Sports
Game of the Week: Fort Lee Girls Basketball League Championship Game
Luppino Homes rallies to defeat Sokolich & Macri 17-15 for the 8th grade division title.
In what League President Mike Klein called one of the biggest comebacks in league history, Luppino Homes overcame a nine point deficit to beat Sokolich & Macri 17-15 in the Fort Lee Girls Basketball League’s championship game on Friday night.
In front of a packed gym with dignitaries such as Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich in attendance, the night began with the consolation game between Step Mar Construction and Starr, Darcy & Starr.
Following that contest, the league held their trophy ceremonies for the participating girls with leading scorer awards, and coaching presentations.
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Then the moment arrived for the championship contest. The gym stayed filled with many of the fans from the awards festivities remaining to see Mayor Sokolich toss up the annual tip as he does every year. Normally a ceremonial version of the tip to begin the game, this one actually counted and started the contest.
“We are very supportive of sports in Fort Lee,” said Sokolich. “It was a big thrill…it means a lot and I am just happy to contribute in some small way.”
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Luppino Homes in the red shirts leapt ahead to a 6-2 lead but the game was a story of runs. Sokolich and Macri returned in the second quarter with a 13-0 stretch as the girls in light blue went from trailing in the game to holding a nine point advantage at halftime.
“Before the game, everybody was nervous and it was a big deal like the championship of the world and not just the championship in Fort Lee eighth graders. It was so exciting,” said S&M coach Marshall Stokols. “The second quarter came, we gained the lead, and we saw the tables turning. We were pretty happy with where we were going into the third.”
But the second half proved to tell a different ending for Sokolich and Macri as their team was held scoreless the rest of the way by the Luppino defense in a comeback 17-15 victory.
The game came down to free throws in the final minute as Luppino’s Tyler Love made the go-ahead one-pointer with 44.6 seconds left on the clock, and another with just 8.7 remaining.
Sokolich and Macri advanced the ball up to half court but were unable to get a shot off against the defense, making Luppino Homes the 2010-2011 eighth grade champions in Fort Lee Girls' Basketball.
“The smiles on the girl’s faces were priceless,” said head coach Charlie Luppino. “They did the hard work. [The girls] played a great defense. They were aggressive, they were tireless out there. It was beautiful.”
The championship and runner-up trophies were provided after the game with many parents staying afterwards to take lasting team pictures from a memorable evening.
But this doesn’t mark the end of the Fort Lee Girls Basketball League. They compete again on Sunday with two more championship games and a pair of consolation contests as well in the fourth and sixth grade divisions.
“As a commissioner, [I’m] smiling and beaming,” said league President Mike Klein. “You want a good, hard fought close game (two point game or overtime game), see the girls shake hands after the game, show good sportsmanship, and [we’ve] accomplished what we wanted.”
