Lenox Edges Mount Greylock in Opener
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The season opener for the Lenox and Mount Greylock Unified Basketball teams had fans on the edges of their seats.
Rolando Hernandez scored 22 points, including the game-winning basket in the final minute, as the Millionaires earned a 50-49 win.
Dionna Koenig scored eight points, and Lahna Yasinski and Cooper Knodler added six apiece for Lenox, which overcame a 13-point first-half deficit.
J.T. Szymanski scored 10 to lead Mount Greylock.
The Mounties got eight points apiece from Trenton Baird, Parker Langenback and Cole Narey and six apiece from Monte Melkonyan and Devin Beverly in a balanced attack.
Szymanski and Melkonyan each scored four points in a 10-0 Mount Greylock run to open a 28-15 lead late in the first half.
McKenna O’Brien (four points) and Cady Litano each scored a late basket for Lenox to get their team within nine, 28-19, at half-time.
After Narey opened the second half with a basket for Mount Greylock, the Millionaires went on a 10-0 run of their own to get back within a point on Yasinski’s basket to make it 30-29.
From there on, the teams traded scores with no one leading by more than three points the rest of the way.
Mount Greylock took a 45-43 lead midway through the fourth quarter when Szymanski set up Narey for a bucket.
But Hernandez scored in transition and was fouled, completing the three-point play to give Lenox a 46-45 advantage.
Then, following a steal by Lenox’s Knodler, Hernandez put back a rebound in transition to give their team a 48-45 lead with about two minutes to play.
Szymanski then put back an offensive rebound and got fouled at the other end. He missed the free throw but got his own rebound and scored to give the Mounties a 49-48 lead.
The defenses then took over as the teams traded possessions until the Mounties forced a turnover that led to Hernandez’ game-winner.
Both teams are off until Tuesday when Lenox hosts Hoosac Valley and Mount Greylock travels to Wahconah.