4A loss at home to Eagle Academy II (Brooklyn).photo credit, @capturedbyzack_
However, the visitors responded as good teams do and closed the game on a 21-7 tear ending Wagner’s upset bid and remain unbeaten in league play.
“We left it all out there which as a coach is all you can ask,” explained Lanigan, now in his second year as Falcons HC. “We have been in this league for three years now and over that time we have beaten three reigning city champions. We played a tough Jefferson team Tuesday – that was a track meet against a very fast team – and today was like a heavyweight battle against a very, very physical team. They are tough to compete against because of their size and physicality and we almost have to play a perfect game to beat them.”
While the Falcons did not play a perfect game, there certainly was no reason for the Island squad to hang its head.
Led by the mercurial play of senior guard Chris Albano, who tossed in a game-high 29 points and dirty work extraordinaire Charles Gambino (16 points) the Falcons earned a measure of respect against the city elite this week.
“We battled in the trenches all night, but they’re a strong team and you can’t turn the ball over against them and you need to hit threes,” continued Lanigan. “They are the top team in the city for a reason. We know what our potential is as a team; we know what we are capable of and we know what we have to do in the second-half of the season to be successful. We have to keep fighting and we did that today. We gave ourselves a chance.”
The contest got off to a fast start as each team traded blows in the early going before until EA used a 9-0 spurt near the end of the first to take an 18-9 lead at the 1:33 mark — a lead it would never relinquish.
Hunter Frazier scored eight of his 18 markers in the first, while Lee Robinson tallied 10 of his 13 in the pivotal second that saw Eagle up their lead to as many as 15.
Albano pumped in 11 and Gambino six in the third period to keep Wagner within striking distance and when Albano (driving reverse layup), Gambino (jumper in the lane) and Adem Djonbolic (reverse layup) accounted for six straight points at the top of the fourth, the home faithful had plenty to celebrate.
Hamilton signaled for time and out of that break in the action, Frazier powered home a thunderous dunk and was fouled on the play. He hit the freebie and Eagle got its lead back up to nine and never looked back.
Still, Albano one of the top cagers on the Island the last two years, impressed throughout against stellar competition.
He canned four from beyond the arc on the evening and sank 9 of 12 from the line.
“Chris is a phenomenal player and he has been doing it all for us the last two years,” praised Lanigan. “He actually came out of the game for a brief moment today, but he pretty much is on the floor every minute of every game. He has been playing on this level since the spring and he gives us a chance. We’re a team and other guys do as well, but against these teams you need a guy to put up a big number and he can do that.”
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NOTES: Clevi Hoxha (three threes) had nine for SW, while Darin Humes-James added seven points… Wagner (6-4 PSAL 4A) is back in action Saturday when it visits Erasmus.