Once again, Buff State week finale will be Falls vs. Jamestown

 

For the eighth time since 2001, Niagara Falls and Jamestown will face off at Buffalo State with continuing its season on the line.  Six times, the two have met in the Section VI Class AA championship game and once in the semifinal round.  NFHS has won six of the seven meetings,  with the Red Raiders picking up their first win of the series in the title game last year.  

The Wolverines have won eight sectional titles since 2001, while Jamestown has won the last two.  During that time, Falls has one State and Federation title (2005), while reaching the Class AA state title game four times.  Jamestown reached the AA state final last season.

 

Niagara Falls 47, Williamsville North 44

The Wolverines built as much as a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, and then scored just six points over the final six minutes, but hung on to get the win.  NFHS looked like they might have a field day in the game's first two minutes, as Jermaine Crumpton made a bucket in the post look easy against the Spartan zone and then snuck behind it to throw it down two-handed, off an alley-oop lob from Taijay Williams.  However, the North zone would quickly slow the Wolverines down.  After briefly taking the lead early in the second quarter, the Spartans traded runs with Falls and trailed by two points at halftime, following a Williams '3' just before the half expired.

Sophomore sensation Sterling Taplin hit a 3-pointer to open the third quarter and give Williamsville North the lead back.  Falls junior, Ramir Burton, came back just 12 seconds later and hit a trey of his own to ignite a 13-0 Wolverine scoring spree that gave them the lead for good.

With 6:33 remaining in the fourth, JJ Wilkes stole an inbounds pass and scored to put NFHS in front 41-27.  Taplin and Wilkes then traded baskets, before Taplin hit his first of three fourth quarter 3-pointers with 6:00 remaining, and it put him over 1,000 points in his young career.  The Spartans battled to the bitter end and got as close as 46-44 with 14 seconds on the clock, before bowing out.

Wilkes led Falls with 15 points, while Crumpton added 11 points.  Taplin was 11 of 28 from the field and finished with a game-high 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter.  Taplin will enter his junior campaign with 1,010 career points.

 

Jamestown 47, Frontier 43

After falling behind 9-6 after one quarter, the Red Raiders took command of the game with a 22-5 second quarter to lead 28-14 at halftime.  Jamestown got 12 of its 22 second quarter points from Zack Panebianco and Branden Kellam, who are both freshmen.

The third quarter began with four straight 3-pointer, two from each team.  Frontier got a basket from Brandon Jewett at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 37-26 heading into the fourth.  Falcon senior Matt Taylor scored 10 of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter and led a 15-5 run to finish the game.  Frontier held Jamestown without a field goal over the final five minutes, but was unable to score again after pulling within four points with 43 seconds on the clock.

 

-centercourt

 

Comments

[Lucky13]

Correct score is actually NF 47 - WN 44 CC. You'll remember that Taplin's heave at the end would have tied the game. Buff News has it wrong in their box score and quarter totals but if you add the individuals' scores, it adds up to 47 and in the live blog, final is 47-44.

[centercourt]

Thanks Lucky13. I guess I should refer to my own notes for the final score. Maybe Keith was giving Falls the point that North lost in the Jamestown game.

[Lucky13]

Yea, I had that thought, too. I don't think that was Keith's doing, though.

That reminds me, speaking of extra points being given or taken away, if you feel like it, go to Canisius' first broadcast (St Joes game) Start of 2nd half ...Canisius' first points... 3 pointer by A. White, his right foot is on the line... should have been two... of course it didn't matter in that game.