The View From Centercourt

Class A1 & C1 title games are set

 

Class A1

McKinley 77, Williamsville South 46

Daequan Warren scored a game-high 24 points, Lovell Smith scored 23 points, and Marcus Morris added 14 points, as McKinley, the defending Class A1 champs,  advanced to the championship game for a second straight season and a seventh in eight seasons (the year they did not, they played in Class AA).  The Macks broke open a three-point game at the start of the second quarter and third quarters, when they rattled off runs of 16-3 and 17-6.

 

Hutch-Tech 67, Sweet Home 47

The Engineers put the game away before Sweet Home even realized it had started, jumping out to early leads of 17-2 and 28-9 on the top seed in Class A1.  Jovohn Owens led Tech with 20 points, Aymanuel Radford scored 16 points, Roman West finished with 14 points, and Tim Whitehead added 10 points.

 Hutch-Tech advances to its first sectional title game since 2003, where they'll face Yale Cup foe, McKinley for a third time.  The Macks took the first two meetings of the season by 34 and 38 points.

 

Class C1

Middle College 56, Randolph 55

The Class C state finalists from a season ago are a win away from a third Class C1 title in four seasons after  surviving a battle with the Cardinals of CCAA II. Keir Anderson led the Kats with 21 points, while TJ Scott scored 16 points.

 

Oracle Charter 71, Barker 57

The Phoenix extended their win streak to 19 games and got four players into double figures as they advanced past the round where their season ended a year ago.  Gerald Bibbs scored a game-high 20 points, Jamarr Cunningham scored 17 points, and Eric Waters & Julius Allen each registered 16 points on the night.  Oracle Charter will face Middle College in the night cap of three sectional title games on Friday, in a highly anticipated Class C1 final.

Jake Haight scored 17 points to lead Barker.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Five teams advance to sectional finals

 

Class A2

Amherst 68, South Park 52

The Tigers jumped out to an early 11-2 lead, but soon found themselves in a battle.  The Sparks came roaring back in the second quarter and took a three-point lead, before Alex Turecki canned the last four points of the half to give Amherst a 23-22 lead at the break. 

Amherst blew the doors off the Buffalo State Sports Arena in the third, outscoring South Park 26-10, and never looking back, as they reserved a place in the Class A2 final for a second straight season.  Turecki and Steven Reynolds each scored a team-high 17 points for the Tigers, while Johnny Belton finished with 15 points.

Tyrell Mitchell finished his high school career with a game-high 23 points to lead South Park.

 

Iroquois 58, Lew-Port 48

Nate Wilkinson scored a game-high 24 points, while point guard Phil Bowen had an excellent all-around game and netted 18 points for the Chiefs, who advanced to the Class A2 final against Amherst on Saturday.  Iroquois trailed after one quarter, but took an eight-point lead to intermission after finishing the first half on an 8-0 run.  Though the Chiefs never trailed in the second half, the Lancers did tie things up in the third and were as close as four points in the last quarter, before the Chiefs pulled away.

Nick Mansour scored a team-high 22 points for Lew-Port in the loss.

 

Class B2

East  50, Cleveland Hill 45

After falling behind, 11-0, to begin the game, the Panthers made adjustments and got right back into the game, before pulling ahead in the third quarter after holding the Eagles to just six points.  East took a seven-point lead into the final stanza and never allowed the Eagles to get closer than four points the rest of the way.  Panther big man Tyree Tyson was the biggest factor in the game, leading his team with 20 points, grabbing numerous rebounds, and drastically altering what the Eagles could do near the basket.  Johnathan Lewis scored 11 points for East, while Percy Bryant added 10 points.

Sophomore Jermaine Hairston had 13 points while senior Richard Sotero had 11 points for Cleveland Hill, who fell in the Class B2 semifinals for a third straight season after running the table in ECIC IV.

 

Class C2

Silver Creek 75, MST Seneca 49

Sophomore Bill Brooks scored 24 points, ripped 18 boards, and swatted seven shots, as Silver Creek raced past MST Seneca.  The Black Knights remain the lone undefeated team from WNY and earned a second straight trip to the Class C2 title game, along with a third contest against CCAA II counterpart, Portville. Last season, Silver Creek needed a '3' to force overtime, and eventually ended Portville's season in a second OT of the Class C2 semifinals.  Although Maple Grove was regarded as the toughest path to a sectional title, Silver Creek head coach Rob Genco has stated all season that it was Portville who most concerned him, and they were a team he had hoped to avoid for a third time.

WNY's top stat stuffer, Zed Williams, finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds,  & 11 assists.  Stephen Marcey scored 16 points and dropped four 3-pointers, while sophomore Brennan White added 11 points in the win.

 

Portville 67, Maple Grove 39

Zach Blask scored 20 points to reach 1,000 for his career, as the Panthers dismantled Maple Grove and snapped its 17-game win streak into pieces.  At times, Blask single-handedly broke the Red Dragons pressure, and did whatever was neccessary to facilitate the Portville offense.  Maple Grove's 39 points were just two more than its season low of 37, which Olean held them to in December.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Brackets Central - 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are links to each bracket, along with some other postseason-related content from 2013:

 

Manhattan Cup 

Class AA

Class A1 

Class A2

Class B1

Class B2

Class C1

Class C2

Class D

 

McKinley brings a NYSPHAA Class A State Championship home to Buffalo

Macks to play for a Class A state title 

Silver Creek, Olean, & McKinley are on to regionals

Jamestown win highlights Championship Saturday

Crusaders to play for CHSAA State Championship

Three teams crowned at JCC

Jamestown & Falls advance to Class AA final

Class A1 & C1 title games are set

Five teams advance to sectional finals

Fredonia, Olean, & Lackawanna advance

Clarence punches its ticket for return to Buff State

Lancer win highlights MMA quarterfinals

Sectional Preview 

Who should make All-Centercourt?

2013 All-League Teams

 

-centercourt

Fredonia kicks Buff State week off in style; Huskies & Steelers advance

 

Fredonia 66, CSAT 62

The fourth-seeded Hillbilles may have had to play second fiddle behind Olean in CCAA I this season, but as we've found out between the Class B2 quarter and semifinals, they'd have been the cream of the crop playing in the N-O.

 

Fredonia got 24 points from Dylan Meyer and 22 points from John Piper, as they put together a fourth quarter rally to defeat the undefeated champs from the N-O and the top seed in Class B2, CSAT, 66-62.   The Hillbilles await the winner of tonight's contest between East and Cleveland Hill, for a championship encounter on Saturday at noon.

 

CSAT jumped out to an 8-2 lead almost immediately before Fredonia settled in and began punching back.  Piper scored seven straight points for Fredonia during a 10-0 run that set an early tone for the game. At the end of the first quarter, Fredonia led, 16-14.  The teams traded leads heading towards halftime,with Cam Voss scoring six points in the later portion of the second quarter for the Hillbillies, who held on to a one-point lead at the break, 32-31.

 

After baskets by Jon Fletcher and Meyer to begin the second half, Fredonia had its largest lead of the game, 36-31.  The Eagles got active in their 3-2 zone and mounted a run to finish the third quarter. CSAT outscored the Hillbilles, 16-5 , during the remainder of the stanza, and regained a 47-41 advantage heading to the final quarter.

