SECTION IV BASKETBALL: WAVERLY COMES UP SHORT IN REPEAT BID; FALLS, 51-48, TO DRYDEN IN CLASS B TITLE GAME (24 PHOTOS) (2025-02-09)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportBINGHAMTON — Waverly's unexpected run to a second straight Section IV title came to a screeching halt in the final 60 seconds of a 51-48 loss to Dryden here Sunday afternoon in the Class B championship game at Visions Memorial Arena.
"We played outstanding today," said Waverly coach Lou Judson. "We executed our game plan to almost perfection.
"We were obviously giving up size at almost every position, but we gave them everything they could handle," he noted. "We had a chance today, a real good chance. Unfortunately, we came out on the wrong side.
"If it weren't for a few careless turnovers late in the game, the outcome may have been different," Judson added.
The Wolverines' run to the title game was unexpected as it returned just one player with significant varsity experience from last year's team. They graduated six seniors, and lost two juniors — one to injury during football season, and another to early enrollment at college.
"I didn't expect us to get back here," said Waverly junior Hogan Shaw.
"The first half of the season was tough for us," he noted. "We had to go to Seton for the first game of the year, then losing to Sayre in the Christmas Tournament was a gut punch, but this group of kids is tough and we responded like hell.
"It blows me out of the water to see us back here today," Shaw added.
"After the game last year, I'm thinking we have Xavier (Watson) and Kolsen (Keathley) back, and Fletcher (Good) coming in, so yeah I'm thinking we'll be back," said Judson.
"Then we lose Xavier early to UConn, Kolsen gets hurt with 2 minutes left in the Section IV championship football game, and now we're scrambling because we had those two all summer.
"We had to start over, and create identities — who's going to do what for us, and it took a long time to do it," noted Judson.
"It was probably four or five weeks ago before we realized who we were and what we wanted to do," said Judson. "We started playing well, and guys starting buying into the different things we wanted to do.
"For them to be able to get back here after all the losses we had from the senior class, and we lost part of our junior class, which doesn't happen — I'm just so proud of all of our guys, and the coaching staff," added Judson.
Judson also believes his team's youth played a part in getting back to the Arena.
"We are so youthful and so inexperienced it kind of allowed us to get to this moment because we didn't realize how big this moment was, but late in the game I think we started to realize how big the moment was.
"The kids played their butts off today," said Judson. "Not one person in those stands today thought we'd be in this championship game. The fact we were is a credit to every player who played for me this year — their resolve, toughness and character.
"We have winners in Waverly, we'll be back," he added.
Waverly started the game quickly with 3-pointers by junior Carter Davies and Hogan Shaw for a 6-2 lead just 60 seconds into the game.
Sophomore Ben Shaw added a free throw with 6 minutes remaining to give the Wolverines a 7-2 lead, but the offense would go silent the remainder of the opening stanza.
The Purple Lions also misfired offensively for the majority of the first quarter, but Daniel Murphy III scored on a driving lay-up and a 3-pointer in the final 72 seconds to cap a 9-0 run that gave them an 11-7 lead heading into the second quarter.
Junior Porter Daddona snapped Waverly's scoreless drought at just shy of 7 minutes with a short jumper to close the gap to 11-9 with 7:12 remaining in the first half.
A bucket by Murphy put Dryden up 15-9 with 5:23 left in the half, then the two teams traded buckets with Hogan Shaw knocking down a 3-pointer and sophomore Carson Rockwell scoring a pair of buckets — the first after a series of pump fakes against Dryden's 6-7 Alexander Scott, and the second a 15-foot jumper off the glass — to make it 20-16.
After a Dryden turnover, Hogan Shaw canned a 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining to close the gap to 20-19, but Peter Nydam scored on a baseline drive to put the Purple Lions up 22-19 at the halftime intermission.
The second half was a much different experience, with both offenses picking up the scoring pace.
Hogan Shaw said the Wolverines didn't make any offensive adjustments at the half.
"We knew we played a great defensive first half, and we knew the one way to back in it was our energy on defense," he said. "We've been rolling with that, and we kind of picked it up.
"We knew they don't handle the ball all that well," added Shaw. "We were waiting to show our press, and it worked, but not enough."
Dryden drew first blood in the third quarter, but Ben Shaw drained a 3-pointer from the wing, and Daddona scored in the low blocks off a feed from Rockwell to tie the game at 24-24 with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter.
Dryden scored the next two buckets, and later led 31-27 when Rockwell scored in the low blocks, and Hogan Shaw drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to put the Wolverines up 32-31 with 1:36 remaining in the third quarter.
After a Purple Lions bucket gave them a 33-32 lead, Hogan Shaw made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining, then came up with a steal in the backcourt and a pass to Ben Shaw for a lay-up with 6 seconds remaining to give the Wolverines a 36-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Davies turned a putback on the offensive glass into an old-fashion three-point play to cap a 12-2 run and give the Wolverines their biggest lead of the game, at 39-33, with 7:45 left in the game.
"Championship games, like any game for that matter, are about runs," said Judson.
"We made a run in the third quarter to get us ahead, but we knew they were going to make another run," he noted. "Unfortunately, they made it at the end of the game.
"We gave ourself chances, and we gave ourself a chance to win late in the game," added Judson. "We just didn't execute in the half-court as well as needed to."
Dryden used a 7-2 spurt to close the gap to 41-40, but Davies scored again on the offensive glass to make it 43-40 with 5:20 left in the contest.
After a three-point play by Scott tied the game, Hogan Shaw canned his fifth 3-pointer of the game to put Waverly ahead 46-43 with 4:11 remaining.
Dryden scored the next five points to take a 48-46, but Daddona scored from close range on an in-bounds play with 1:42 remaining to tie the game at 48-48.
Both teams missed chances to take the lead, and Waverly called timeout with 1:00 minute remaining.
Scott stole the in-bounds pass, but Dryden missed in transition. Waverly rebounded, but was whistled for traveling with 45 seconds remaining.
The Purple Lions milked the clock, and Murphy III scored with a runner off the glass with 12.6 remaining to take a 50-48 lead.
After a timeout, Waverly long in-bounds pass was intercepted by Scott, who made a free throw with 4.4 seconds remaining to provide the final margin.
Waverly's last gasp three-quarter court shot tie the game was off-the-mark as time expired.
Judson said the long in-bounds play was not what was drawn up during the time out.
"We actually went over a play this week that we would run if we needed a 3-pointer to win, or at least a two to tie," said Judson.
"(Dryden) took away what we wanted, and I think (the in-bounder) saw someone leak along the sideline and thought he had the advantage there.
"It just so happens the Scott kid was lurking back there, and got to the basketball," he noted.
"We didn't play well in the last minute-and-a-half of the game and it cost us the game," added Judson.
Hogan Shaw led Waverly with 19 points, three steals, and two assists, while Davies had 10 points and five rebounds, and Daddona had six points and nre rebounds.
Ben Shaw had six points, three boards, and four assists for the Wolverines, while Rockwell had six points, three rebounds and two assists, and senior Fletcher Good and junior Ronin Ault each had three rebounds.
Scott led Dryden with 16 points, and Murphy added 15 points.
Judson noted he continues to be amazed by the support his team receives.
"We are very thankful to the Waverly community for supporting us today and every game," he said. "I looked up on many occasions and saw a lot of red, which makes me and my staff very proud to be representing this great school district and community."
Waverly wraps up the season at 13-10.
————————
IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Porter Daddona. IN TOP PHOTO: Waverly's Hogan Shaw. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
Print Friendly Version
