Licata's three helps Billies avenge loss against Sweet Home
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home's Donald Watkins, right, battles Hamburg's Blake McLimans during the Panthers' 63-54 road loss last Tuesday at Hamburg. Sweet Home went on to lose last Friday at Williamsville South, 66-62. Sweet Home is 6-2 in ECIC Division II. Photo by John Normile Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville South's Joe Licata made only one three-pointer all game against Sweet Home last Friday at South but the one he sank was huge.

The freshman guard connected on a 24-foot trey with 18.2 seconds remaining and junior Zach Murray tacked on two free throws to lift South to a stunning 66-62 upset over Sweet Home.

"My teammates did the most," said Licata who only had two points prior to his three. "I just hit the shot at the end."

"We had set up a play to run because we thought they were in a man-to-man and they switched to a zone so we ran what we call our double," said South coach Al Monaco. "I told Mark (Coppola) to run the offense and find a good shot. Sweet Home was so intent on stopping Mark that I don't know how he got the pass through. They had at least two guys on him. So Mark got the pass to Joe and it was money."

The Sweet Home win marks the second straight time South has avenged a 26-point loss. South lost to Sweet Home, 85-59, on Dec. 13. South beat Hamburg, 76-61, on Jan. 18, after losing to them, 64-38, on Dec. 7.

"For five weeks later to beat both of them in a week tells us everything you need to know about these kids," said Monaco. "They're special."

"We have four freshmen on the team and after the New Year, coach said we weren't freshmen anymore," said Licata. "A win like this gives us a lot of confidence."

While South keeps improving, Sweet Home keeps regressing. The South loss was the end of a horrible week for the Panthers, which saw them also fall at Hamburg, 63-54, last Tuesday.

"It's difficult," said Sweet Home coach Paul Schintzius after the game. "We didn't lose the game tonight. We lost it in practice on Thursday and practice the day before the Hamburg game. If you put in good weeks of practice, then we deserve the success. When you don't, you don't deserve to win. The guys are going to have to dig deep and battle themselves to get out of this."

Early in the Sweet Home-South game, the Panthers appeared to be in total control, scoring the first four points and jumping out to a 12-5 lead 2:13 into the first quarter. After Monaco called his second timeout of the game, the Billies kept composure and battled back, cutting its deficit to 21-18 by the end of the quarter.

Sweet Home distanced itself slightly in the second quarter, going into halftime with a 37-32 advantage. Panthers junior Casey Kacz hit two key threes to give the Panthers the edge.

The lead changed hands four times in the third quarter. Sweet Home senior Jamel Werts banked in a two-pointer to tie the game at 50-50 heading into the fourth. Werts had 11 of his team's 13 points in the quarter.

Like the third, the lead seesawed in the fourth. Sweet Home took a 58-54 advantage after an inside layup by Ali Ramadan but Coppola tied it with two free throws with 3:53 remaining.

The Panthers built another four-point lead, 62-58, with 2:04 left to play after Ramadan grabbed his own missed shot, scored, and was fouled by Murray, but he missed the free throw. Coppola then stole a Sweet Home pass, fed Phil Stasiak, who missed a three, but Murray grabbed the offensive rebound and laid it in with 53.4 seconds.

After a Sweet Home timeout, Werts and Richard Rush each went for the ball while it was going out of bounds and the official called an over and back. That set up Licata's three.

"We're not playing well right now," said Schintzius. "We have team chemistry problems and it showed its ugly head. We're not sharing the ball. It's a classic case of one team that's playing together and one team that's not. I give South credit. They believe. That's what confidence and team basketball will do for you."

South only shot 5 of 22 from threes, well below its average. Many times Sweet Home players were on the perimeter by getting hands in South players' faces, which seemed to lead to shots that were short or clanked the rim. Monaco felt his team adjusted by breaking Sweet Home off the dribble and penetrating into the paint.

"I think that's what allowed us to win," said Monaco. "That's nice the thing about this team. You take one thing away and another one works. The kids adapted real well."

South only committed eight turnovers.

It seemed like everyone contributed for South. Stasiak led the Billies with 17 points and eight rebounds. Murray, Coppola, and Brian Webb each had 12.

Seven of Coppola's 12 points came in the third quarter and included an unbelievable scoop shot that he banked into the net. Coppola, a 5-foot-3 sophomore, also had seven rebounds and seven assists.

"Mark controlled the game," said Monaco. "I have not seen a better point guard in Western New York. I don't see anybody who does more for his team than he does."

Murray also grabbed five rebounds; Webb had four rebounds.

Tom LiSacchi came off the bench for Webb in the second half and had five huge points and played great defense.

Sweet Home was led by Werts with a game-high 28. Ramadan added 10.

The Panthers missed some athleticism and rebounding in the second half from Marcus Johnson. The senior didn't play the second half because of a nagging thigh contusion that has kept him out for most of the season.

Against Hamburg, Schintzius felt his team was physically and mentally not in the game.

"It was one of those games we took for granted," said Schintzius. "It showed that if you don't show up every day, someone is going to beat you and that is what we found out."

Had Sweet Home beaten Hamburg, maybe the South loss would not sting as much. By virtue of Hamburg beating Sweet Home and Sweet Home losing to South, Hamburg has taken over first place in ECIC Division II. The Bulldogs are 7-2. Sweet Home is 6-2. South is 5-3.

Sweet Home and Hamburg were knotted at 18-18 after the first quarter. Hamburg's Blake McLimans, who finished with 29 points, had seven of his team's 18 points in the quarter.

Hamburg took a 32-26 lead into halftime and 44-37 advantage after three. Schintzius said his team cut its deficit to three late in the fourth but McLimans and other Hamburg players made shots down the stretch. McLimans went 12 of 12 from the free throw line, including 8 of 8 in the second half. He also blocked nine shots.

"Whenever they needed a big basket, he got it," said Schintzius.

Hamburg shot 18 of 22 from the free throw line as a team. Sweet Home hit 13 of 24 attempts.

Johnson led Sweet Home with 17 points. He hit 5 of 6 free throws. Donny Watkins (13 points) and Werts (10 points) also scored in double figures. Ramadan had eight points but was in foul trouble the entire game.

Sweet Home (9-5) got off the winning snide on Monday, beating Williamsville East, 72-62. Game coverage, along with the Panthers' road game at Iroquois at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, will appear in next week's Bee.

Before Sweet Home gets a crack at Iroquois, South (9-5) hosted the Chiefs on Tuesday. The result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. The Billies host West Seneca East at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.