 

One minute into the fourth, CSAT had pushed its lead to 10 points, 53-43, and looked well on its way to a second straight B2 title game after winning it all the season prior. But the Hillbillies had other ideas and were not ready to give up on their season just yet.  Just five seconds after the basket that put Fredonia down 10 points, Piper responded with a 3-pointer that ignited a late-game surge. The Hillbillies finished the contest on a 23-9 run, with all their points except for the game's final two free throws, coming from Meyer (11 points) and Piper (10 points) over the last seven minutes.

 

Darnell Carson finished a brilliant career at CSAT with a game-high 32 points, and both a sectional ('12) & league ('13) title on his resume.

 

Olean 72, Maryvale 51

Wil Bathurst scored 26 points and hauled in 15 rebounds, Sam Eckstrom finished with 23 points and collected 11 boards, Nick Schmidt netted 15 points, and Max Portlow scored six points, as the top ranked team in the state's Class B advanced to the B1 title game for a second straight season. Pat Scholla scored the first two points of the game to give the Huskies a lead they'd own for the duration. Olean led by 13 at halftime and never let Maryvale get any closer than within eight points the rest of the way.

 

The Flyers were led by 13 points from Ed Smith, while Max Aiken scored 12 points in the loss.

 

Lackawanna 68, East Aurora 55

The Steelers jumped out to a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, 20-9, and continued to maintain at least a 1o-point advantage of each quarter for the remainder of the game, as they advance back to the Class B1 title game against Olean on Saturday at 1:45 pm.  Lackawanna won Class B1 two seasons ago, while Olean claimed the class last season.

 

The Steelers got a balanced scoring attack in the win with four players scoring in double figures. Shaquille Brooks led the way with 17 points, Ahmad Abdo  scored 14 points, while Cam Smith and Damone Sylvers each scored 13 points.

 

Brendan Cox scored a game-high 26 points to lead East Aurora, who also got 15 points from Ian Allen, and 12 points from Kevin Tierney.

 

In the Class D semifinals at JCC, Brocton routed Ellicottville, 67-29, while Sherman got little resistance from Clymer, downing the Pirates, 50-30.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 10

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - Crusaders seem to have turned it up another notch, not unlike a certain Nichols team did around this time back in 2010. Hmmm.

2. Niagara Falls (AA) - The injury to jumior guard Vinzell Watkins is a major setback for the Wolverines, but the same cast minus Taijay Williams was good enough to win Class AA last season.

3. Jamestown (AA) - The Red Raiders are eyeing a third sectional title in four years, a prospect that seems even more attainable with the news of the Watkins injury. An equally large hurdle to winning AA will be Clarence, who Jamestown must beat for a third time to reach the title game.

4. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - Hello. The Tiger dropped to tenth on my ballot for a couple of weeks, but belong ahead of the Marauders now, after beating them when it counts the most and snapping the seven-game skid. Snap another seven-game skid this Wednesday night, and you'll be all the buzz in WNY basketball.

5. St. Joe's (MMA) - Will keep them here for now until we see how the Macks postseason plays out, since they did win in their gym at the buzzer back in December.

6. McKinley (A1) - After two straight seasons without a loss in the Yale Cup, it's time for the Macks make some postseason history as well.  Last regional appearance was in 2009 and the last regional win was in 2007.

7. Clarence (AA) - Funk & Schmit these guys are good. The Red Devils as dangerous a lower seed in these sectionals as you'll find, and eager to end a 12-game losing streak against Jamestown dating back to 2007.

8. Amherst (A2) - No pressure, but the Tigers are considered massive favorites in Class A2. They face high-scoring Tyrell Mitchell and the Sparks of South Park on Tuesday - a team McKinley disposed of by 63 points a month ago.

9. Kenmore West (AA) - Hello, part two. The Blue Devils get bounced from the  poll after a late season swoon that included league losses to North Tonawanda and Lockport, and then return as the sixth seed in the Class AA quarterfinals and end the season of Williamsville North.

10. Williamsville North (AA) - Ironic that the Spartans won at Ken West as the sixth seed last year and lose to them this season at home as the third seed. A good year with a disappointing finish should have North hungrier than ever for Sterling Taplin's swan song next year.

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - They've been waiting for this part of the season since dropping the state semifinal last year.  State championship or bust begins tonight against Maryvale.

2. Silver Creek (C2) - Threw 93 points on the board against Olmsted, with 38 of those coming from Zed Williams. Next up, another Yale Cup opponent in MST Seneca.

3. Oracle Charter (C1) - One of the questions that gets posed to me all the time is "Who's better, Oracle or Middle College"?

4. Middle College (C1) - The answer is I'm dying to know myself, and Friday can't get here soon enough. (Sorry Randolph & Barker).

5. St. Mary's (MMA) - I don't think the performance from last night is indicative of where the Lancers are at. It was a credit to Canisius and a game that St. Mary's was never in.  Time to refocus on extending the season through March 23rd.

6. Nichols (MMA) - The Vikings definitely came to play in the quarterfinals. The problem for them, so did the Lancers. Great game, but someone had to lose.

7. Cleveland Hill (B2) - Still ranked ahead of East, who they face tomorrow night, because they deserve to be after sweeping Lackawanna this year. But beating the Panthers at Buffalo State is a whole different story.

8. Maple Grove (C2) - If the Red Dragons are able to get past Zach Blask and Portville, they may get a rematch of last season's thrilling C2 final with Silver Creek.

9. East (B2) - No team in Class B2 was happy to see East move down this year.  With an imposing big man, a talented backcourt, and a surrounding cast that has come into their own, they'll be as dangerous as any lower seeded team.

10. Lackwanna (B1) - It really speaks to the strength of the small schools in WNY this season when I'm voting a team as good as the Steelers to only the tenth spot. This year's group may be the best they've had since 2007, when Marcus Rivers was a senior.

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Clarence punches its ticket for return to Buffalo State

 

Lockport traveled to Clarence on Friday night with high hopes of pulling off the upset over the eighth-ranked large school and making its first appearance in the semifinal round of sectionals since 2006.  While the Lions demonstrated their dangerous potential and showed why many picked them as a sleeper in Class AA, it was the Red Devils who finished off each half of the game like they were on a mission.  On the Lions ride back to Niagara County, they were likely saying Funk & Schmit...Funk & Schmit.  And no, they wouldn't have been swearing with a lisp -  they'd have been referring to the two Clarence players that were key in advancing their team to Buffalo State.

 

Ryan Funk and Tanner Schmit combined for 52 of Clarence's 65 points, as the Class AA fourth-seeded Red Devils defeated fifth-seeded Lockport, 65-54, advancing to the semifinal round of the sectionals.  Clarence, which improved to 16-4 on the season, will face top seeded Jamestown at 6 pm on Thursday night at Buffalo State College.  The Red Devils last appearance in the semifinals was in 2010, when Ryan's brother, Tyler Funk (Canisius walk on), drillied his first career 3-pointer from the corner to force OT and eventually advance Clarence to the AA title game, where it ultimately fell to Jamestown.

