It was nothing the coach said at half time. He didn’t change the strategy or the lineup. He didn’t ask his players to win one for The Gipper. But when the Dragons returned to the court after the intermission they were a different team. They had gone into the locker room with a precarious two-point lead. By the end of the third quarter, they were ahead by 10. And by the middle of the fourth quarter they were on top by 17. Then Pine Bush rallied to make the final score 59-50 — still in Cornwall’s favor.
The Dragons’ celebrated their home opener on Dec. 13 by gaining their first win of the season. The score was 23-21 at the start of the third quarter, but the complexion of the game changed as the home team scored on four of its first six possessions, while making several good stops on the other end of the court.
After that run, the Dragons were in control for the rest of the night. Coach Tom Howe said it was his team’s best effort of the young season. The scoring attack was well-balanced, with three players ending the night in double figures.
The victory followed a pair of losses in the Coaches Against Cancer Tournament in Warwick. After a 45-43 opening round loss to Nyack, the Dragons ran into a buzz saw in the consolation game against Warwick. The final score was 73-48.
The hoopsters were due to begin league play this week with a Dec. 18 game in Port Jervis and a Dec. 20 date at home with Monticello.
Points vs. Pine Bush: Salis 13, Malvey 11, McConville 10, Malone 8, Chatfield 7, Bailey 6, Louis 2, Vitale 2.
