By SPENCER BATES
OLEAN — Less than a week ago the Olean boys basketball team was flying high, riding a four-game win streak that included wins over CCAA Div. I leader Dunkirk and Pennsylvania powerhouse Warren.
But right as a possible identity was starting to emerge, it dropped its last two games. The second, and most recent, being a 47-40 loss to Southwestern on Jan. 8.
The loss which snapped the streak was a low-scoring 35-30 battle with Falconer on Jan. 5 that saw just one Olean player finish with double figures in the score column. According to head coach Tim Kolasinski, that result left a bad taste in their mouths and against the Trojans, they wanted to come out guns blazing.
And there were moments where that determination yielded good results. After a difficult first frame, the Huskies blitzed their guests with a 15-4 run that put them ahead by nine.
But for all the good minutes, there were critical spans in which, Kolasinski noted, his team overshot its target.
“I think the guys were rightly disappointed with the result on Monday and I think, early on, we were just pressing a little bit too hard,” Kolasinski said. “We needed to relax a little bit. We hit a little bit of a groove in the second quarter, and things were kind of flowing there for a little bit. In the second half, we came out, we got the first stop, and it seemed like we were going to be in good shape. But some things just didn’t break our way. We got to respond a little bit more confidently.”
Olean’s Adrian Bohdanowycz (13) rises up for an acrobatic layup. Bohdanowycz scored seven points for the Huskies in their loss to the Trojans. (Spencer Bates)
A big portion of Olean’s struggles came on the offensive end. For a reason Kolasinski is still trying to figure out, his squad looked unsure of itself at times when in pursuit of points. His best guess was that his team was playing without as much confidence and consistency as he would prefer them to. He admitted Southwestern’s defense played a role, but it was the self-inflicted wounds that hurt the most.
“We talk about all the time that we need to take care of the basketball,” Kolasinski said. “Credit to Southwestern and their defensive pressure, but we had too many turnovers. And obviously every turnover is a possession you don’t get a shot. For whatever reason, I thought we seemed a little hesitant tonight to make some plays that were there. But at the end of the day, I think we got some things going in the second quarter there. And we just seemed to get a little cold in the second half. Hats off to (Southwestern), they made some shots when they needed to.”
Defensively, Olean was relatively sound, holding Southwestern scoreless for long durations of time. But where the defense was effective in getting stops, Kolasinski noted it did not help out its offense enough.
The tough question for him and his staff now is finding a way to keep its defense solid, but also a way for it to assist in the fast-paced offense he would like to utilize.
“I think we’re playing our zone defense fairly well. I think it’s a nice piece for us. The problem for us is when we play our zone defense, the pace of the game tends to slow down,” Kolasinski said. “I think that at times we may need to mix it up a little bit and try to force a little bit more tempo. A lot of our scores have been low overall. We need to try to get some quicker possessions, defensively, and maybe force a little bit of transition situations where we can get out and run.”
One of the individual positive signs in the game for Olean was Taylor Teachman, who scored 12 points in the loss. A player that recorded just 12 field goals over the entirety of last season for the Huskies has evolved into their second-most reliable offensive option, seeing 29 shots fall through just 10 games this year.
“I’m really proud of Teach,” Kolasinski said. “He’s a guy who has really committed himself to getting better, and it shows. He’s out there, not just because he’s a senior, but because he’s worked hard to get better, and now is able to produce in games for us.”
Olean’s Taylor Teachman (14) attempts a layup against Southwestern. Teachman scored 12 points for the Huskies in their loss. (Spencer Bates)
Teachman, along with the other veteran players of this Olean team, including Mykel Rivera, who scored a game-high 17 points, Liam Ruggles, Adrian Bohdanowycz and Joe Mest will be pivotal in the days following the loss to Southwestern. Kolasinski admitted that he is going to lean on the leadership and experience of that core to make sure that these last two losses don’t turn into anything more than a bump in the road.
“I got nine guys. Five of them are seniors. Those seniors are all returning players. So I’m really going to count on their experience and maturity,” Kolasinski said. “We always talk about the next play, next play. I hope that has sunk in with them, because sometimes you just have to realize, a mistake is a mistake, a loss is a loss. Leave it there and move on to whatever the next thing is. I’m hoping that’s going to shine through.”
Olean will look to get back on track in its next game, set for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 at Salamanca.
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AT OLEAN
Southwestern (47)
Markham 5 6-7 17, Waite 2 4-4 9, Edwards 3 0-0 8, Harris 4 0-0 8, Hooks 2 1-2 5. Totals: 16 11-13 47
Olean (40)
Rivera 7 2-3 17, Teachman 5 2-4 12, Bohdanowycz 3 0-0 7, Ruggles 0 3-4 3, Mest 0 1-2 1. Totals: 15 8-13 40
SW 11 17 34 47
OL 15 24 34 40
Three-point goals: SW 4 (Edwards 2, Waite, Markham), OL 2 (Rivera, Bohdanowycz); Total fouls: SW 10, OL 15; Fouled out: None.
