Boys Basketball: Cougars Squeak Past John Swett

Albany 59, John Swett 56

The Star: Brandon Foote-Pierce scored 10 of his 16 points in the third quarter to break open a tie game. 

The Turning Point: Tied at 25 at the half, John Swett scored the first and last basket of the third quarter, but in between Albany went on a 13-0 run to give them a lead they would need in the fourth quarter.

The Quote: "We are never going in the locker room at halftime again," Albany coach Andrew Strawbridge said after Albany's strong third quarter.

What's next? Albany plays at Piedmont on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Bottom Line: The Cougars have a big game coming up next week with Division III foe Kennedy that will be important for their North Coast Section hopes.

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The boys basketball team has had its share of second half collapses this season, but on Wednesday night, with visiting John Swett as the opponent, a new strategy led to a welcome result.

The Cougars got a strong third quarter by center Brandon Foote-Pierce, eventually opened a 15-point fourth quarter lead, and then could only watch as John Swett's Andrew Crisolo missed a three-point attempt as time expired, as they held on for a 59-56 win.

If you think that was a lot, you should have been there to see it.

Trailing 27-25 at the half, John Swett scored the first basket of the third quarter to tie game. That's when Foote-Pierce made a statement.

The center scored eight straight points, the last basket being a resounding dunk, giving Albany a 35-27 lead. Three free-throws by Myles Babitt and another layup by Foote-Pierce, increased the Cougar lead to 40-27. The Cougars used that run to take a 40-29 lead into the fourth.

"The key was we stayed on the court during the halftime," said Albany coach Andrew Strawbridge. "The last few games we have had a terrible third quarter so we decided to stay out and keep moving. We will never go into locker room at the half again."

The lead reached 46-29 just a minute into the fourth quarter when things began to turn ugly for the Cougars.

Isaac Jackson took the Indians on his shoulders and scored 16 fourth quarter points, chipping into the Albany lead with every basket.

Finally with Albany holding a 57-56 lead with five seconds left, Babitt connected on a pair of free-throws to open a three point lead, one that wasn't safe until Andrew Crisolo's three-point attempt at the buzzer hit iron and bounced off.

Babitt led Albany with 19 points and was 7-for-9 from the free-throw line in the second half. But clearly it was Foote-Pierce that spearheaded the winning rally in the third quarter.

"The looked for me in the post, it was clear they couldn't guard me," Foote-Pierce said. "I think the dunk brought some intensity to the team."

Garrett Freeberg led Albany in the fourth quarter with nine of his 11 points on the night. He kept the Cougar offense going when John Swett appeared to have stolen the momentum away from the Cougars.

Jackson led John Swett with 26 points.

"We played great defense in the first half, we boxed out and did a lot right," Strawbridge said. "We didn't box out as well in the second half but had some other players step up."

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John Swett