 

Funk & Schmit accounted for all 31 of Clarence's first half points, with Schmit netting 17 of them.  The first eleven minutes of the game were tightly contested with 12 lead changes and three ties.   Clarence led by a point, 15-14, after one quarter, and trailed by two with five minutes remainng in the first half, before making the game's first run.  A 12-3 finish to the half gave the Red Devils a 31-24 lead at the break.

 

Bryan Jost and Elliott Case each scored early in the second half, and combined with a pair of 3-pointers from Funk, pushed Clarence to its largest lead of the game, 41-29, halfway through the third quarter.  It was a that point in the game when Lockport showed its character and mounted a serious postseason rally.  The Lions outscored Clarence, 10-0, over the remainder of the third quarter on a pair of baskets each from Daniel Bronson and Ryan Lawrence, and trailed by just two, 41-39, entering the final stanza.

 

A 3-pointer from Bronson brought Lockport all the way back to begin the fourth, and was just the beginning of one of the greatest stretches of high school hoops I've been priviledged enough to witness this season.  I felt it would be best explained by listing every detail, so here it is with the time remaining in the game after each score:

6:13 - Funk responded with a trey to make it 44-42 

5:36 - Charlie Sobierski hits a '3' for Lockport, 45-44

5:16 - Javon Jenkins tips in a rebound for the Lions to increase their lead, 47-44

5:01 - Funk ties things back up for Clarence with a contested long-range bust, 47-47

4:16 - Bronson scores for Lockport putting the Lions back in front, 49-47, and the tension builds

3:40 - Jost strokes it from downtown on the wing, prompting PA announcer, DJ Dominic to say "And just like that, Clarence has the lead again" -- 50-49

3:17 - Bronson connects from beyond the arc for Lockport again, 52-50

3:07 - A 3-pointer from who else?  Funk!  Clarence takes the lead for good, 53-52

 

After Funk's last 3-pointer, all I could do was grin from ear-to-ear and shake my head.  It was a truly amazing exchange I had just witnessed and the place was errupting in fandom.  To me this is what high school basketball was all about - big moments and an incredible atmosphere that create pure enjoyment and lasting memories.

 

Following Funks go-ahead '3', Jost got a steal and found Bobby Florio inside for a basket and a three-point lead. Schmit tallied the game's final field goal a minute later, before the Red Devils secured the win by going eight of eight at the line, four each from Jost and Funk.  Clarence outscored Lockport, 15-2 over the final 3:07 after trailing before that.

 

Funk scored 13 of his game-high 33 in the fourth quarter, and connected on seven 3-pointers in the game. Schmit ended the evening with 19 points, along with several blocks and rebounds.  Jost added nine points for Clarence.  

 

Phil Crenshaw led Lockport with 14 points, all of which came in the first half.  Bronson scored all 12 of his points in the second half for the Lions.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Lancer win highlights MMA quarterfinals

 

St. Mary's 68, Nichols 60

Paul Rath led four Lancers in double figures with a team-high 16 points, and with his teammates, played a third straight inspired game to move past Nichols in the quarterfinal round of the Manhattan Cup playoffs. With the victory, St. Mary’s advances to the state Catholic Class B championship game as the representative from the Monsignor Martin Association, played at Fordham University on March 9th. But first they attempt  to advance to a second straight Manhattan Cup final when they face Canisius this Sunday at 6 pm.

 

Nichols was led by a game-high 17 points from sophomore Chris Miner, while senior Liam Ryan scored 16 points in his final game.  After dropping a lopsided contest to St. Mary's less than a week earlier, the Vikings definitely came to play in the postseason.  

 

After racing out to a 12-1 lead in the game, it looked like things had picked up right where they left off.  Then with 2:38 remaining in the opening stanza, Tom Nuttle dropped a '3' to get the Vikings offense started.  Trailing 21-13 after one quarter, Nichols came back to tie the game at 25 each in the second quarter with 3-pointers from Nuttle & Ryan, and a pair of inside buckets from Miner.  The final three minutes of the first half belonged to St. Mary's, as they outscored Nichols 10-1 to take a 35-26 lead at the break.

 

Midway through the third quarter and still facing a nine-point deficit, 3-pointers from Ryan sandwiched a 12-0 Nichols run that gave them the first scoreboard advantage of the evening, 44-41.  With Vikings fans going ballistic and the bench on their feet cheering in response to the team's first lead, Rath busted from long range to bring the remainder of fans into a frenzy, and send his Lancers into the final quarter where they had began the game...all knotted up.

 

Lucas Schaffer banged a '3' to start the fourth, making it 47-44, Lancers lead.  Cam Lewis hit a pair of free throws on separate trips to the line, followed by a Miner basket, giving Nichols the lead back at 48-47.

 

With under six minutes remaining in the game, Rath's conversion of a traditional three-point play ignited a 12-0 erruption from the Lancers.  Junior Dion Strong scored six of his 12 points the scoring spurt that built his team's lead 59-48, matching the largest advantage of the game.  Adam Noonan scored seven points for Nichols over the final three minutes in a furious attempt to rally his team, but the Vikings could never get any closer than three points the rest of the way.

 

Tyler English finished with 12 points on the evening for St. Mary's, while Cory Kiebzak scored 10 points.

 

Canisius 85, St. Francis 59

The Crusaders looked the part of the top seed from the opening tip as they were out in front over the Red Raiders, 16-2, just midway into the opening quarter.  A total of 13 players scored for Canisius in the win, with its starters seeing limited minutes once the discrepancy on the scoreboard grew.  St. Francis was led by junior Sam Utley’s 11 points, while Maurice Burse, Treyvon Holness, and Cory Cullen each scored 10 points.

 

St. Joe's 77, Archbishop Walsh 59

Mark Cerza led the Marauders with 17 points, while  Jaylen Morris and Louie Oliveri each added 16 points.  Jake Chapman had 21 points for Walsh in the loss.

 

Timon/St. Jude 74, Niagara Catholic 49

Donte Williams had a game-high 17 points to lead the Tigers, Damone Harris scored 13 points, Manny Welch netted 12 points, and Derick Simpson added 11 points. Also, senior Ryan Dougherty stepped onto the court for the first time all season and scored two points, after tearing his ACL during football in the fall. After leading by 12 at halftime, Timon put the game out of reach with a 23-4 third quarter to end Niagara Catholic's season.  Andrew Adamson led the Patriots ith 15 points, while Johnathan Jackson scored 14 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

CC Top 25 - Pre-Playoffs

Whether private or public, large or small, and regardless of the league you play in, here's my stab at ranking the Top 25 basketball teams from WNY in order, before they begin postseason play this week.  When the smoke clears and the champions have been crowned, there'll be a final top 25 to compare it to.

