Yahoo Autos Boys basketball: Joey Koch rediscovers touch, ignites Mahopac and cools down Somers
SOMERS – It’s official, Joey Koch is a crowd pleaser.
Mahopac got a timely lift from the junior guard who came off the bench to break open a one-possession game. He connected three times from behind the arc in a two-minute span of the fourth quarter and got the visitor’s side of the gym up to celebrate each one.
Koch was exactly what the Indians needed to secure a 57-40 league win and cool down Somers.
“We haven’t played in that kind of an atmosphere this year, but that was very cool,” he said after ending a cold snap with 11 points in the final seven minutes. “They had a huge student section. We brought a nice student section. Luckily for me, things turned around, but I have to credit my teammates who told me to keep shooting. They believed in me, so that gave me confidence.
“Once I got the first one down, I felt like I had that touch.”
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Bennett Leitner hit a ridiculous step-back 3 with 6:46 to play, bringing the Tuskers within 30-28 and igniting the home crowd, which began to chant his name. Two syllables in, Koch pulled up at the arc and provided a prompt answer.
“That’s just he player he is,” Mahopac forward Colum Ranaghan said.
It was a 35-28 edge after Max Gomes came up with a steal and went gliding in for a layup.
Leitner hit again, this time from NBA range, but Ranaghan came down and powered up for a bucket at the rim. Somers was getting desperate and kept losing the handle. Koch made them pay, connecting on two more 3-pointers to make it a 43-31 advantage.
Somers never recovered.
“They definitely did a good job against us on defense,” Leitner said. “They’re always tough competitors. They’re long, tall, big, tough kids. We knew it was going to be a challenge and they just executed better than we did in the fourth quarter.”
Turning point
Both teams have enjoyed a renaissance of late and came in with plenty of momentum. The Indians started the season 1-3, then won eight of their next nine games. The Tuskers lost six in a row to start, then rattled off eight straight wins following a Jan. 6 loss at Mahopac.
It was tough sledding for three quarters.
“That’s what these games look like,” Mahopac coach Tom McMahon said. “We happened to get lucky and make a few more shots than them in the fourth quarter to spread it out, but we expect a street fight whenever we play them.”
Everything changed after Koch made the first 3, sparking a 20-6 run that he capped with a layup to give the Indians a 53-34 lead with 1:38 remaining.
“This team feeds off energy,” Ranaghan said. “Both fan sections came out to watch so this was an amazing atmosphere. A lot of these guys have been on varsity for three seasons, and we don’t get nervous in moments like that.”
Player of the game
Koch stayed calm and made four shots in a game where nothing was falling.
By the numbers
Mahopac (10-4, 6-0): Mike Callahan finished with 12 points and five rebounds. … Ranaghan had 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. … Jake Couzens added 10 points and six rebounds. … Max Gomes scored all eight of his points after halftime. … Ryan Reilly collected six points and nine rebounds.
Somers (8-7, 5-2): Leitner hit four 3s in the fourth quarter and finished with 16 points. … Andrew Violante finished with nine points. … Matt Fitzsimons contributed five points and seven rebounds. … Christian McGrane had four points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. …Mac Sullivan also scored four. … Brady Leitner scored two points.
Quotable
“We definitely were a little rusty to start, but once our guards got going - Max Gomes, Jake Couzens, Joey Koch - we became a different team,” Ranaghan said of the Mahopac turnaround. “We’re definitely very confident right now, but we’re not taking anyone lightly. We know that every night we can go out and win a game.”
“That streak helped with our confidence,” Leitner said of the Tuskers turnaround. “No matter how much we fall behind, we still believe we have a chance to win. Tonight just wasn’t our night. We’re out here having fun. We’re playing loose and we’re ready to play anyone in the section.”
Mike Dougherty covers boys soccer, boys lacrosse, girls basketball and golf for The Journal News/lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com, or on Twitter @hoopsmbd, @lohudlacrosse, @lohudhoopsmbd and @lohudgolf.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Boys basketball: Joey Koch leads Mahopac to 57-40 win at Somers
