PLATTSBURGH — Offense wins games, defense wins championships.
The age-old saying could be true once again as Castine Properties shut down Ice Cold Elite, 73-27 in the YMCA Men’s League on Wednesday.
CP now moves to 5-0 and sets itself up for another strong finish with four weeks to go in the regular season.
The current three-time defending champions showed why they are unstoppable with suffocating defense and quick passes to find the open man.
Offensively, they always looked for the extra pass.
Going up for a layup with a defender and a teammate just to side open? Pass.
Driving and seeing someone sitting beyond the arc as the defense crashes? Pass.
They would even move the ball around the arc with speed to find that one open teammate or leading someone to an open layup.
But what was more impressive was the defense. ICE called a timeout early in the game down 13-2 trying to find a rhythm to get back into the game. At that point, it felt as if the game could get out of hand.
For the guys in blue, it did. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, it was all but over. Castine Properties led by a score of 47-12.
Players and head coach Gary Castine continued to speak about defense, despite how strong their offense was playing.
They would break huddles with, “Defense!” It was their driving force.
And it led to plenty of easy buckets.
Chris Castine finished with a game high 20 points as four other teammates hit double figures. Matt Farbotko added 18, Connor Christopherson had 12 and Josh Sand finished with 11.
While points came frequently, it was how they worked off the ball. Castine finished with a double double with 12 boards and seven assists.
Jamie Davidson had two points, but he was masterful with the ball. He finished with a double-double as well with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Both he and Castine had two steals on the night.
Farbotko and Christopherson added seven boards each, with Sand having five.
Ice Cold Elite were unable to get into any kind of rhythm as Castine Properties kept them in check. Eric Kerr led his team with eight points, and Kyle Cahoon and Brock Daniel finished with seven and six points, respectively.
Gary Castine was proud of his team’s defense in shutting down ICE, especially leading scorer Trevor Harris, who finished with four.
Castine Properties next face Akey Acres LLC, which is tied for first in the Eastern Conference at 4-1. CP currently holds the lead in the Western Conference at 5-0.
Games are held at the YMCA Oval every Thursday, with this week being the exception. The playoffs begin Aug. 4.
For more information on the YMCA Men’s League, find them on Facebook.
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Castine Properties 73, Ice Cold Elite 27
Castine Properties (73)
M. Castine 1-2-4, Shaver 1-0-2, C. Castine 8-0-20, Davidson 1-0-2, Fratbatko 8-1-18, Christopherson 5-2-12, Sand 4-3-11. Parliament 2-0-4. TOTALS: 3-8-73
Ice Cold Elite (27)
Kerr 3-1-8, Gilmour 1-0-2, Cahoon 2-1-7, Daniel 2-0-6, Harris 2-0-4, Farney 1-0-3.
Halftime- Castine Properties, 47-12
3 point goals- CP (5) C. Castine 4, Fratbatko. ICE (6) Cahoon 2, Cahoon 2, Farney, Kerr