 

1. Olean (B1)

2. Canisius (MMA)

3. Niagara Falls (AA)

4. Jamestown (AA) 

5. St. Joe's (MMA) 

6. Williamsville North (AA) 

7. Silver Creek (C2)

8. Oracle Charter (C1)

9. McKinley (A1)

10. Clarence (AA)

11. Amherst (A2)

12. St. Mary's (MMA)

13. Middle College (C1)

14. East (B2)

15. Timon/St. Jude (MMA)

16. Nichols (MMA)

17. Maple Grove (C2)

18. Cleveland Hill (B2)

19. Williamsville South (A1)

20. Sweet Home (A1)

21. Kenmore West (AA)

22. Lackawanna (B1)

23. CSAT (B2)

24. Hutch-Tech (A1)

25. Iroquois (A2)

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Lancers look ready for playoffs

Last season, St. Mary's closed out its season by avenging a league loss from earlier in the season against Walsh.  The Lancers took their MMA counterparts apart at the seams in the rematch and looked like a completely different team than they had in the first meeting.  That momentum carried into the Manhattan Cup playoffs, where St. Mary's made a run all the way to the Manhattan Cup final for the first time in program history.  

 

Following a major roster turnover and the graduation of all five starters, the Lancers were not expected to be major contenders again this season.  They've even spent the entire season ranked behind fellow MMA small school Nichols, who they fell to in the first matchup between the two.  However in the rematch this past Friday, St. Mary's played its most inspired ball of the season, and routed the Vikings.  With one more game on tap prior to the postseason against another small school ranked in front of the Lancers all season, Cleveland Hill, we'd find out if St. Mary's had turned the corner or just found the perfect storm on Friday.  By halftime, the answer had already been revealed - St. Mary's is playing for keeps right now, so if you're not, you'd best get out of their way.

 

Cory Kiebzak scored a game-high 15 points to lead St. Mary's past Cleveland Hill, 65-53, in a postseason-prepping nonleague matchup on Monday night.  The Lancers next face Nichols in the quarterfinals of the Manhattan Cup playoffs this Thursday night at Canisius High School.

 

The game began as competitive as it appeared on paper, with the lead changing eight times in the opening quarter.  Cleveland Hill got six points each from Aaron Phillips, Richie Sotero, and Jordan Parker, and used a 12-2 run to build a 22-18 lead after one quarter.  

 

After seeing the ease by which the Eagles got to the basket, the Lancers switched to a zone defense in the second quarter, and completely swung the momentum in their favor.  Five different players scored for St. Mary's in the second stanza, while the Lancers held Cleveland Hill to just a single field goal.  The result was a 15-3 quarter that created a Lancer lead of 33-25 at halftime.

 

In the third, the Eagles got within five points with 2:54 remaining in the quarter after buckets from Rayshawn Smalls and Jared Watkins.  That's when Dion Strong came in for St. Mary's and made his presence felt immediately.  Strong drilled a pair of treys and dished an assist to Paul Rath on the fast break to push his team's lead back to 46-37 heading towards the final frame.

 

The lead only increased down the stretch, as the Lancers continued to push the pace and get back defensively.  St. Mary's was up by as many as 15 points in the final two minutes.  Latrell Tyson scored six of his eight points in the quarter.

 

In the past two games, the Lancers have done an outstanding job of keeping teams from making a run against them.  Against Nichols, they only allowed consecutive field goals to be scored three times in the game.  Last night, the Eagles only managed to do so four times, and two of those came during the 12-2 first quarter run.  

 

Rath finished with 14 points and an emphatic swat to prevent a fast break basket during his final home game as a senior.

 

Parker scored 15 points to lead Cleveland Hill, while Phillips and Sotero each added 10 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Sectional Preview - 2013

 

The Section VI postseason begins tonight with first round games, and the winners move on to participate in the pre-quarterfinal games played on Wednesday.  Friday night is when the action really kicks up, as 32 quarterfinal games will decide which teams move on to Buffalo State and JCC for the semifinals. 

 

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the championship games.  There's also my thoughts on the biggest favorite and the most competitive brackets, along with some winning streaks and predictions.

 

Top 6 Pre-Quarterfinal Games (Wed. 2/20)

6. Class A2 Starpoint vs. Riverside ** At McKinley

5. Class B1 Tonawanda vs. Burgard ** At MST Seneca

4. Class B2 City Honors vs. Emerson ** At Hutch-Tech

3. Class B1 Alden vs. Lafayette ** At McKinley

2. Class C1 Allegany-Limestone @ Salamanca

1. Class AA Lancaster @ North Tonawanda

 

Top 6 Quarterfinal Games (Fri. 2/22)

6. Class B2 Roy-Hart @ Cleveland Hill

5. Class B2 Akron @ Fredonia

4. Class AA Kenmore West @ Williamsville North

3. Class AA Lockport @ Clarence

2. Class B1 Newfane @ Maryvale

1. Class B1 Depew @ Lackawanna 

 

Most likely Quarterfinal upsets

Class A1

(5) Hutch-Tech @ (4) Hamburg - It seems like every season, the Engineers are a tough large school that finishes behind the elite large schools of the Yale Cup, ending up with a lower seed and a road game in the quarterfinals, before advancing to Buffalo State for the semifinals.  Why sould this year be any exception?

Class A2

(7) Cheektowaga @ (2) Iroquois - The Chiefs biggest obstacle to reaching the Class A2 final might occur before they even reach Buffalo State. Cheektowaga benefits from playing in ECIC III, where they've faced teams similar to Iroquois all season.  I like the Chiefs to pull it out and grace us with their presence on the big stage, but don't be surprised if the Warriors find their way back to Buffalo State, where they seem to wind up year after year.

(5) Lake Shore @ (4) South Park - It's a shame that the seedings fell in a way that these two must face each other now, rather than in the semifinals.  Instead, Lew-Port is a three seed and hosting a quarterfinal.  Both schools bounced back nicely from a series of down years to make some noise on the hoops scene.  Both schools also have a player that can fill it up - Tyrell Mitchell for the Sparks and Clark Brueckl for the Eagles.

(6) Pioneer @ (3) Lew-Port - The Panthers boast a large lineup that could present a problem for the Lancers.  Lew-Port is coming off an 11-point loss to Grand Island.

Class C1

(5) Tapestry Charter @ (4) Randolph -  Both teams have faced the best in Class C this season and are battle tested.  Tapestry has the ability to go into Randolph and steal the win, as evidenced by road wins this season against MST Seneca and Roy-Hart.

(6) Barker @ (3) Holland - A battle between teams led by talented underclassmen, sophomore Clay Lewis for the Dutchmen and junior Jake Haight for the Raiders.  Holland ended the year on a three-game skid with lopsided losses to Lackawanna, Cleveland Hill, and MST Seneca, so its confidence may not be where it needs to be for the postseason.  Conversely, Barker won three of its last five, and the two losses were a five-point decision to CSAT and a one-point heartbreaker to Roy-Hart.

