Monthly Archives: December 2011

Defense keys Lion win over Friends Seminary

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PARK SLOPE, BK- Defense wins championships. More importantly for the Berkeley Carroll Lions, it helped them to an important home win over league rival Friends Seminary- posting a 63-53 victory to enter the Christmas break on the right foot.

Second-year coach Carmine Giovino was pleased with a superb team effort over the defending ACIS champs, who showed some growing pains after a quick start. Minus starter Joe Longo, Giovino inserted senior captain Adam Kochman into the lineup. He didn’t disappoint finishing with eight, including four big free throws down the stretch that helped put away Friends Sem.

“I stepped up and hit my free throws. This was the best game we’ve played,” the always loquacious Kochman said afterwards of his team’s effort.

Leading scorer Shane Pearley netted more than half his club best 23 following intermission. The super sophomore hurt Friends Seminary with an array of shots inside and out, including a nice steal and finish that allowed the Park Slope hosts to build a double digit lead in response to a nice surge from the mid-Manhattan school during the first part of the third quarter.

The Lions had taken control late in the first half and led 27-19 at intermission. They got solid contributions from Josiah Murrell , who replaced foul plagued starter Dondre Benson, and played huge minutes in the middle portion. Murrell did a sound defensive job on Friends Sem’s big man Joe Pucci, who scored his team’s first 13.  The versatile junior sliced and diced his way to a game high 26. However, Murrell and teammates made life difficult on him in the second half by taking away time and space.

“The defense won us the game. We really got after it and rebounded well,” Pearley pointed out. “It was the best defense we played all year.“

Giovino saw his team outwork their opponents by getting to loose balls and closing out against Friends’ other perimeter threats. They also were aggressive offensively, getting the second option in foul trouble, which limited his effectiveness. The attention to detail wasn’t lost on Pearley, who exploded for 11 in the final half of the third following a 10-2 Friends run that tied it at 29.

“We know that every team’s gonna make a run. We came out ready to play. We made some mistakes. We played some strong defense to get some rebounds to get out of it,” the Lions’ high man added.

BC’s response showed poise as they finished the quarter with a 16-4 run to maintain a 45-33 lead enterting the final stanza. Senior guard Cole Kitchen immediately replied with a trey from the left wing that put his team ahead for good. Kitchen, who has battled injuries and fought hard to come back- had his best game. He contributed timely hoops en route to nine point and stellar D, including a few steals that aided the Lions’ cause. Coming off a frustrating outing versus Packer, it had to be satisfying.

Friends Seminary didn’t go away in the fourth, getting a long three off a double screen to crawl within eight. However, it just wasn’t enough due to Berkeley Carroll’s attention to detail. Aside from great D, they made life difficult on their opponent by rebounding well and holding them to one possession. In contrast, the Lions hit the glass and got to loose balls for key resets. It was the kind of basketball that wins.

Sophomore Ian Miller finished strong with 10 of his 14 in the final eight, including six-for-six at the charity stripe. Everyone got involved, including Duncan Hardy, who gave Giovino a solid effort on the glass with Benson on the bench.  Murrell also had a sweet theft and lay-in off BC’s press.

It all translated to Berkeley Carroll’s best win of the season. Exactly what the doctor ordered for Giovino with his team now off until the Loyola Tournament. They don’t return home until Wednesday, January 4, 2012 for a meeting with nemesis Staten Island Academy. All part of a hectic month.

Note: Giovino inserted freshman Richie Palacios into the game late so he could get his first Varsity point. It came on a free throw, prompting a nice reaction.

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Lions fall to Pelicans

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PARK SLOPE, BK- Whenever Berkeley Carroll and league rival Packer get together, it’s usually entertaining. On Friday, the Lions fell short to the Pelicans 66-55 in a game of runs at a packed BC Athletic Center.

Early on, it was back and forth with each school trading buckets. However, the Pelicans began to pull away thanks to the stellar play of sophomore forward Ethan Feldman. Feldman sliced and diced the Lions for a game high 26 points. Many came in the opening half with Packer taking control due to some cold shooting from the Park Slope hosts. They broke open a one-point game with a 10-0 runthat steered them ahead 25-17. Before second-year coach Carmine Giovino knew it, his team trailed 31-21 at intermission.

In particular, Ian Miller struggled from the perimeter and leading scorer Shane Pearley didn’t get going until the second half when things got interesting. Senior guard Joe Longo also was quiet in the early going before helping lead a second half charge. Unfortunately, it was a bit of deja vu for the unlucky five-year starter, who reinjured the same ankle that cost him most of his junior season. At a critical time with his team within striking distance, Longo was forced out due to a collision. He iced the ankle, which originally was injured versus Packer against Packer around the same time at the Lions Den.

Longo’s misfortune certainly didn’t hurt Packer, who also had the benefit of some awfully generous calls from a less than adequate ref. The Lions had a few whistles go against them, including a missed charge that resulted in Miller’s fourth before the fourth quarter. There also was a regrettable call in which the trailer counted a critical Pelican hoop after the third quarter buzzer that stretched Packer’s lead to 49-38.

