Dunkirk impresses; Silver Creek wows

On Monday night, Silver Creek opened its season with a 90-70 nonleague victory over Dunkirk.  Steve Marcey led the Black Knights with a game-high 31 points, that included seven 3-pointers.  Zed Williams added 28 points for Silver Creek and was a dominant on both ends of the court, in every phase of the game.  Williams spent the evening creating turnovers by deflecting passes and collecting steals, dished several assists in transition, and tipped countless rebounds to himself, before launching a quick outlet pass to spur the Black Knights' fast break.

 

The game was tied at 14 apiece with under three minutes left in the first quarter, when Silver Creek rattled off an 18-0 run in just over two minutes, led by junior Kaine Kettle's 10 points that included a pair of treys.  They led 32-16 after one quarter and Dunkirk never got any closer than 14 points the rest of the way.  Between the tenacious full-court press, deadly long-range shooting, and defensive rebounds quickly finding their way into the hands a player leaking out on the break, the Black Knights could have easily lit the scoreboard up for 120 points.  They play an entertaining brand of basketball that comes from talented players working together and starts on the defensive end.  The other teams in CCAA II and Class C2 face a tall order in subplanting them as champs.

 

Silver Creek, which won the Class C2 championship last March, before falling to eventual state runner-up Middle College by a point in the overall Class C section final, returns three starters from a year ago: Kettle, along with Marcey and Williams, both seniors.  Joining the starting lineup this season are a pair of sophomores, Brennan White and 6-7 Bill Brooks.  Brooks was a major presence in the lane all evening blocking and altering shots, while White displayed a high level of comfort for a sophomore as he moved the ball well in transition and even delivered a behind-the-back pass to set up a 3-pointer from Kettle.

 

 In the loss, junior Manny Maisonet scored 14 points for Dunkirk, while Marquel Ruiz added 13 points.  Despite the 20-point loss, the Marauders flashed a ton of potential and should be highly competitive with every team in their league not named Olean.  They are a team that can put up a lot of points quickly and play in front of a great home crowd.

 

During the previous two seasons, Dunkirk basketball won 34 of its 36 regular season games, and only one of those wins was by single-digits.  While the Marauders were undoubtedly very talented, the lack of competition they faced may have contributed to their undoing in the postseason.  In 2011, unbeaten Dunkirk lost its first real test in the Class B1 semifinals to Lackawanna and last season, fell in the quarterfinals to Depew.

 

This year, with a less talented team, Dunkirk head coach Jerome Moss has amped up the nonleague schedule to include a pair of games with defending Class C2 champion Silver Creek, a trip to Class AA semifinalist Frontier, and a grueling roadie to endure 32-minutes of hell at defending Class A1 champ McKinley.  

 

I have now seen Dunkirk five times since February 2011, and its clear that Moss has this program in the right direction.  The Marauders play a fast, intense style of basketball, and create scoring opportunities through pressure defense and quick ball movement.  Now that they've added some top competition to the mix, Dunkirk basketball in the WNY hoops scene should continue to ascend.  

 

-centercourt

Comments

[McShea is God]

Good report on the game but shocked u broke like a 10 year tradition of going 2 opening nite of Al Pastor w Me and Keith! Not only that u missed 1 of the best games of the year when all is said and done Joe's winning in 2 OT's over Ken West. TML I guess is 2 depressed 2 post! Great back and forth game, K West will b #6 in my 1st poll behind the big 4 (if u include McKinley)