The comeback kids! Gryphons stun Pratt, 52-49

by Joe Lazauskas

Tuesday January 22, 2008

The Gryphons’ most explosive scorer sat glued to the bench, and with five minutes left in the first half, a three-pointer by a Pratt sniper shooter over a tired Gryphon defense pushed the score to 28-8. A surprisingly rowdy crowd stomped on the bleachers in an attempt to will a turn-around of this disastrous home opener, but the team’s first foray into conference play had all the makings of a train wreck. Few teams could stage a comeback against Pratt, one of the conference’s strongest teams, and its tenacious zone defense. Especially not a team like the Gryphons that had only connected on one of its first nineteen shots.

But then they did.

For the second time in three games, the Gryphons overcame debilitating first-half offensive ineptitude and a double digit halftime deficit to storm back in the second half and win by the
slimmest of margins.

Last time, it was Jason Julien’s 26 second half points that helped the Gryphons erase a 23-13 halftime deficit against The Culinary Institute and escape with a 55-53 win. This time, Julien never shed his warm-ups after receiving his second suspension of the season for missing practice, but the Gryphons rallied behind big shots from a conglomerate of unlikely suspects and gutted out a thrilling 52-49 victory.

With 2:47 left in the game and the Gryphons down 46-44, first-year guard Max Mallory, getting his first extensive action with Julien suspended, found the ball in his hands behind the three-point line. He connected on a rainbow shot from the right wing and gave the Gryphons a 47-46 lead they would not
relinquish.

Mallory reached double digits for the first time in his brief college career, scoring ten points.

Pratt could not buy a point over the next two minutes, and with 1:03 left, point guard Jonathan Callahan nailed a three to seemingly to put the game away at 50-46. However, a prayer three-pointer brought Pratt within one with 49 seconds left.
A missed three-pointer on the next posession by Mallory as the shot clock hit zero looked like it might doom the Gryphons, but senior center Dan Lewis grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Two free throws by the big man gave the team a 52-49 lead, and Pratt could not respond with a desperation three-pointer to tie. The team rejoiced at the final buzzer after pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in Sarah Lawrence basketball history.

“We showed we don’t quit,” said Coach Joe Ross. “Whether we’re up by 20 or down by 20, we showed that our guys never quit.”

Senior power forward Rich Hempel had sparked the comeback and finally brought the Gryphons into double digits with a jumper with 4:18 left in the half to make the score 28-10 and end a 12-2 Pratt run. Callahan, who led the Gryphons with 14 points, then hit a long three pointer, and after four consecutive Pratt points, first-year roommates Max Teichler and Mallory connected on consecutive baskets to end the half with the Gryphons down 32-17.

The Gryphons came out in the second half with a renewed energy and an adjustment to man defense that slowed the Pratt attack. Great defensive movement and help defense forced turnovers and continued the Gryphon comeback.

Co-captains Tristan Eastburn and Hempel scored the first two baskets of the half before a crowd-erupting spin around finish by senior Aaron Lindenbaum closed the gap to 32-23 with 17:50 left in the half.

Hempel was second on the team in scoring with 11 points.
Callahan continued the rally with another three-pointer just thirty seconds later, and after a pair of Lindenbaum free throws, Callahan displayed cat-like reflexes, stealing the ball and throwing a sweet dish down the court to Lindenbaum to bring the Gryphons within three, 33-30. A driving reverse by Callahan down the baseline then made it a one-point game.

After a quick Pratt turnover, the Gryphons again pushed the ball up the court, and Mallory found himself with the ball at the top of the arch. With a crowd of personal supporters looking on from the stands, Mallory showed his smooth stroke, hit the three-pointer and capped a 27-5 run with 15:20 left in the half.

The Gryphons then found themselves in a dog fight. The lead changed seven times over the next 12 minutes before Mallory’s three gave them the lead for good.

“It’s just like a fairy tale,” said Teichler after the game.