 

Biggest Favorites to win a Sectional

3. Class A1 - McKinley

2. Class A2 - Amherst

1. Class B1 - Olean

 

Most likely to avance to Glens Falls

Class B - Olean

 

Best Brackets top-to-bottom

Class AA & Class B2

 

Most exciting potential semifinal matchups

4. Class A1 - Williamsville South vs. McKinley

3. Class AA - Clarence vs. Jamestown

2. Class AA - Williamsville North vs. Niagara Falls

1. Class B2 - East vs. Cleveland Hill

 

Most exciting potential championship matchups

Class D - Brocton vs. Sherman

Class C2 - Maple Grove vs. Silver Creek

Class C1 - Oracle Charter vs. Middle College

Class AA -  Niagara Falls vs. Jamestown

 

Winning Streaks heading into Sectionals

Class C2  Silver Creek - 18 games

Class C1 Oracle Charter - 17 games

Class C2 Maple Grove - 16 games

Class A2 Amherst - 16 games

Class B2 CSAT - 13 games

Class D Brocton - 11 games

Class B1 Olean - 10 games (Huskies have won 35 straight vs. public schools)

 

Predictions

Class AA - Niagara Falls

Class A1 - McKinley

Class A2 - Amherst

Class B1 - Olean

Class B2 - East

Class C1 - Oracle Charter

Class C2 - Silver Creek

Class D - Sherman

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 9

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - They've already made history by running the table in the MMA during the regular season. The next step for the Crusaders is punching their ticket for a fifth straight Manhattan Cup championship game appearance.

2. Niagara Falls (AA) - Wolverines are eager for their second season to start after their first season (the four nonleague games) didn't go all that great (1-3).

3. Jamestown (AA) - Will need a third victory this season over Frontier in the quarterfinals to ensure the annual trip up north to Buff State.

4. St. Joe's (MMA) - Hung tough with Canisius for most of the game, but still a step behind.  They're hoping for one last chance to crack the code.

5. Williamsville North (AA) - What difference does a year make? It changed the location of North's quarterfinal with Kenmore West.  Now the Spartans host the Blue Devils, in hopes of setting up a date with Falls.

6. McKinley (A1) - The Macks are eager to finish what they started last year, beginning with a visit from Grand Island on Friday. It's a great matchup on paper...during football season.

7. Clarence (AA) - Those who have been following Lockport are talking upset, as the Lions appear in line for a visit to Clarence on Friday.  I've followed Clarence some this season, and I'm not talking upset. The Red Devils are for real.

8. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers have waited an entire year to get back to this spot. Now they await the winner of Starpoint/Riverside to begin their quest for a Section VI title.

9. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - Despite a rough finish to the season with a blowout loss at Canisius, Timon is two wins away from the Manhattan Cup championship game.  To get there, they'll have to get the monkey off their backs and beat St. Joe's.  When they finally do that, look out.

10. Williamsville South (A1) - Peeking at just the right time. Sectionals begin with a cross-town rivalry game against ECIC II foe, Williamsville East, who ended the Billies season last year.

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - The only thing that exceeds the expectations on the Huskies is the talent in their rotation.

2. Silver Creek (C2) - The Black Knights will likely be looking on during the I-Prep/Olmsted game to see which city team gets to come to Silver Creek and run with them.

3. Oracle Charter (C1) - The Phoenix will be glad to get back in action after finishing their regular season on February 9th. Their opponents will not be glad to face them.

4. Cleveland Hill (B2) - Only loss this season was a 2-point defeat to Nichols in the season opener.  They get a great sectional prep game tonight at St. Mary's.

5. St. Mary's (MMA) - Unbelievable energy from the Lancers in their victory against Nichols on Friday. They'll need it again tonight against a balanced Eagles team, and then again on Thursday night for a third round with the Vikings.

6. Nichols (MMA) - Came crashing back to earth at the hands of the Lancers on Friday.  It may be just what they needed, heading into a rematch with those Lancers this Thursday.

7. Middle College (C1) - Keir Anderson willed the Kats to victory at East last week.  Now Middle College will attempt to get back to the place they finished last year - Glens Falls.

8. Maple Grove (C2) - Head coach Curt Fischer just keeps piling up the career wins down in Bemus Point.  He's hoping for at least three more this year.

9. East (B2) - Dropped the Panthers down for falling at home to the Kats after falling apart late at McKinley two weeks ago, and moved the teams that own victories against them, ahead of them.

10. Lackawanna (B1) - A very good Steelers team with no bad losses all season. Their reward: being in the same bracket as Olean and drawing Depew in the quarterfinals. I offer them my most sarcastic congratulations.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Manhattan Cup Playoffs - 2013

Play-in Game - Tuesday, February 19th

(8) St. Francis 57, (9) Cardinal O'Hara 55 

 

Quarterfinals - Thursday, February 21st

 (1) Canisius 85, (8) St. Francis 59 

(4) St. Mary's 68, (5) Nichols 60

 

(2) St. Joe's 77,  (7) Archbishop Walsh 59

(3) Timon/St. Jude 74, (6) Niagara Catholic 49 

 

 

Semifinals - Sunday, February 24th

AT KOESSLER CENTER - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

 (1) Canisius 90, (4) St. Mary's 25

(3) Timon/St. Jude 60, (2)St. Joe's 58

 

Final - Wednesday, February 27th

AT KOESSLER CENTER - 7 pm

 (1) Canisius 53, (3) Timon/St. Jude 47

 

2013 Manhattan Cup Champions - Canisius Crusaders 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt

Class AA Bracket - 2013 Sectionals

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

 (9) West Seneca West 55, (8) Frontier 52

(5) Lockport 79, (12) Orchard Park 37

(7) North Tonawanda 66, (10) Lancaster 51

(6) Kenmore West 53, (11) Niagara Wheatfield 40

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Jamestown 70, (9) West Seneca West 38

(4) Clarence 65, (5) Lockport 54 

 

(2) Niagara Falls 61, (7) North Tonawanda 50

(6) Kenmore West 56, (3) Williamsville North 53

 

Semifinals - Thursday, February 28th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

 (1) Jamestown 73, (4) Clarence 61

(2) Niagara Falls 72, (6) Kenmore West 62

 

Final - Saturday, March 2nd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 8:15 pm

 (1) Jamestown 46, (2) Niagara Falls 39

 

2013 Section VI Class AA Champions - Jamestown Red Raiders 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Class A1 & A2 Brackets - 2013 Sectionals

CLASS A1

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

(9) Kenmore East 47, (8) West Seneca East 46

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Sweet Home 58, (9) Kenmore East 44

(5) Hutch-Tech 59, (4) Hamburg 38

 

(2) McKinley 96, (7) Grand Island 52

(3) Williamsville South 70, (6) Williamsville East 69 

 

Semifinals - Wednesday, February 27th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

(5) Hutch-Tech 67,  (1) Sweet Home  47

(2) McKinley 77, (3) Williamsville South 46

 

Final - Saturday, March 2nd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 6 pm

 (2) McKinley 63,  (5) Hutch-Tech 55

 

2013 Section VI Class A1 Champions - McKinley Macks

 

************************************************

 

CLASS A2

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

 (8) Riverside 62,  (9) Starpoint 46

 

 Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Amherst 53, (8) Riverside 39

(4) South Park 68, (5) Lake Shore 58

 

(2) Iroquois 73, (7) Cheektowaga 69

(3) Lew-Port 54, (6) Pioneer 51

 

Semifinals - Tuesday, February 26th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 7:15 pm & 8:45 pm

 (1) Amherst 68, (4) South Park 52

(2) Iroquois 58, (3) Lew-Port 48

 

