Thursday, October 1, 2026
Meeting for the fourth time in six years in the championship game of the Cyclone Holiday Boys’ Basketball Tournament, host South Side and Kelleberg put on quite a show Dec. 28 before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 700.
Ryan Spadaford and Kevin Coyle closed the third quarter with three-pointers on consecutive possessions to give South Side a nine-point cushion on the way to a hard-fought 64-59 victory over the Firebirds. Spadaford scored 13 of his game-high 22 points from the foul line and pulled down nine rebounds, while fellow seniors Darren Nickelson, Rob Pichioni and Bobby Akeson added 10 points apiece. Jeremy Arthur (17), Rob Gomiela (14) and Kevin Bowles (12) scored in double digits for Kellenberg,
“It’s always an intense game when we face Kellenberg,” Pichioni said. “It’s good experience to play in an atmosphere like this and you always want to win your own tournament. I thought it was our most complete game of the year so far.”
The Cyclones (6-1) trailed by five points early and led by as many as 11 when Bowles fouled out with 4:21 remaining. They were tremendous from the line all night, hitting 20 of 26 free throws, and sealed the outcome when Pichioni and Spadaford each sank the front end of a one-and-one with less than 10 seconds left.
“They’re a well-coached team with great size,” South Side coach Jerry D’Angelo said of Kellenberg, which featured 6-foot-9 Bryan Gellineau (six points) at center. “I loved our intensity and thought we played hard for 32 minutes,” he added. “I thought we stepped up and we look forward to the conference schedule resuming next Friday at Roslyn.”
A buzzer-beater by Coyle (nine points) gave the Cyclones a 15-14 lead after the first quarter and he triggered an 11-point spurt with a pair of free throws early in the second following a basket by Bowles for a 26-16 advantage. Kellenberg responded with some energy off the bench from Kevin Liddy, who had a three-point play to end South Side’s run and helped the visitors get within 30-26 at halftime.
It was 48-39 after Spadaford and Coyle dialed long distance in an otherwise evenly played third quarter but coach John McCutcheon’s Firebirds didn’t quit, even after Bowles picked up his fifth personal that Spadaford turned into a three-point play. The margin was 62-59 with 31 seconds left.
“We expected a close game, and games like this help you in the long run,” D’Angelo said. “There are some things we can do better, rebounding in particular, and we’ll continue to work on those and get ready for Roslyn.”
Spadaford, who was named tournament MVP, also had 22 points and nine rebounds in a 70-41 win over Valley Stream Central the previous night. Coyle had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and junior Dane Flaherty chipped in seven points off the bench.
