SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The top seed in next week’s Western Athletic Conference tournament was up for grabs in Schenectady Friday night. 16-0 Duanesburg, the second-ranked team in the state in Class C, made the trip to Class B foe Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons on the Golden Knights’ senior night. Both squads entered the day undefeated in WAC play, sitting atop their respective divisions.
But only one team would emerge with the No. 1 overall seed, and that was the Eagles, who spoiled Bishop Gibbons’ senior night with a 52-45 win behind a 16-point effort from Jeffrey Mulhern. The Eagles came out soaring in the first quarter. Peyton Fall cashed in a three-pointer at the three-minute mark to put his team up 13-6.
Bishop Gibbons managed to trim the deficit by the end of the quarter to three, and continued its’ push in the second frame. With the game tied at 14, sophomore forward Esiasyn Starr ripped an offensive rebound away from an Eagle, and stuck the put-back lay-up, giving the Golden Knights a 16-14 edge. But that’d be the last lead they’d hold all night. Duanesburg rattled off six straight points, reclaiming the advantage at 20-16 with 3:09 remaining in the quarter.
Bishop Gibbons trimmed that deficit to one at the halftime break, but the Eagles countered in the third quarter with a steady diet of paint points, and they had their largest lead of the game at 41-32 by the end of the third stanza. Once again in the fourth, the Golden Knights fought to get back into the game. They drew within one possession at just over the half-way mark of the quarter, and the two sides traded baskets until it was 47-44 Duanesburg with under a minute to play.
Bishop Gibbons had the ball with a chance to tie the game, but Fall came up with a steal, got the ball to Ethan Thompson, who fed Mulhern on a run-out; Mulhern converted through contact for two of his game-high 16 points, and that bucket proved to be the dagger. Duanesburg salted the game away from the free-throw line, securing the 52-45 victory. Thompson joined Mulhern in double figures with 10 points. Starr and senior point guard Jaquare Jones lead the scoring attack for the Golden Knights; they both recorded 13 points.
Duanesburg (17-0) will possess the top overall seed in the WAC tournament beginning Wednesday. The Eagles also claim the Hudson Division title with the win. Bishop Gibbons falls to 12-5 on the season.