Final - Saturday, March 2nd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 3:30 pm

 (1) Amherst 62, (2) Iroquois 41

 

2013 Section VI Class A2 Champions - Amherst Tigers

 

*******************************************

 

Overall Class A Championship

Tuesday, March 5th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 8:45 pm

(A1) McKinley 64, (A2) Amherst 61

 

Overall 2013 Section VI Class A Champion - McKinley Macks

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Class B1 & B2 Brackets - 2013 Sectionals

CLASS B1

 

First Round - Tuesday, February 19th

(13) Bennett 71, (12) Albion 53

(10) Dunkirk 65, (15) Springville 42  

(11) Alden 65, (14) Eden 44

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

(9) Tonawanda 40, (8) Burgard 25

(13) Bennett 45, (5) Newfane 39

(11) Alden 59, (6) Lafayette 51

(7) Depew 63, (10) Dunkirk 36

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Olean 64, (9) Tonawanda 31

(4) Maryvale 54, (13) Bennett 41 

 

(2) Lackawanna 76, (7) Depew 57

(3) East Aurora 58, (11) Alden 48

 

Semifinals - Monday, February 25th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 7:15 pm & 8:45 pm

 (1) Olean  72, (4) Maryvale 51

(2) Lackawanna 68, (3) East Aurora 55

 

Final - Saturday, March 2nd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 1:45 pm

 (1) Olean  82, (2) Lackawanna 68

 

2013 Section VI Class B1 Champions - Olean Huskies

 

 

***************************************

 

CLASS B2

 

First Round - Tuesday, February 19th

(13) Gowanda 56, (12) JFK 47

(11) Medina 70, (14) Wilson 40

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

(9) City Honors 63, (8) Emerson 62 OT

(5) Akron 61, (13) Gowanda 32

(6) Southwestern 74, (11) Medina 54

(7) Roy-Hart 58, (10) Buffalo Arts 38 

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1)  CSAT 56, (9) City Honors 44

(4) Fredonia 68, (5) Akron 37

 

(3) East 70, (6) Southwestern 43

(2) Cleveland Hill 75, (7) Roy-Hart 57

 

Semifinals - Monday & Tuesday, February 25th & 26th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 5:30 pm

(4) Fredonia 66,  (1) CSAT 62

(3) East 50, (2) Cleveland Hill 45

 

Final - Saturday, March 2nd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 12 pm

(3) East 65, (4) Fredonia 56

 

2013 Section VI Class B2 Champions - East Panthers

 

***********************************

 

Overall Class B Championship

Tuesday, March 5th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 7:15 pm

(B1) Olean 62, (B2) East 50

 

Overall 2013 Section VI Class B Champions - Olean Huskies

 -centercourt

@centercourt42

Class C1 & C2 Brackets - 2013 Sectionals

CLASS C1

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

(9) Allegany-Limestone 64, (8) Salamanca 62

(10) Cassadaga Valley 51, (7) Maritime Charter 37

(6) Barker 55, (11) Da Vinci 30

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Middle College 88, (9) Allegany-Limestone 43

(4) Randolph 68, (5) Tapestry Charter 61

 

(2) Oracle Charter 76, (10) Cassadaga Valley 55

(6) Barker 42, (3) Holland 38

 

Semifinals - Wednesday, February 27th

AT JCC - 6 & 7:45 pm

 (1) Middle College 56, (4) Randolph 55

(2) Oracle Charter 71 (6) Barker 57

 

Final - Friday, March 1st

AT JCC - 8:30 pm

 (1) Middle College 77, (2) Oracle Charter 65

 

2013 Section VI Class C1 Champions - Middle College

 

 

*************************************************

 

CLASS C2

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 20th

(8) Olmsted 56, (9) I-Prep 54 2OT

(5) Westfield 69, (12) Buffalo Science 48 

(10) Frewsburg 52, (7) Chautauqua Lake 37

(6) Health Sciences 74, (11) Franklinville 34

 

 Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Silver Creek 93, (8) Olmsted 70

(4) MST Seneca 67, (5) Westfield 49

 

(2) Maple Grove 69, (10) Frewsburg 51

(3) Portville 65, (6) Health Sciences 45

 

Semifinals - Tuesday, February 26th

AT JCC - 6 & 7:45 pm

 (1) Silver Creek 75, (4) MST Seneca 49

(3) Portville 67, (2) Maple Grove 39

 

Final - Friday, March 1st

At JCC - 7:15 pm

 (1) Silver Creek 49, (3) Portville 40

 

2013 Section VI Class C2 Champions - Silver Creek Black Knights

 

******************************************

 

Overall Class C Championship

Tuesday, March 5th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 5:30 pm

 (C2) Silver Creek 67, (C1)  Middle College 62

 

Overall Section VI Class C Champions - Silver Creek Black Knights

 

 -centercourt

@centercourt42

Class D Bracket - 2013 Sectionals

Pre-Quarterfinals  - Wednesday, February 20th

(8) Pine Valley 55, (9) Forestville 43 

(10) West Valley 63, Panama 62

(6) Global Concepts 73, (11) Ripley 61

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 22nd

(1) Brocton 48, (8) Pine Valley 31

(5) Ellicottville 42, (4) North Collins 40

 

(2) Sherman 67, (10) West Valley 28

(3) Clymer 70, (6) Global Concepts 52

 

Semifinals - Monday, February 25th

AT JCC - 6 & 7:45 pm

 (1) Brocton 67, (5) Ellicottville 29

(2) Sherman 50, (3) Clymer 30

 

Final - Friday, March 1st

At JCC - 5:30 pm

(2) Sherman 40, (1) Brocton 27

 

2013 Section VI Class D Champions - Sherman Wildcats

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Canisius sweeps St. Joe's to finish perfect in MMA

Three seasons ago in 2011, Canisius won the Manhattan Cup with a deep squad that received contributions from a talented trio of sophomores - Adam Weir, Aaron White, and Matt MacDonald.  Throughout that season, each of them showed flashes and had people wondering aloud about how good the Crudsaders could be in a couple of years.  Fast forward two seasons and we have our answer.  They're good enough to do what no team since 2006 has been able to do - finish the reular season in the Monsignor Martin Association without a loss.

 

Adam Weir scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, leading Canisius past St. Joe's, 72-60, at the Koessler Center on Saturday afternoon.  For the Crusaders, it was an largely significant victory on several levels. The Canisius accomplishments include:

 

- Winning eight of its last 10 games vs. St. Joe's

- First regular season sweep over rival St. Joe's since 2010

- A fourth straight Monsignor Martin Association league title

- The first undefeated regular season in the MMA since St. Joe's did it in 2006

- Securing the top seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs for a third straight season

 

 The Crusaders got off to an early 10-point advantage, 16-6, after a 13-2 run that spanned much of the first quarter. The early push included 3-pointers from Josh Huffman and Matt MacDonald, and a three-point play from Adam Weir.  St. Joe's responded with six straight points late in the quarter to dig out of an early hole and trail 19-15 after one quarter.

