The Lyons Lions were just seconds away from celebrating a chance to win a state championship when they watched their high school basketball season come to a dramatic end with a loss.
It appeared the Lions from Section V were headed into the Class C state tournament final after senior forward Stephen LeBrecht made a 3-point shot with eight seconds remaining in their semifinal matchup with Cooperstown March 21.
But then Cooperstown senior forward Jackson Crisman made the final 3-point shot attempt of the back-and-forth game, giving the undefeated and No. 1 state-ranked Hawkeyes a 66-64 win over Lyons at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.
Player of the game
Cooperstown guard Miles Nelen, a senior. Although Jackson Crisman made the game-winning shot for the Hawkeyes, Nelen probably provided the opportunity for his teammate to be remembered as a sports hero.
Nelen scored 26 points after he made 10 of 18 shot attempts. At least eight of the shots Nelen made tied the score or gave Cooperstown the lead.
Play of the game
Cooperstown trailed 64-63 when Jackson Crisman, a 6-foot-5 forward, made the 3-pointer to win the game for the Hawkeyes.
By the numbers
26 – Wins for the undefeated Cooperstown Hawkeyes, who are ranked No. 1 in the state among Class C teams by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
24-3 – Season record for the Lyons Lions, who won the Section V Class C1 Championship, a state tournament qualifier game over Section V Class C2 champion Honeoye and the Far West Regional state tournament quarterfinal game. Lyons’ two other losses this season were to Geneva in the regular season (67-65) and East Rochester (69-68).
4 – Number of made 3-pointers by Cooperstown guard Miles Nelen, who attempted nine of those long-range shots.
18 – Point total for Lyons center Jamire “JJ” Johnson, a 6-foot-6 senior. Johnson, a member of the 2025 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Boys Basketball Team, was Lyons’ leading scorer in this game.
13 – Points scored by Lyons forward Stephen LeBrecht in his last game that counts with the Lions.
12 – Point totals for Lyons sophomore Kaywon Butler and Lyons senior Contrell Parker Jr.
16 – Points scored by Jackson Crisman, the player who made the game-winning shot for Cooperstown. Crisman was 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
What’s next
Cooperstown advances to the state final March 22 at Vision Veterans Memorial Arena, where the Hawkeyes face Berne/Knox/Westerlo from Section II or Albany region.
Below, are details of how the state tournament semifinal between No. 3 state-ranked Lyons and Cooperstown unfolded.
Final
Cooperstown 66, Lyons 64
The Lyons Lions had fouls to give and use them both. Cooperstown sets up an inbounds play during a timeout. When play resumes with four seconds remaining, the ball is inbounded to Jackson Crisman, who might have been trying to throw a pass to hot-shooting teammate Miles Nelen.
Crisman pumps the ball as if to pass once, then a second time, before he turns and puts up a 3-pointer that wins the game for the No. 1 state-ranked Hawkeyes.
4th quarter – 8 seconds remaining
Lyons 64, Cooperstown 63
Contrell Parker Jr. finds Stephen LeBrecht in a corner with a pass. LeBrecht puts up a 3-point shot that goes in, as he is fouled. The senior forward then makes the awarded free throw.
4th quarter – 15 seconds remaining
Cooperstown 63, Lyons 60
Steal and lay up by Cooperstown guard Christian Lawson, a senior.
4th quarter – 48 seconds remaining
Cooperstown 61, Lyons 60
Lyons senior forward Stephen LeBrecht scores.
4th quarter – 1:04 remaining
Cooperstown 61, Lyons 58
Cooperstown senior guard Miles Nelen makes another in a long list of 3-pointers.
4th quarter – 1:24 remaining
Lyons 58, Cooperstown 58
Lyons senior forward Stephen LeBrecht makes the second of two free throws.
4th quarter – 4:00 remaining
Cooperstown 53, Lyons 52
Steal and lay up by Lyons guard Kaywon Butler, a sophomore.
4th quarter – 5:17 remaining
Cooperstown 53, Lyons 47
Hawkeyes have a lead after a 6-1 spurt.
4th quarter – 7:02 remaining
Cooperstown 47, Lyons 43
Hawkeyes get 3-pointers from Brody Murdock and Miles Nelen.
End of 3rd quarter
Lyons 43, Cooperstown 41
3rd quarter – 2:05 remaining
Lyons 39, Cooperstown 38
Lions from Section V retake the lead after baskets on consecutive possessions. A 3-pointer by Jah Jah Smith beats the shot clock. Kaywon Butler made a floater of a shot.
3rd quarter – about 4:00 remaining
Cooperstown 36, Lyons 34
A goaltending call by the officials comes at the end of an 8-0 run.
3rd quarter – about 5:40 remaining
Lyons 34, Cooperstown 28
Lions go on a 7-0 run, capped by a basket by Jamire Johnson at the end of a spin move.
Half
Cooperstown 28, Lyons 27
Miles Nelen, Cooperstown’s leading scorer, hits a 3-pointer to put the Hawkeyes ahead again. A 6-0 spurt by Cooperstown evened the score, 25-25.
Jamire Johnson gathered a rebound of a teammate’s missed shot and scored with 32 seconds remaining in the half, but Nelen delivered an answer.
2nd quarter – 2:53 remaining
Lyons 25, Cooperstown 19
Lyons guard Kaywon Butler hits a 3-pointer to put the Lions up by six points. Butler’s shot followed a basket by teammate Stavell LeBrecht, who drove along the baseline in the team’s previous possession.
2nd quarter – 5:12 remaining
Lyons 20, Cooperstown 16
Lyons Lions are on an 8-0 run heading into a timeout for Cooperstown. Contrell Parker Jr., Jah Jah Smith and Jamire Johnson fueled the run.
End of 1st quarter
Cooperstown 16, Lyons 12
Cooperstown Hawkeyes close the opening quarter on a 6-0 run. Miles Nelen banked in a shot off a window, Cooper Coleman had a putback and Nelen scored again on an inbounds play.
1st quarter – 6:23 remaining
Lyons 6, Cooperstown 5
Lions from Section V takes their first lead on a basket by Jah Jah Smith. Cooperstown scored the first five points of the game.
Lyons Lions boys basketball
Cooperstown Hawkeyes boys basketball
Cooperstown Hawkeyes boys basketball photos
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Heartbreak for Lyons as Cooperstown wins on final shot
Reporting by James Johnson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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