PLATTSBURGH — Nathan Gay scored his 1,000th point and had Westport on the verge of a comeback.
Plattsburgh High senior Kyle Knight instead took charge and made Gay's night bittersweet.
Knight scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as Plattsburgh High fended off a Westport comeback, posting a 76-68 non-league boys' basketball win Monday.
It was another night of frustration for Plattsburgh High coach Chris Hartmann. For the third straight game, the Hornets jumped out to an early lead — this time 13 against the Eagles — but a second-half letdown had the game as close as three points.
"This is our third straight game of not playing four quarters of basketball, not operating on all cylinders and at this point in this season we should be playing our most aggressive, consistent basketball," Hartmann said. "We are far, far from doing that right now especially on the defensive end."
Playing his fourth and final season on varsity, Gay, a senior, received a standing ovation after his points caused a brief pause in the game. Players and coaches from both teams congratulated him on the milestone.
"A great career," Westport coach Brad Rascoe said. "He's been our man for the whole year, he's done well."
Gay finished with 23 points, while Bo McKinley scored a team-high 27.
McKinley turned a steal into a fastbreak layup that cut Plattsburgh High's lead to 69-66 with 2:08 left in the game.
After a short floater by Kyle LaPoint made it 71-66, Knight converted two straight steals into transition points. The second turned into a successful 3-point play after he was fouled with less than a minute to go.
"Kyle played hard in the fourth quarter," Hartman said. "We can't always rely on the Knight brothers defensively and Kyle offensively. Our other teammates need to step up a little bit and that's what they failed to do tonight."
Plattsburgh High's dominance on the glass and propensity for forcing Eagle turnovers helped push the Hornets to a 42-32 halftime lead.
—
Plattsburgh High 76, Westport 68
Westport (68)
Russell 4-0-8, Quaglietta 1-0-2, McKinley 10-5-27, Schrauf 0-0-0, Ward 0-0-0, Floyd 0-0-0, Stahl 2-0-6, Stevens 1-0-2, Gay 10-3-23. Totals: 28-8-76.
Plattsburgh High (76)
J. Knight 2-0-5, K. Knight 4-8-17, Bucci 4-0-10, LaPoint 6-0-12, Favro 4-0-8, Fout 1-0-3, Porcelli 4-0-9, Kirkpatrick 2-0-4, Curtis 4-0-8. Totals: 31-8-76.
Westport15171818—68
PHS21211222—76
3-point goals: Westport (4) McKinley 2, Stah 2. Plattsburgh High (6) Bucci 2, Fout, Porcelli, J. Knight, K. Knight.