 

Canisius built its largest lead of the game in the second quarter,  when two 3-pointers from point guard Aaron White swished through the nets and served as bookends to a 17-4 Crusader scoring spurt that pushed the score to 36-19.  Once again, the Marauders were able to respond to the deficit they faced before the game completely got away.  Dylan Hall scored eight points during a 13-4 push by St. Joe's to finish the half and give his team some hope heading in to intermission, trailing 40-32.

 

The Marauders picked up where they left off coming out of the break, thanks to the Mark Cerza and Dan Maher show.  The inside duo accounted for 13 of the first 15 points St. Joe's tallied to start the half, and brought them all the way back.  With 3:43 remaining in the third quarter, the Marauders owned their first lead, 47-46, since the game was just two minutes old.  It would be the last advantage they'd enjoy on the afternoon.  

 

Another long-range bust from White put Canisius back up by two, before Jaylen Morris scored to knot the game at 49 apiece.  Ryan Richards scored and converted a three-point play for Canisius to put them up by three, until Louie Oliveri's bucket made it 52-51 heading toward the final stanza.  But White was there to once again squelch the spirits of the Marauders as he dashed from one end of the court to the other, scored, and converted a three-point play to end the quarter and put Canisius up 55-51.

 

Five straight points from Hall in the fourth quarter pulled the Marauders within a basket, 60-58, with 3:41 remaining in the contest.  That was when Weir took over a close game late to ensure his team's victory. The Canisius College bound senior took a pass on a backdoor cut to score and convert the "And 1", which sparked a 12-2 Crusader push to close out their rivals late in the game. Weir scored six of his team's final 12 points.

 

White totaled 19 points in one of his best games ever in a Canisius uniform, and MacDonald added 10 points in the victory.

 

Dylan Hall was kid clutch for the Marauders with 19 points, while Louie Oliveri scored 13 points, and Jaylen Morris netted 11 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

St. Mary's smacks Nichols

Nichols can apply all of the old cliches to last night's loss at St. Mary's:

 It was just their night, they wanted it more, they outworked us, they punched us in the mouth right from the start, etc. 

The cliche I'm going with to describe the Lancers domaination of Nichols last night is simply to label it as a good old fashioned butt whoopin!

 

St. Mary's played its best game of the season and gained some swagger for the postseason, beating Nichols 66-50, in front of a high energy home crowd on Friday.   It was the kind of win that they hope will provide the necessary momentum to carry them to another win if the two meet again in less than a week, when the real season begins...the Manhattan Cup playoffs.

 

The Lancers brought so much energy to start the game that the Lancer Nation student section, donned in all white, fed off of their energy rather than the other way around.  One second after Nichols claimed the opening tip, the Lancers stole the ball and were off and running in the other direction.  It was a clear sign of things to come.  Matt Wrobel scored the first six points of the game, as part of an 8-0 burst to begin the game and a 10-point first quarter for the junior.  After eight minutes, the Vikings were reeling as they faced an early 16-4 deficit.

 

For the rest of the game, St. Mary's played like the school yard bully, holding Nichols down and refusing to let them get back up.  The Lancers increased their lead to as many as 15 points in the second quarter, and allowed consecutive field goals to be scored by Nichols just once in the first half and only three times in the entire contest.  Cory Kiebzak responded to the Vikings only attempt at a run in the half by sticking a trey from the corner, while Dion Strong made a strong contribution in the quarter and added five points for St. Mary's, who led 31-17 at halftime.

 

Nichols tried to show some signs of life in the third quarter, and pressed the Lancers into a pair of quick buckets from Adam Noonan that pulled them within 10 points.  But St. Mary's senior Paul Rath would have no part of giving the Vikings any room, and quickly threw in seven points in just over a minute, including a 3-pointer hailed by the PA announcer with an "Oh my", to push the score back to 42-26.  Another long range bomb from Rath to end the third quarter had the Lancers up 54-34.  A free throw from Rath to start the final stanza gave St. Mary's a 21-point lead, its largest of the game.  The fourth quarter became a mere formality, but the effort from St. Mary's never wavered in the last eight minutes, epitomized by Rath hustling back to block a fast break attempt and Quinn Gill poking a ball loose any time a Vikings player eased up for even a second.

 

It's hard to tell if last night will serve as a wakeup call for the Vikings as they head into the postseason, or if the Lancers are really just capable of dominating them with their best game.  We will know soon enough, but one thing is for sure - the Vikings won't stand a chance if they allow themselves to get beat down the court consistently, like they did last night.

 

Rath scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Lancers, Matt Wrobel finished with 14 points, Tyler English added 13 points, and Dion Strong chipped in 10 points off the bench.

 

Nichols got 12 points from Cam Lewis and 11 points from Liam Ryan in the loss.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

CSAT comesback to finish 14-0 in N-O

Those who follow the Niagara-Orleans league know just how competitive the teams get with each other. Earning a share of the league title is a difficult endeavor.  Winning it outright is a major accomplishment.  But making it through a season in the N-O without a single loss...that just never happens.  In fact the last time it did was over ten years ago, and the team that did it, Starpoint, now plays in ECIC II.  

 

Last night, CSAT entered Roy-Hart's gymnasium with a perfect league record.  The Rams, who are having their best season since 2005, had lost just once on their court all season.  On paper, it seemed like the game to be at.  In person, the game was everything a basketball fan could hope for, and a perfect illustration of the way the teams in the N-O get after each other.

 

CSAT overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat Roy-Hart, 60-59, in a down-to-the-wire thriller in the N-O.  With the victory, the Eagles claim their first ever league title, do so perfectly, and lock up the top seed in Class B2 for the upcoming sectionals.

 

"Honestly I'm shocked right now" CSAT head coach Michael Mills humbly stated immediately following the victory.  "When this year started (they began 0-2 in nonleague games), I never would have dreamed we'd finish this way and have the year we've had.  But once we started rolling, something changed".

 

After spotting the Eagles the opening basket of the game, Roy-Hart scored eight straight points to take the early advantage.  Then in less than a minute, CSAT rattled off seven points to regain the lead at 9-8.  The Rams then took the momentum back and kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the remainder of the quarter.  Roy-Hart's Ryan Farewell scored eight of his 12 points in the quarter and spearheaded a 12-0 run that gave his team a 20-9 lead after eight minutes of play.  CSAT senior guard Darnell Carson did not start the game and sat the entire first quarter.

 

Carson, who was dealing with an infection in his leg, did enter the game in the second quarter and appeared to have no limitations in what he was trying to do.  Despite the Eagles turning to their leader, Roy-Hart was able to increase its lead to 15 points twice during the second quarter, including a 36-21 lead following a 3-pointer from the Rams Brad Bobbit with 55 ticks left in the half.  Alex Santos gave CSAT the final bucket of the half, part of his eight points during the quarter, to make it 36-23 at halftime.  Carson had just two points as the teams departed for the intermission.

 

Just 2:10 into the third quarter, CSAT had used an 11-0 run to make the score 36-34.  The Eagles switched to a zone defensively, which briefly baffled the Rams, and got some sharp shooting in their own end.  CSAT drilled three 3-pointers during the quick run, including two from Carson, who accounted for eight of the 11 points during the run.  Once it became a two-point game, Roy-Hart settled down and began finding the rim again.  With 2:50 remaining in the third, the Eagles pulled even for the first time, but were never able to steal the lead from the Rams.  After three quarters, Roy-Hart was on top, 46-42.

