More times than not a good game of basketball has a series of runs in it where both teams put together an offensive push to cut a deficit or expand a lead.  Friday night in Schaghticoke the visitors from Mechanicville seemingly used every run to expand their lead while Hoosic Valley used their spurts to narrow the Red Raiders advantage.  In a game that needed all 32 minutes to decide, the Valley’s last run came up two points shy and Mechanicville survived with the thrilling 50-48 victory.

In the first period of the night there were no runs to be found as the two squads stayed within two points of each other throughout the period.

Zack Ryan scored all the Indians points in the quarter on an inside bucket, an alley oop , off a nice feed from Isaac Carlo, and a corner three with 1:30 left in the period.

Mechanicville saw four players score, with Nick Billert hitting from the low post, Josh Germaine on a baseline drive, Luciano D’Ambro with a pair of free throws and Peter Enzien on a putback to end the quarter and give the  Raiders an 8-7 lead.

In the second Mechanicville scored the first eight points of the period highlighted by a pair of baskets from Billert and an Enzien trey.

Carlo broke the drought for the Valley converting on a backside lob at the rim, but D’ambro quickly countered with a floater pushing the Raider advantage to 18-9 with 4:30 left in the quarter.

The Indians would answer with their response coming from downtown.  C.J. Bassett, Ryan and Carlo all splashed triples, Carlo’s coming at quarter’s end as the teams went to the break with Mechanicville leading 21-18.

Billert started the third with five quick points on a bucket and one, and a runout extending the Raider cushion to 26-18, but Valley sophomore Matt Rowe scored four points on back to back possessions to trim the spread.

A Devin Garland triple pushed the Mechanicville advantage to seven at 29-22, but the Valley used a 7-2 run with pair of Ryan buckets and a step back three from Bassett to once again stem the tide.

Raider Anthony Attala’s floater off glass ended the period with the Raiders holding a four point edge at 33-29 with an exciting eight minutes left to be played.

Three minutes in Ryan scored on an and one trimming the deficit to two at 38-36, from there Garland went on his own run for the Raiders drilling a long three, cashing in on a steal and score, and connecting on a runner giving Mechanicville a 45-36 lead with 3:30 remaining and the Raiders seemed poised to put this one away.

But it was far from over.

Ryan scored four straight, part of a 13 point quarter for the Valley senior, and after a Billert bucket, Carlo drained a triple from the corner trimming the Mechanicville lead to 47-43 with :55 left.

With :22 remaining Attala converted one of two from the line and the Raiders held the 50-45 advantage.

On the ensuing Valley possession Bassett showed that banks stay open late in Schaghticoke, going glass from behind the arc, making it a one possession game at 50-48 with 12 ticks left.

After a timeout, Mechanicville went deep with their inbounds pass that the Indians picked off and after using their final timeout the Valley had :08 left to tie or win the contest.

Bassett who bottomed three long balls on the night couldn’t get a wing three to go and a Ryan putback fell off as time expired and the Raiders survived with the thrilling “W”.

Ryan with 25 points led the way for Hoosic Valley who with the loss go to 2-2 on the season.

Billert paced the Mechanicville attack with 15 points as the Raiders improve to 3-1 in the early going, having survived a typical Friday night in the Wasaren.