triune – notes at the year’s turn

when this correspondent considers his task, the vanity of the endeavor sometimes saddens him.  why bother with the project?  opening the pages of the new york times sports section on sunday morning, january 6, however, clarifies part of the responsibility and, indeed, value of the work.  nowhere in those folio sheets will you find a single sentence about yesterday’s tangle at west point’s christl arena between the columbia and army basketball squads.  the results do appear in the Men’s Scores, and a curious fan can learn that the lions prevailed 64 -52, but not a single word about the contest or athletes.  we can understand columbia being ignored and, truth be told, not a single ivy league team’s game goes reported this morning.  but the kids who run the court for army probably deserve some consideration, even in defeat. certainly the sports scene has changed mightily and the times must report the most important games.  but does creighton (even at #16 in the polls) over indiana state (79-66, by the way) really deserve a sentence at the price of denying the cadets theirs?  all this culture’s banalities about service, sacrifice and leadership would be better replaced by a few words about ella ellis’s and his teammates’  exertions, even in defeat, of a january saturday afternoon.

in any case, paulie b joined the small but passionate cadre of lion followers who helped augment the crowd of some 1,500 at the terrific christl venue where bleachers pitch steeply to the hardwood in emulation of the cliffs that dive to the hudson river at west point.  the first half was a defensive struggle par excellence with the two squads knotted at 10 – 10 with only 8 minutes left in the period.  from there, the black knights had the better of the remaining play and left the court up 29 -24.  the crowd was exuberantly entertained at the break by the five man “hellcats” drumline which performed with a zesty but disciplined style worthy of the percussionists at, say, grambling.  something in their rhythms must have energized the lions who came out of the lockerroom recommitted to their defensive exertions but also eager to demonstrate their hitherto concealed offensive skills.  steve frankoski shook off the frustration of two soft, first half personals to resume the torrid jump shooting he has demonstrated since christmas, going 5 – 6 from the field on his way to 13 points.  barbour, lo, mullins and rosenberg  added to the fireworks as well, but the lions’ greatest work came down low where senior classmates mark cisco and john daniels combined for twenty rebounds and 15  points.  as cisco added 4 blocks in the paint and daniels helped hold the cadets high scorer, ellis, to 2 below his average, the front court was the key to a run that brought the lions even with 16:25 left at 32 and led them to a 43 -35 edge by the 11:45 mark.  from there on the blue controlled the game’s pace and brought it to its successful conclusion.

that enlivening victory at the point was preceded by a couple of wins at levien, which i happily attended.  on saturday december 29, i braved a sloppy mid-atlantic winter storm along with some one thousand other enthusiasts to watch the lions down their bronx neighbors, the manhattan jaspers, 69 -58.  one year ago in november i traveled to lovely riverdale to see the  boys in blue ring up last season’s first victory in venerable draddy gymnasium.  that contest marked the debut, really, of now sophomore forward alex (the doctor) rosenberg.  a r’s 11 points and 5 boards were crucial to victory on an afternoon highlighted by brian barbour’s 22 points.  rosenberg’s success against the green clad jaspers continued saturday last at levien where he nearly recorded a double-double while scoring 12 and snagging 9 boards.  the lions defended well and shot even a bit better in running out to a 34 -17 halftime cushion.  though the jaspers charged into the second half, behind rhamel brown’s 25 points in the paint, and cut the margin to only eight with better than 12 minutes remaining in the contest, the lions steadied and had the lead back to 16 with less than eight minutes to go.  the contest dragged to its finish behind the series of foul shots and time outs that mar the inevitable conclusions to so many college basketball games.  brian barbour, though blowing a layup on a three on one break in the first half, led the blue with 15 points and a half dozen assists.  steve frankoski dusted off the three point shot that fans had not seen much this season to record a team leading 18 points.  the afternoon’s greatest surprise, though, had to be the debut of skylar scrivano in the middle of the back line of the 2-3 zone.  sidelined by injury all last season and through the first five weeks of this year, skylar was defensively efficient and called eagerly for the ball on the offensive end where he scored but two albeit on an impressive dunk.  his minutes gave mark cisco some good rest and might have sent a message to his fellow sophomore center, cory osetkowski.  minutes in the middle should be at a premium for the two underclassmen.  cory, who would step up his work against army, has to get tougher.  he has the size and skills to contribute more during his minutes of p.t. and that will be all the more important come the ivy season.

another nine hundred fans returned to levien on the first wednesday of 2013 to watch the blue host the colgate raiders.  i was mildly concerned pre-game as i saw trainer ajaya williams stretching and kneading big mark cisco’s big legs.  allgame has been tough, occasionally on number 55 in the early going, disappointed that he hasn’t matched last year’s statistical averages so far.  but it isn’t just the numbers, the lions rely on cisco’s size and assertiveness down low.  it is the essential counterweight to their barrage from outside and crucial to creating space for drives to the basket by their quick backcourt.  ms. william’s effort served its purpose apparently as messr cisco would contribute 6 points and 6 boards in the ensuing contest.  that offering, combined with fifteen points each from back court tandem brian barbour (who dished out another 6 assists) and grant mullins, along with 11 from the resurgent frankoski, would lead the lions home in a tough second half.  though they led by 8 with 1:49 on the first half clock, the lions would be blitzed coming out of the break as colgate’s trio of murphy burnatowski, pat moore and john brandenburg would all drop 13 on their hosts.  the blue trailed until less than five minutes remained when frankoski swished a trey that gave columbia a 56 -54 lead that they would not relinquish on their way to the 66 -59 win. 

this delightful three game stretch of  success leaves our heroes at 8 – 5 going into the last non-league game of the season.   we’re encouraged by the team’s bounce back from difficult losses to bucknell and elon.  but we are reminded that last year the boys went 11 – 5 before hitting the wall in ivy play and struggling home at 15-15.  the last match against holy cross will, we trust, build on recent successes and inspire the crew to battle through the upcoming rigors of the ancient eight schedule.

peace out and d up, paulie b