Fieldston’s Michael Bregman had 14 points in the win. (Robert Cole)
The Fieldston players are like hermits – they really don’t want to leave home. A victory Wednesday would have ensured the Eagles host throughout their NYSAISAA Class B tournament.
“It was do we want to play a semifinal – if we get there – in Brooklyn or do we want play it here?” coach Steve Bluth said. “They definitely answered the question.”
Fieldston took over in the fourth quarter to defeat Poly Prep, 51-40, in Ivy Prep League boys basketball in Riverdale. The win clinches second place in the division behind Collegiate and a likely No. 2 seed in the NYSAISAA tournament. The Eagles are now likely to have homecourt advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals and the championship game is held at – you guessed it – Fieldston.
“Playing on our home court, we haven’t lost a game here yet [this year],” swingman Grady Smith said. “That’s been great. We love our home crowd. It’s a huge advantage to have our friends come out and support us.”
It was Smith who started a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer that sealed the win for Fieldston (18-4, 12-2, Ivy Prep League). Will Savage followed with a swooping layup and Mike Bregman closed the stretch with a basket to put the Eagles ahead 46-36 with 4:43 left. Smith also had five of his team’s first seven points in the second half.
“I just wanted to try and take the game back in the third quarter, just try to be aggressive,” Smith said. “I kept my confidence up the rest of the half.”
Bregman had 14 points, Smith had 12 points, A.J. Santos had 10 points and Tyler Ridley added eight for Fieldston. The Eagles started the game on a 15-2 run, but they let Poly Prep (13-9, 9-4) come all the way back to take a 26-22 lead at the half. Bluth was less than pleased at the half.
“They just looked defeated,” the coach said. “They needed a reminder of how far we’ve come and how hard we fought.”
Bluth challenged his players in the locker room at the break, telling them to compete like basketball players. Smith said it was a “great” speech and it got the Eagles charged up in the third quarter.
“A big word we’ve been using is just ‘focus,’” Bregman said.
Santos’ play was particularly important. The 6-foot-7 post was dominant at times on the boards and made some nifty layups in the paint. On defense, he altered shots and filled space in the lane.
“When A.J. is going, we’re all going,” Bregman said. “If he draws a double team, that opens up shooters. Plus, he can just flatout be a dominant force scoring and rebounding. No one in the Ivy League is 6-7. I’m glad that he’s playing great again, because we need him.”
Poly needs sharpshooter Charlie Marquardt, too, but he sat out Wednesday due to a concussion. Anthony Reyes, who battled foul trouble, had 13 points and Wolfgang Novogratz had 12 points. Myles Stephenson added eight points. Poly coach Bill McNally didn’t want to use Marquardt’s absence as an excuse.
“We have enough good players to be able to figure things out,” he said. “But we can’t be out there making mistakes even when we do have everybody.”
Fieldston limited those in the second half and clamped down on the defensive end. The Eagles had motivation on their side – home, after all, is where the heart is.
“We don’t want to travel out there,” Smith said. “We decided to bring it in the second half.”