A defensive stance as the fourth quarter expired allowed Fayetteville-Manlius to secure a 51-50 victory over Corcoran.
The Hornets (1-4) found a way to deny Corcoran from achieving their ultimate goal and wouldn’t let them maneuver the ball down low on the final possession and forced a three.
But the seconds leading up to that were intense no matter where you were in the gym. It didn’t matter if you were a player, coach, or a spectator, you knew what was at stake.
F-M’s victory was their first of the season and came at a time when they were very close to desperate, but, more importantly, it was their first win under first-year head coach Jason Dudzinski.
When he met with his team in the locker room after the game, Dudzinski began by sharing his thoughts about the game, as he does on a regular basis, but, then, he said, “there isn’t a better group of guys who I would rather share this win with.”
F-M was able to come out with the victory because of the teamwork and resilience that they displayed, which was something else that Dudzinski addressed to his team as they celebrated the win.
He told his team that he was proud of the way that they played and how they stayed as close as a team should even though playing time wasn’t even.
No matter how you look at it, the Hornets found a way to get the job done on the floor.
And that started with Timmy Zapisek, who has been a great asset for the Hornets throughout the season. Zapisek made a three early and went on to make five free throws, accounting for eight of his 18 points. He also had eight rebounds and two blocks.
Big man Henry Josephson also had eight rebounds. Josephson was forced to play big minutes because of matchup issues. On top of his eight boards, he scored nine points and blocked a shot. He picked up an assist and earned another steal.
Ryan Salzberg and Jawaan Crouch found a way to lead the team, even when they were struggling. Crouch was 2-for-8 with just four points, but, got teammates involved, as he had four assists, and Salzberg was 3-of-8 with 11 points, 3 steals, an assist and a rebound.
This win over Corcoran was a great all-around game for the Hornets and marked Jason Dudzinski’s first victory as their head coach.
