Colts Blown Away from Opening Tip

Talk about the last thing Coach Jay Kreutzberger wanted to see.

The Calhoun Colts were overmatched from the onset last night as they suffered their first home loss of the season at the hands of Syosset, 78-38. A combination of poor ball handling, poor communication and poor shooting led to the biggest margin of defeat yet for Calhoun, and Kreutzberger was certainly not happy about it.

"We played terrible tonight," Kreutzberger said.  "It is as simple as that. We need to protect the basketball. The bottom line is when you turn the ball over like that, you are going to get thomped." 

The turnovers seemed to start in conjunction with the jump ball. Syosset always managed to have two guys against Calhoun's one at all points, resulting in bad passes, which in turn led to easy hoops for the Braves. Before the home fans could even get comfortable on the bleachers, Syosset had a 10-0 lead.

The Braves weren't doing anything to help the situation for Calhoun. Their stifling defense prevented Calhoun from scoring until there was 2:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Spencer Hazan was making shots from all angles for the Braves, and he capped off a Syosset run by executing a finger roll, and even drew a foul in the process. Syosset did not let up until the final buzzer sounded.

The Colts were held to just four points in the first quarter, and they trailed by 15 after one period. They never came close to being back in the game after that.

Whenever Calhoun would build a head of steam, Syosset was there to make a big play. There was one instance in which Calhoun had bunched a couple of baskets together in the second quarter. The Colts were on a fast break, but nice position by Syosset led to an offensive foul against Calhoun. That put the momentum right back in the Braves' favor.  The first half ended with Syosset leading 42-20. 

The second half didn't change much. Syosset hit its shots, and Calhoun did not. The Colts also did not take care of the basketball, and their turnovers led to countless Syosset baskets.

When all was said and done, the score was 78-38, and Kreutzberger was at a loss for words.

"What can I say?" he asked, before walking away.  

Calhoun players were unavailable for comment after the game.  

John Wigand led the way for the Colts with 12 points and six rebounds, and Andrew Lief contributed 10 points in the losing effort.

For the visiting Braves (4-1), Spencer Hazan led the way with 21 points, and Dan Cappettta contributed eight points off of the bench.

The Colts fell to 3-2 on the season.  And now they face a quick turnaround, as they ready for a showdown at John F. Kennedy High School when they challenge the Cougars on Thursday night. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.