LIVINGSTON MANOR -- Both Livingston Manor and Fallsburg learned Tuesday night that it isn't how you start a game, it's how you finish. The two teams got off to a slow start, scoring a combined 12 points in the first quarter. Between turnovers, defensive stops, and missed shots, neither team could get much started in the first half.

At the break, Manor was clinging to a 14-13 lead. Both teams came out firing in the second half, with Livingston Manor opening the third quarter with a 6-0 run, and Fallsburg following up with a 6-0 run of their own. In the final minutes of the third quarter, Livingston Manor was able to outscore Fallsburg 7-1, heading into the final eight minutes of play with a 27-20 lead.

Livingston Manor started the fourth on a 9-0 run, extending their lead to 16 with a few minutes left. Fallsburg fought until the final buzzer, capitalizing on lazy turnovers by the Wildcats to trim the lead down to 11. When the game ended, Livingston Manor was victorious, winning 44-33 over Fallsburg and starting their season 1-0.

Case LeRoy had a double-double for the Wildcats, scoring a team-leading 14 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Peter Pagan added 12 points for the Wildcats and Austin Fulton netted 11.

For Fallsburg, Derrek Williams led with 16 points.

“We showed resilience tonight after starting cold,” Livingston Manor coach Adam Larson said after the win. “Our down low guys put in good work on the boards.”