Newbie P.S. 276, led by Coach Frankie Alameda, brought their girls’ and boys’ JV basketball teams to Manhattan Academy of Technology last Friday.
The girls’ “Battery Chargers” of mostly sixth graders played valiantly against the established M.A.T. Dragons, led by Coach John DeMatteo, and many changed into cheerleading uniforms to support the boys who played after.
In the boy’s game, Tyler Rohan got things started for M.A.T. with a pass to teammate Douglass Stapler for his first basket. A three-pointer by Ryan Porcaro was followed by a shot underneath the basket by Stapler, and another three-pointer from Coby Caraballo, putting M.A.T. 10-0 in the first few minutes of the game.
Sixth-grader Jack Vegas put 276 on the board with an impressive three-point shot and Aidan Ostermaer supported the team with consecutive rebounds, but the score stayed 10-3 until a medium range shot by Rohan added two for M.A.T.
Vegas persevered, though, and his second three-pointer narrowed the gap. His teammate Max Matsumoto pitched in with a field goal, giving the cheerleaders something to shout about, and bringing the score 14-7.
Michael Gaschler got the spirit and made it 14-9, but M.A.T.’s Sasha Sanon sunk one from the side to bring the score to 16-9. Sanon was fouled shortly afterwards and made a free throw, and teammate Rohan’s basket from the side made the score 19-9. Stapler’s lay-up was followed by five points by Porcaro, and M.A.T. led 26-9. No. 4 for 276 scored, and the score was 26-11 at the end of the first half.
Tucker Rothbart and his teammates worked to bring the ball to the Chargers’ basket, and Elijah Mateo, Philippe Cox and Tyler Adams made a strong showing for M.A.T. The final score was Dragons 40, Chargers 23.
Porcaro, Rohan and Caraballo raced across town to the 89 gym, where the 76ers faced the Nets for the first time this season. Porcaro started things off by sinking a three-pointer for the 76ers, followed by a basket by his teammate Mekhi Simmons. The Nets made several great passes, but couldn’t get close to the basket until Jake Cook stole the ball and passed to Rohan to bring the score 5-2.
The Sixers’ Greg Elefterakis was fouled, and made both free throws. The Nets’ Jacob Lawrence Kreiss’ offensive rebound went in, and the score was 7-4. Porcaro answered right after, making it 9-4 for the Sixers. Caraballo’s pass to Kreiss made it 9-6, but before the Nets could narrow the gap further, Elefterakis scored.
Kreiss was on fire offensively, though, and made the score 11-8. Unfortunately, his defensive play was deemed too aggressive by the refs, and he was pulled from the game to avoid fouling out. At the end of the first quarter, the Sixers were in the lead, but the Nets were getting stronger.
At the top of the second quarter, Niall Gallagher turned a pass from Caraballo into a basket for the Nets, and followed that up with a pass to Oliver Brown. His basket put the Nets in the lead for the first time, 12-11. Rohan’s basket for the Nets made it 14-11, and his team turned it around again. Gallagher set a pick, Caraballo shot, Rohan grabbed the rebound and made his third field goal, and the Nets led 16-11.
Brown also continued to impress, rebounding defensively, feeding it to Caraballo, who took it coast-to-coast for an 18-11 lead. Elefterakis returned the favor with a steal and a basket for the Sixers. But Gallagher’s next basket made it 20-13 for the Nets. Elefterakis wouldn’t give up, though, taking an expert pass and laying it in. But Brown answered as time ran out in the half with his second basket, and the score was 22-15, Nets.
Elefterakis was fouled at the top of the half, and added a point to the Sixers’ scoreboard. The Nets shot and rebounded five times before Brown finally connected, making it 24-16. Steven Ratigan used his height advantage to put one in for the Sixers, but the Nets made what turned out to be their last offensive effort. Caraballo stole the ball, and sank his second basket. From then on, it was the 76ers’ show.
Despite Coach Chris Rohan’s plan for the Nets to bring the ball to the left to maximize the Nets’ height advantage, his team continued to go right, allowing Ratigan to steal, drive the ball, and lay it up. Porcaro’s subsequent lay-up went in, and the score was a close 26-22 at the end of the third quarter. Simmons started off the fourth quarter with his second basket for the 76ers, and Porcaro was fouled in the act of shooting, tying the game at 26. Elefterakis’ three-pointer put the Sixers in an insurmountable lead of 29-26, as the Nets tried in vain to score.
In the last five seconds, with the Sixers in possession of the ball, Porcaro was fouled and sank one of the free throws. The Nets took the rebound of the second shot, but time was against them. The final score was Sixers 30, Nets 26.
