Cheshire Boys’ Basketball Takes Another Tough Loss At Lyman Hall

January 29, 2010 by Greg Lederer

There is a different atmosphere when rival teams get together. For the second time this season, the Cheshire and Lyman Hall high school boys’ basketball teams played an intense game deep into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Rams, many close games have gone against them and they suffered a tough setback on Tuesday night.
Lyman Hall out-scored Cheshire, 10-5, over the final three minutes of a 46-41 home victory. Junior Ryan Williams (game-high 15 points) calmly sank a pair of free throws to close the game with 8.4 seconds left. It was Cheshire’s fourth defeat (4-8 record) by three points or less.
“It’s tough, especially since it keeps happening,” said guard Dan Manke, a senior captain with Brian DeBisschop. “We’ll learn from it and hopefully, pull out these games down the road.”
A lay-up from Cheshire senior forward John Kubilus tied the score at 36-36 and then neither team seemed able to score mid-way through the fourth quarter. Both sides missed two free throws consecutively. Finally, Lyman Hall sophomore Joe DeSandre netted a short jumper and found junior Jason Dempsey (11 points) underneath for a 40-36 lead with 2:19 remaining.
DeBisschop (11 points, eight rebounds) followed a shot for his first points since the first quarter, but Dempsey answered with a basket and drew a foul. However, Lyman Hall’s inconsistent foul shooting (10 of 19) opened the door for a comeback. Junior guard Matt Bailey, who scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half, converted a three-point play to cut the deficit to 43-41 and the Trojans turned the ball over seconds later. The Rams had two possessions to tie or take the lead, yet neither shot went down.
“We just didn’t hit open shots,” explained Cheshire Head Coach Dan Lee. “It’s a recurring theme. There are no short cuts. We have to work hard and grind it out. They are getting better every game. You have to give them credit.”
The defensive battle contrasted an up and down first half. DeBisschop scored all of his team’s nine points in the first quarter, including a three-pointer and two lay-ups from Manke. However, Lyman Hall countered behind offensive rebounding. Williams, who didn’t play during the first meeting (53-51) on Jan. 5, and Dempsey each scored four points. It appeared that Kubilus had put Cheshire back ahead, but basket interference was called and the Trojans took a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We tried to push the ball and got some transition baskets,” explained DeBisschop. “They started fronting me in the post and Matt Bailey started finding room to drive, so we made adjustments.”
Turnovers slowed Cheshire’s momentum. After consecutive baskets from sophomore center Nate Howard (four points, three blocks) in the second quarter, Lyman Hall closed the first half with a 10-4 surge to extend to a 26-18 advantage. The Trojans did sink six of their first seven free throws.
Lyman Hall looked to pull away early in the second half. Williams put back a basket and hit a three-pointer, while junior P.J. Higgins also sank a three-point shot to push the score to 34-24. Cheshire wouldn’t go down and compiled 10 unanswered points behind their backcourt. Manke netted his second three-pointer of the third quarter and Bailey tallied the next seven points.
“I think we played stronger defense and took better shots,” said Manke, who scored 10 points.
Bailey’s surge included a three-point play and two lay-ups. He has bounced back from a wrist injury during the pre-season.
“It is really important. I think we’ll be a better team due to him,” Manke added.
Havlicek (three points, five rebounds) helped Cheshire shut down long distance shooting. Higgins netted five three-pointers among his 17 points on Jan. 5, but he was limited to just four points last night. Cheshire made six of 11 free throws overall and the Trojans were able to convert enough shots down the stretch.
“I thought they outplayed us in the first half,” reflected Lee. “We wanted to change that and worked our way back. We just had lapses at the end.”
The Rams return to action Friday Night when they visit East Haven, at 7 p.m. East Haven led 26-9 at the close of the first quarter on Jan. 29 and, despite a rally from Cheshire, the Yellow Jackets won again by three points (56-53).