By Mike Zummo
Six minutes.
The Pine Bush Bushmen were neck and neck with with the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks until they fell off the pace.
The Goldbacks broke an early tie, taking a nine-point lead after the first quarter, as the Bushmen fell, 81-56, on Wednesday in an Orange County Athletic Association Division I boys’ basketball game at Pine Bush High School.
“I thought they played hard, and were down a couple guys tonight,” Pine Bush coach Rob Lawrence said. “We’re a young team. We’re trying to build forward. Newburgh’s got a good team and is definitely more athletic.”
The game was tied at 9-9 when Johnson hit a jumper to give the Goldbacks an 11-9 lead with 2:03 remaining in the first quarter.
They never trailed again, even though Pine Bush’s Kahmar Evan hit a free throw to cut the Newburgh lead to a single point. However, the Goldbacks used the last 1:37 of the first quarter to go on an 8-0 run to finish the first quarter with a 19-10 lead.
“We were just communicating on defense, playing hard, getting down for loose balls,” Lawrence said. “We were just in the right spots at the right time and challenging all their shots.”
The Goldbacks’ defense limited the Bushmen to seven points in the second quarter, opening the period with a 7-0 run to take a 26-10 lead with 5:55 left in the second quarter, prompting Lawrence to call a timeout.
“They had their more horses than we’ve got, so they were subbing guys every two-and-a-half minutes, and I’m holding the same five trying to hold the line,” Lawrence said. “And then we got a little tired, a little sloppy, and they capitalized on that.”
Sophomore Robert Lawrence led the Bushmen with a game-high 20 points. Nate Fontana added 12 points.
We are just taking small building blocks,” Lawrence said “I’ve got a group of young kids that are going to rise to the occasion. We are just trying to take small steps to be ready for next year.”
While the Goldbacks are perennial Section 9 contenders, the Bushmen are rebuilding their program after a winless season last year.
They haven’t seen any success in the division yet, but have posted non-league wins over Monticello, Chester, James I. O’Neill and Washingtonville.
Their loss to the Goldbacks was their fifth straight. This year, however, has already been an improvement as they build toward next year.
They added to their youth by recently calling up sophomore Jovani Ali.
“We’re trying to get what we consider the players who are going to help us in the future the experience they need earlier on,” Lawrence said. “That way, when they are juniors and seniors, they’ve already been in the battle. They’ll have already been in the game so they’ll, hopefully, be ready to roll.”