LIVINGSTON MANOR — After opening the season with three consecutive league wins, the Livingston Manor Wildcats 6-7 (3-1) finally met their match as they took on last year’s NYSPHSAA Class D State Champion runners-up, the Chapel Field Lions 6-5 (2-0).

A few late runs by the Wildcats kept the game close, but the Lions were able to hang on for a 49-45 victory.

Livingston Manor started the game off the right way, jumping out to an early 6-3 lead and fighting to the basket to draw fouls. Ben Johnston was pivotal to the Wildcats’ success, scoring seven of the team’s 10 first quarter points on his way to a game-high 23.

Chapel Field was able to hang in with Livingston Manor, however, ending the first quarter all tied at 10 apiece, with five separate Lions scoring in the frame.

Johnston stayed hot in the second quarter, knocking down three from beyond the arc to add nine of the Wildcats’ 10 points in the second. With time winding down in the first half, Livingston Manor trailed 21-20, but a late 3-pointer by Jonah McDuffie managed to give the Lions a 24-20 lead at the break.

Chapel Field started the third quarter picking up where they left off just before halftime. Through the first six-and-a-half-minutes, the Lions outpaced the Wildcats 8-1 and increased their lead to 11 before the Wildcats called a timeout to regroup.

When play restarted, Livingston Manor quickly turned the tables with a string of defensive stops and transition buckets to end the quarter on a 9-0 run and cut the Lions’ lead back down to just two points as the teams headed into the final quarter.

Leading 32-30, the Lions opened the quarter on an 11-2 run and increased their lead back up to 11 points, taking a 43-32 lead before another Wildcats timeout.

Immediately after, the Wildcats netted a 3-pointer to get back within single digits and continued to hang around with some late buckets to get as close as a four-point deficit in the quarter.

The Lions, however, were able to withstand the storm and put up enough points to hang on for the 49-45 victory.

“This one hurt,” Livingston Manor Coach Charlie Hicks said. “We played well despite their defense surprising us early on. Once we adjusted to it, we started to settle in and that run late in the third quarter got us pumped up, but they started hot in the fourth quarter, and we couldn’t catch up.”

The Wildcats were back in action for their Senior Recognition night on Wednesday against O’Neill.