Prior, the Lions picked it up in the third quarter thanks to Miller and Pearley. A pair of treys from Miller sliced a 15-point lead to nine getting them back in it. Packer coach George Butis quickly called for time. Thanks to a couple of timely hoops from Jake Shapiro and Daniel Chin (14 Pts), the Pelicans carried momentum into the final stanza. Berkeley Carroll turned up the head in the fourth with Pearley and Longo stepping up. Both were instrumental defensively, with steals and big buckets that drew BC within five. Everytime they seemed ready to take over, someone from Packer made a big play to keep them afloat. Nick Morton was a third Pelican in double digits with 11, including a couple of nice finishes. They also had a distinct advantage at the line due to all the fouls. It certainly wasn’t the best officiated game.

Longo’s loss was felt down the stretch as the Lions were forced to foul after Cole Kitchen’s trey was off. Feldman and Co. sealed it at the line.

Notes: Pearley netted 14 of his team-leading 21 after the break while Adam Kochman chipped in five. Dondre Benson was held to nine with five in the first half.

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Lady Lions’ rally falls short in defeat to Friends Seminary

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PARK SLOPE, BK- Sometimes, a lesson can be learned when you lose early on. That was probably the case yesterday for first-year Berkeley Carroll ladies hoops coach Sydney Blumstein, whose Lady Lions dug themselves a huge hole they couldn’t get out of. Despite a valiant second half effort, Berkeley Carroll fell to ACIS league rival Friends Seminary 37-29 at the Lions’ Den in Brooklyn.

Similar to the Mens Varsity a day before, the Lady Lions came out sluggish against a young opponent who took full advantage, building a 17-point lead at intermission. Much of it was attributed to high scorer Dana Burger, who accounted for 15 of the Manhattan school winners’ 37. The feisty guard hurt BC in transition, doing most of her damage in the opening 16 minutes.

Burger got help from teammates Sammy (8 Pts) and Ruvi, who came off the bench for six. Friends Seminary exploited a size edge inside which led to chaos for Blumstein’s squad, who allowed second and third chances. Part of the problem was senior captain Olivia Wilson, who ran into foul trouble. Not the biggest forward, she makes up for it with aggressiveness, fighting for every loose ball. With Wilson on the bench following a third early foul that also saw her hobbled, Berkeley Carroll struggled mightily.

The only consistent offense came from sophomore shooting guard Becca Bender, who connected on a pair of treys in the first half before going ice cold from the perimeter. Time and again, she was left open by Friends Seminary, who focused on shutting down Sarah Paller. Paller was held in check with six while Bender paced the Lady Lions with eight and Mia Kellman contributed seven.

Following a close first quarter, Friends Seminary began to build a lead thanks to the heady play of Burger, who got her teammates involved.  When she wasn’t distributing, she was finishing near the bucket. Meanwhile, the BC lived and died with Bender, who had plenty of chances to score from beyond the arc. However, like most inexperienced players, she couldn’t maintain it. With the paint blocked and both Paller and Kellman off, Bender fired away without much luck.

Blumstein wasn’t helped by a questionable call on Wilson for her fourth early in the second half. By that point, her team trailed 26-9. A more determined group returned to the court, making life much tougher for Burger and Friends Sem. Forcing turnovers and ill advised shots, the Lady Lions chipped away by outscoring their opponent 9-1 in the third quarter.

Paller hit a big three during the run which helped slice the deficit to nine entering the final stanza. In the fourth, they got even closer thanks to Kellman coming alive with a three and another bucket for five of her seven. Olivia Saleh came off the bench and contributed hard nosed D and couple of timely hoops in transition.

Playing with four fouls, Wilson took the ball away and went coast to coast for a hoop that suddenly put her team within four. She would foul out with over two minutes left, leaving it to an equally young team to try to come all the way back.

However, Friends Seminary replied back with consecutive buckets to steer ahead by eight. The Lady Lions weren’t done with Kellman and Bender each hitting quick two’s to once again pull them within four with enough time left. The defense gave them opportunities. However, Bender misfired on a three and wild two, which spelled the end.

Friends Sem finally salted it away with a bucket and then held on for an eight-point victory, dealing BC (3-1) their first loss.

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Second half spurt boosts Lions past United Federations

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PARK SLOPE, BK- It was a tale of two halfs for the Berkeley Carroll Varsity Men’s basketball team. Trailing by as much as 13, a huge spurt allowed the Lions to pull out an exciting come from behind 62-51 victory over United Federations yesterday at the BC Athletic Center.

Shane Pearley scored 20 of his game high 24 in the final 16 minutes and Ian Miller netted 10 of 14 after intermission to help second-year coach Carmine Giovino’s squad post an important early win. In particular, the play of Pearley allowed the Park Slope hosts to recover quickly. The second-year starter scored inside and out to recover from a sluggish start. In fact, the whole team struggled in the first half.

