Mount Vernon News

UTICA — Justin Dassylva took the Utica High School boys basketball team on his shoulders against Newark Catholic last night and led the Redskins to a tough 65-63 nonconference victory at home.

The Green Wave put up a bigger fight than might have been expected, but ultimately it couldn’t overcome Dassylva and his picture-perfect follow-through. He finished with 30 points on the night and provided instant offense each time Newark Catholic seemed to get back into the game.

Whether he pulled up from behind the arc, where he finished 3-of-4, or drove to the lane, Dassylva consistently kept Utica just a step ahead. Riding a hot streak over the past several games, the sophomore said he decided to step up when it seemed his team needed a leader.

“We were passing the ball around and not getting shots, so I figured I’d step up and take it,” he said. “I was feeling it tonight.”

Dassylva said he believes Utica coach Mike Delaney has confidence in his abilities despite his young age, and has helped Dassylva with improving his shot.

“My shot has finally been coming through,” Dassylva said. “He knows what I can do and sees the leader in me.”

When he took control, Dassylva gave Delaney more reasons to show such confidence. In the second quarter, Dassylva scored six straight points by himself to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point lead.

Dassylva has the greenlight on offense, Delaney said, and is just starting to tap into his potential as a basketball player.

“Justin’s begining to understand the impact he can have on the game,” Delaney said. “He’s played enough basketball where I know I can trust him.”

Newark Catholic is probably beginning to understand as well.

After Utica took a three-point lead into the third quarter, the Green Wave went on an 8-3 run to go up 33-30. Dassylva responded with a 3 from the top of the key to give the Redskins back the lead and jumpstart a 12-4 run to end the third quarter.

Newark Catholic head coach Drew Meister said his team’s scouting report had noted how hot Dassylva was, but the Green Wave still couldn’t find a way to stop him, despite trying more than one defensive look.

“We knew he’d go left, he went left,” Meister said. “We knew to play the ball screen a certain way, and we didn’t do it every time. A kid like that, that’s as hot as he is, you’ve got to do it every time. He just rose to the occasion.”

The Green Wave battled back in the fourth and pulled to within two in the final minute, but couldn’t get over the hump. Carmen Rausch hit two free throws with six seconds left to secure the Utica win.

Dassylva twisted his ankle midway through the fourth quarter, but managed to come back on the floor to provide some defensive help in the waning minutes. In his stead, Zach Walton stepped up to finish with 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half. He hit a fade-away 3 as time expired in the third quarter to extend Utica’s lead at the time to nine.

The combination of Dassylva and Walton makes Utica a tough team to defend, Delaney said.

“People really don’t know who to key in on at the end of a game or a quarter,” he said. “We can do different things for both of them.”

Another Redskin stepped up big at moments and provided an emotional boost for the team. Michael Sandman — who came to Utica from Newark Catholic — let out a scream of satisfaction following the final buzzer. He posted 10 points in the winning effort.

The win was an emotional one for Sandman, Delaney said, and Utica needs his extra spark to keep it going.

“We need that in our lineup,” he said.

Mount Vernon native Chris Liebold put up a solid effort for Newark Catholic in the loss. He finished with 13 points and three steals.

Liebold has been a consistent contributor for the Green Wave, Meister said, even as the team goes through a transition period.

“He was asked to play out of position a little bit against a team like this,” he said. “I just can’t say enough about what he’s done. He’s just steadily providing the numbers and been a good key for us.”