The journey for our Varsity Boys Basketball Team’s State Championship victory started long before their game against Seton Catholic on March 17th. If you had looked at them one year prior, you would find a Mekeel team restless and eager for the following winter season, looking for the opportunity to prove themselves’ after a heartbreaking loss to Glens Falls in the Section 2 Final. The Lions would return all but one player from their ’16-17 team.
In the Section
The ‘17-18 Mekeel Christian Boys Basketball Team finished the regular season 17-3, with two of the three losses coming near the end of the season against two very high caliber opponents. Mekeel earned the #1 overall seed for the Section 2 Class B Tournament. The challenge of getting through Sectionals weighed heavy on the minds of the team, as they knew winning a sectional final would mean a possible matchup against Watervliet in the semifinal, and last year’s Champion Glens Falls in the final. The Lions were able to cruise through their first two games of the Sectional Tournament. This meant a rematch against Watervliet from January 10th, where Mekeel was able to edge out Vliet in a two-point 65-63 victory on their home court. From this point on in their post-season run, defense became the foundation for the Lions.
The Lions went on to beat Watervliet 62-53 in the Sectional Semifinal, which brought them to a matchup against Schalmont who had upset Glens Falls in the other Semifinal game. The Lions knew going into the game it would be a dog-fight, despite their confidence in being the better team. Despite their struggles shooting the ball, it was the 26 offensive rebounds that ultimately made the difference in their 69-59 victory over Schalmont. One year after a heartbreaking loss to Glens Falls in the 2017 Sectional Finals, the Mekeel Lions reigned as Champions of Section 2, Class B.
In the Region
After this win, Mekeel received a bye for the first game in the Regional Tournament which brought about a matchup against the Canton Golden Bears for the Regional Final. The Lions trailed Canton by as many as eight points in the 3rd quarter before making their final offensive push that ultimately led to a 53-47 win in the regional final. This was the first time since 2007 the boys basketball team qualified for the state tournament, and the first time ever in Class B.
The first round game was against Briarcliff, a well-rounded defensive-minded team. This semifinal matchup did not disappoint as it was neck and neck throughout. Near the end of regulation with only 37 seconds remaining in the game Mekeel found themselves down five. After a drive down the left side of the court Deonte Holder found fellow senior Jordan Jackson open in the corner which put them down two. Briarcliff retrieved the ball and missed the front end of a 1 and 1, which led to Deonte Holder finding a streaking Gideon Agbo down the right side of the court. Gideon caught the ball on the right block for a catch and finish through some contact to tie things up at 56. Briarcliff came down the court with seven seconds left but were unable to score, leading to overtime. The first overtime consisted of both teams trading baskets to pave the way for a second overtime. The Lions finally ran the show through the second overtime to complete the comeback with a final score of 68-61.
In the State
March 17th, 2018 the Lions finished their run in the Class B State Championship Game against hometown Seton Catholic. It definitely seemed that Mekeel would be the underdog given that it was essentially a home game for the green-wearing Saints on St. Patrick’s Day. With both teams coming off double overtime wins the night before, it was apparent that legs were not as fresh as at the previous semifinal games. With only one quarter left in the State Championship Game, the Lions held only a four point lead. As had been the case for the entire post-season for the Lions, it was defense that proved to be the key to success. Mekeel held a very disciplined Seton Catholic team to only four points in the fourth quarter. With the lead at the end of the game the Lions were able to knock down their free-throws to secure the victory. The Mekeel Christian Lions were now the 2018 Class B State Champions!
The Lions went on to finish off their season in the NYS Federation Tournament before losing in the tournament finals to Fannie Lou Hamer out of the Bronx, NY. It was a historic season for the Mekeel Boys Basketball Team that none involved will soon forget.