The Lions and UNIS played a low scoring first stanza in which both clubs failed to find the basket. BC let an early lead slip away with too many clanks from the outside. It continued in a dreadful second quarter that saw the guests methodically build a six-point halftime lead thanks to the play of Christian Do Sario, who slashed his way to 11 points. Despite pacing his team with 19, he was defended better following the break.

It didn’t turn around right away as UNIS extended to a 13-point cushion by outworking Berkeley Carroll. Do Sario had help from Chris Wint, who chipped in with a dozen, including a conventional three-point play late that kept his team afloat. Foul trouble on both sides forced the coaches to make adjustments. But it was Giovino’s five-man unit of Pearley, Miller,  Dondre Benson, Josiah Murrell and super sub Adam Kochman that swung the momentum.

Starter Joe Longo got it started with a steal midway through the third before being subbed for by Miller. Though the senior leader was limited to a bucket, his intensity got a pat from Coach Giovino, who appreciated the heady guard’s effort. Perhaps it rubbed off on Miller, whose 5-0 run ignited the Lions. Having one of his worst shooting games, the sophomore guard scored on a lay-up and then converted a steal into a three-point play, which got the bench up.

“That was big,” Miller said afterwards. “Kinda the whole team turned it around. It started before that.”

Back in it, BC responded with chaotic pressure defense that forced United Federations into some undisciplined turnovers. That’s when Pearley took over finishing with 10 in the quarter as the Lions suddenly climbed within two. Kochman also was instrumental with a big three from the corner and a couple of free throws, along with aggressive D.

Pearley and Miller each picked up four fouls early in the fourth but there was no way they were coming out. Giovino alerted them and they responded with maturity. After a bucket by Do Sario, the Lions went ahead 43-41. They eventually increased it to six before Wint took the ball strong for a finish and hit a free throw to slice it to three. But BC stayed ahead with Benson draining a right baseline jumper.

The Lions outscored UNIS 41-24 in the second half. They never relinquished the lead. Miller finally got a trey to go and Pearley scored down the stretch as Berkeley Carroll pulled away. Forced to foul, UNIS watched the Lions hit from the charity stripe, which sealed a hard fought comeback victory.

JV Routs UNIS: In the first game, the JV Boys routed UNIS 84-38. They were led by Izzy David’s game high 31. It was their third win under new coach Terrence Caufield.

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Leadership and depth key for Lions

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PARK SLOPE, BK- A year ago, the Berkeley Carroll Men’s Varsity Basketball team had no seniors. Despite a roster that included mainstays Joe Longo and Cole Kitchen, they struggled just to make the ACIS playoffs. Injuries played a role with both Longo and Kitchen hurt all year with the four-year starting point guard missing significant time. This year, Longo has recovered from a broken rib and is ready to go along with Kitchen, who’ll lead a much more experienced squad into ’11-12.

A senior oriented group that features Adam Kochman, Mike Andria and Duncan Hardy should provide leadership for second-year coach Carmine Giovino, who also boasts depth thanks to sophomores Shane Pearley and Ian Miller. Both can score the ball with Miller a long-range threat while Pearley is more explosive off the dribble, creating mismatches. Dondre Benson also returns for his final season, giving the Lions an athletic player who can make tough shots and hit the offensive glass.

Giovino’s pesky bunch looks primed for a good winter. To hear Kochman enthusiastically say, “If we beat St. Ann’s, we’re going all the way.” Of course, the second-year coach replied with the usual they have to get better following Tuesday’s scrimmage against Marta Valle.  His team did some nice things in the five quarters with Longo shifting to the two thanks to the emergence of freshman Richie Cunningham. The mighty mite can motor and make you pay from downtown. He should be worth watching.

Berkeley Carroll also have three new additions from a JV team that learned under baseball coach Walter Paller. Cole’s brother Jasper Kitchen should provide a spark off the bench along with Will Regan and big man Josiah Murrell. Remarkably, they could’ve boasted even more depth if Anthony Spina and Max Jens hadn’t passed up hoops for baseball. Both were solid players last year for Giovino in a rebuilding season. Ironically, Jens will have a bird’s eye view of the action at the Lions den in Park Slope, running the scoreboard alongside official scorer Derek Felix.

Who knows what lies ahead? If the Lions’ 57-38 win over Little Red School Of Elisabeth Irwin High is any indication, they could be in for a resurgence. Especially if Longo and the older Kitchen stay on the court. In the road win, Cole and Pearley combined for 37 of the team’s 57. Berkeley Carroll visited Long Island Lutheran yesterday in a doubleheader with the BC Lady Lions, who tried to make it two for two.

Notes: The JV Boys head to Columbia this afternoon for the first round of the Martin Luther Tournament with it concluding this weekend. The JV will split up this season due to numbers with both clubs in action Monday with one at Browning School and the other part of a home double with the Varsity Lions hosting United Nations. The first game goes off at 4. The Lady Lions hit the road for Claremont Prep.

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