Hudson hangs on against Gateway for rare win

The Hudson Cobras will take a win - no matter the opponent, outcome or location.

By MIKE CAMUNAS Times Correspondent
Published December 29, 2006

HUDSON - They'll take it. The Hudson Cobras will take a win - no matter the opponent, outcome or location.

So Hudson found a way to a 65-61 win against Gateway (0-11) in the Third Annual Chase Memorial Invitational on Thursday. And since the Cobras (3-7) have as many wins in the past three years as a hand has fingers, coach Jason Vetter, who has an 8-78 career record, knows these pocketful of wins aren't to be taken for granted.

"We'll take any win at this point," said Vetter, whose team won its first game ever in the tournament it hosts. "We probably could've finished the game a little better, but we can't handle pressure well."

Blame pressure and an 18-6 Panther run in the third and fourth quarters. Hudson saw a 13-point lead dwindle to a point with 42 seconds left.

Then, sophomore Jarrod Branco, who leads the team with 17.3 points per game, coughed up the ball to Gateway. On the ensuing possession, Branco stole the ball and took it for a easy layup.

Vetter called the play ultra-competitive. Branco called it redemption.

"I knew I had to get it back - knew I had to have redemption," said Branco, who led the team with 17 points. "And I knew we can't keep turning the ball over like that."

Branco said the Cobras "loosened up on rebounding," and senior guard Mike Russo agreed.

"We got relaxed on rebounding," said Russo, who also scored 17 points. "We weren't aggressive enough to stop (Panthers center Ken Martinez)."

Martinez was the game's leading scorer with 23 points, and Gateway coach Robert Baker thought his team should have picked up its first win of the season.

"Bottom line: we should've gotten the job done," Baker said.

[Last modified December 28, 2006, 23:23:46]