Generals survive scare at Fulton-Montgomery, win 83-78
Johnstown, NY – The Fulton-Montgomery Raiders came to win. Their quick, high-energy play let them almost upset the Herkimer Five. The Generals finally managed to gain the lead and earn the victory 83-78.
The Generals’ shooting looked better than ever during warmups, but the story was different once the game began. The Raiders scored first, and they made it clear that they wanted to defeat the highly-ranked visitors.
Photo: Mike McCray attacking – he scored all of the Generals’ first 10 points
The first half was a very exciting affair. The scoring went back and forth for five minutes, then “FM” pulled away.
Photo: Goey Charles wins the opening tipoff in FM’s bright, refurbished gym – their new pirate logo dominates the end wall
Mike McCray provided all of the Generals’ scoring in the early going. His three-pointer put Herkimer ahead 3-2, his free throw tied things 4-4, and he sank two threes from the right corner. McCray’s 10 points kept Herkimer in the game and even earned a slim lead at 10-8.
FM’s squad used their quickness to keep the Generals from establishing their game. The Raiders stole several balls, intercepted several passes, forced the visitors to miss shots, and disrupted Herkimer’s transitions through the half. Clearly, the Pirates were seeking plunder.
Josh “JJ” Henderson stepped into the scorer’s role after McCray had contributed his opening 10 points. Henderson passed to Paris Parks, who sank a three. JJ then put back his own rebound, and the score was 16-16 after nearly eight minutes of play.
Photo: Josh Henderson scoring – he had another great night of working his way through traffic and getting the ball into the hoop
The Raiders took the lead, but a Henderson drive, followed by his all-net three, put Herkimer up 21-19 as the period approached the midway point. The Generals’ Nick Higgins grabbed a rebound and scored. FM scored five quick points, but Henderson’s three-pointer from the right side evened the score at 26-all. Then FM went on a four-minute run. The 26-26 score had become 35-26 in the hosts’ favor.
The Generals still trailed by nine with just 1:35 left in the half. Then Henderson sank two free throws; McCray drove and scored; Henderson stole the ball, scored, drew a foul, and sank the FT; and Herkimer had drawn close.
The half ended with the Raiders ahead 41-39. The Generals usually have a balanced attack, but in this 20 minutes, 31 of Herkimer’s 39 points were scored by two men: Henderson with 19 and McCray with 12.
FM had been the more effective team in the first half. They deserved their success, but the Generals may have also been feeling the effects of having played four games -- including the very demanding contests with Mohawk Valley and Delhi -- in just seven days. Regardless, Head Coach Matt Lee’s team looked more like themselves in the second half.
Photo: Deandre Preaster was a force throughout the second half
Herkimer’s Deandre Preaster had an especially strong start to the second half. He grabbed an offensive rebound and scored, tying the game. Then Henderson passed to Preaster in the paint, and Preaster powered his way up to score. FM’s long two-pointer knotted things, but then Preaster and Henderson made a spectacular play. Henderson was inbounding the ball from the right sideline, about 35 feet from the baseline. He lobbed a perfect alley-oop pass to the left of the basket. Preaster went up high and slammed it home, making the score 45-43 Herkimer. (See video below.)
The two teams played hard. The pace was very fast. The score remained close or tied for several minutes. One particularly nice play saw Seth Hidde get the ball in the air and score, putting the Generals up 56-55. (See video below.)
Paris Parks put the visitors ahead with two free throws, but FM stormed back and took the lead 65-61.
Fans were treated to some fine free throw shooting throughout the game. Herkimer shot 25 for 30 on the night, and FM hit 15 of 21.
Demetrius Mitchell sank a three-pointer to put the Generals up 66-65, and then the Green & Gold started to pull away. Henderson fed Preaster for another dunk. Mitchell sank two free throws. Dequan Jefferson snared a defensive rebound, then sent a long pass up court to Hidde, who scored and gave Herkimer a nine point lead at 76-67, with about two minutes to play.
The Raiders played a tough, all-out end game, but the Generals managed the situation. FM got within four points, but perfect foul shooting by Jefferson and Henderson put the game out of reach. FM drained a nice three-pointer with three seconds left, but the Generals won, 83-78.
Herkimer’s men are now 20-1 on the season. They have a four-day break in their schedule, with their next game on Saturday, at Cayuga CC.
Nick Scribe, website writer
Scoring
Herkimer: McCray 13, Henderson 29, Mitchell 9, Parks 10, Hunt 1, Hidde 4, Jefferson 2, Higgins 2, Preaster 13, Total 83
Fulton-Montgomery: Irizari 18, Williams 2, Frazier 12, Palin 3, Adams 9, Cagle 4, Morton 6, Woods 12, Dinkins 6, Hall 6, Total 78
Video: Preaster-from-Henderson alley-oop – Henderson inbounding; his pass is in the air when the video begins
Video: Henderson drives for two
Video: Seth Hidde scores go-ahead points
Video: Demetrius Mitchell scores an important three (the scoreboard was slow to display the 66 for Herkimer)
Video: Henderson feeds Preaster, who sends home a nicely-understated dunk
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