Gladiators' 3-ball doesn't fly against Eagles

Goshen — The Goshen Boys Varsity Basketball Team dropped another close game, this time to the Burke Eagles on Friday, Jan. 27, in a game played at Orange County Community College. The game between these two teams has been held at the college in the past few years to accommodate the overflow crowd the game usually attracts. Numerous spectators have been turned away in past years when the game was held at their respective schools. The Gladiators lost this contest, 41-34. It was a tight game throughout the entire contest, with neither team able to establish a comfortable lead. Burke led at the end of the first quarter, 11-7, Goshen led at the half, 20-15, and at the end of three quarters, 29-25. Burke took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and held on for the victory, thanks mostly in part to the strong inside play of Kyle Byron and a few breakaway lay-ups by Mark Behan. Goshen again fell guilty to pulling the trigger too quickly on the 3-point field goal attempt, which led to easy buckets for Burke at the other end on fast breaks. The loss drops the Gladiators to 3 wins and 10 losses, putting them in a position of having to win every contest remaining to qualify for Section K playoffs — a task that Coach Guarnieri still believes the team can accomplish. The Gladiators can also qualify by winning their remaining three league games against Monticello, Cornwall and Port Jervis.