 

Blake Copella opened with a basket to start the fourth, giving Roy-Hart a 48-42 lead.  A pair of treys and a traditional three-point play accounted for a 9-0 run from the Eagles, giving them their first lead since early in the opening quarter, 51-48.  After Copella sank a deep two from the corner, Carson bombed in another '3' to extend CSAT's lead to four points, 54-50. Two minutes later and facing their largest deficit of the evening at 56-51, Roy-Hart clamped down defensively and made one last push.

 

The Rams limited CSAT to just a pair of free throws over a three minute span as the game moved under one minute remaining, while pulling within a bucket, thanks to a pair of field goals from Copella, making it 58-56 CSAT.  The Rams got the last stop they were looking for and had possesion with just 34 seconds left in the game and a chance to hold for the last shot to go for either the tie or the win.  However, as the Rams passed the ball around during that last possesion, Jorge Brown stepped in front of one for the Eagles and went the other way for a layup, making it 60-56 with 13 seconds left.  

 

Bobbit cashed in a '3' with five seconds remaining for the Rams, pulling his team within one, 60-59.  CSAT went to the line with 3.8 seconds to shoot a one-and-one, but missed the front end.  Roy-Hart rebounded and pushed the ball upcourt, but they were fouled before getting a shot off, and CSAT was still not in the bonus.  Roy-Hart needed to inbound from halfcourt with just 0.2 seconds on the clock and were unable to tip the ball in at the buzzer.

 

Carson led CSAT with 17 points, Santos scored 16 points, and Brown & Jaquille Peay each added 10 points for the victors.

 

Copella finished with a game-high 20 points for Roy-Hart.  Bobbit netted 13 points and Farewell chipped in 12 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

CC Top 25

Whether private or public, large or small, and regardless of the league you play in, here's my stab at ranking the Top 25 basketball teams from WNY in order:

 

1. Olean (B1)

2. Canisius (MMA)

3. Niagara Falls (AA)

4. Jamestown (AA) 

5. St. Joe's (MMA) 

6. Williamsville North (AA) 

7. Silver Creek (C2)

8. Oracle Charter (C1)

9. McKinley (A1)

10. Clarence (AA)

11. Amherst (A2)

12. Timon/St. Jude (MMA)

13. Nichols (MMA)

14. East (B2)

15. Cleveland Hill (B2)

16. Maple Grove (C2)

17. Middle College (C1)

18. Williamsville South (A1)

19. Sweet Home (A1)

20. Kenmore West (AA)

21. Lackawanna (B1)

22. St. Mary's (MMA)

23. Hutch-Tech (A1)

24. Iroquois (A2)

25. CSAT (B2)

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Amherst's ceiling keeps looking higher

When Amherst walked off the court at Buffalo State following a loss in the Class A2 finals last season, everyone who had purchased a program knew they'd be back there again this year - just three seniors on the roster.  The team was loaded with talented underclassmen that played hard and played together.  The problem was, the undefeated Yale Cup champs from McKinley were also bringing back a ton, and would serve as a major obstacle to Amherst advancing to the regionals in 2013.  Then in the offseason, the Tigers learned that 6-4 Jonah Heim, a key contributor, would not return to the team after committing to Michigan State to play baseball.  

 

After a loss on their home court to Clarence in the second game of the season, the Tigers opened league play at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase against Depew, who they narrowly escaped, 59-57.  At the same showcase, McKinley began its season with a resounding 17-point win over Timon/St. Jude.  At that point, it looked as if winning ECIC III would be more difficult than I first thought, and advancing beyond Section VI was highly unlikely. 

 

Now we're into February, and Amherst hasn't lost a game in over two months. The Tigers are on a 14-game winning streak and have won six of their last seven by double figures.  They are already the ECIC III champions for a second straight season, and now have a firm eye on finishing perfect in league.  But that other eye has to be wandering towards what the future might hold when the calendar flips another month and reads March.  Suddenly, the thought of an Amherst/McKinley crossover game for the overall Class A title is a wildly appealing one.  In a special season that has gone nearly as well as the Tigers could have hoped, the ceiling is getting so high that regionals or even beyond, might already be an expectation inside the Amherst locker room.  

 

Last night, Johnathan Belton scored a game-high 21 points in a tremendous all-around effort, to lead Amherst past Depew, 58-39.  The Tigers have league games remaining against Pioneer and Springville this week, before embarking on their postseason mission.

 

Amherst was all over Depew early and flew out to a 16-4 lead, that included six quick points from Alex Turecki.  The Tigers had all the energy right out of the opening tip, demonstrated beautifully by a steal Belton collected.  The senior team leader went to the ground to wrestle the ball away from a Wildcat, dribbled behind his back while still on his knees, and then sent the ball upcourt for an assist.  Freshman TC Brown capped an emphatic charge out of the gates by rattling in a 3-pointer as the first quarter buzzer rang, boosting Amherst to a 24-9 lead.

 

Depew responded to the early deficit by calmly digging out of a hole and back into the game at the beginning of the second stanza.  The Wildcats opened with nine straight points and kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for half of the quarter.  Belton would score Amherst's final six points of the half, including a putback off a miss to beat the halftime horn, making it 34-24 at the break.

 

A spectacular halftime show featuring the Amherst youth basketball program showing off their skills, helped ease the pain of what was an ugly third quarter.  Between the two teams, a grand total of two field goals fell through the hoop in the quarter, one for each team. Amherst had the advantage by one in the third quarter free throw department, and increased its lead to 11 points heading into the fourth, 43-32.  The Tigers put the game out of reach by scoring the first eight points of the final frame.

 

Turecki tallied 11 points on the evening for Amherst, while Dion Lewis added eight points.

 

Johan Lopez scored 10 points for Depew in the loss.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Selection Tuesday - Ranking every team in Section VI

The most commonly asked question right now is "where can I find the brackets?"   Unfortunately, the answer continues to be...they're not ready yet.

 

Most coaches have a very good idea of which team or teams they are likely to draw, depending on how the last week plays out, and in turn their players and immediate fans of that team also know where the team they follow stands.  But I'm sensing that WNY basketball fans want to see where every team stands, so I took this route instead...Ranking every team in Section VI, by class.

 

** Please note these are not seedings and do not reflect actual power points.  This is simply how I rank the teams heading into sectionals, or, where I'd seed them if I ruled the world (the WNY basketball world).  It's not a prediction of how I think the seedings will end up.

 

Class AA

1. Niagara Falls

2. Jamestown

3. Williamsville North

4. Clarence

5. Kenmore West

6. Frontier

7. Lockport

8. North Tonawanda

9. Lancaster

10. Niagara Wheatfield

11. West Seneca West

12. Orchard Park

 

Class A1

1. McKinley

2. Williamsville South

3. Sweet Home

4. Hutch-Tech

5. Hamburg

6. Williamsville East

7. Grand Island

8. West Seneca East

9. Kenmore East

 

Class A2

1. Amherst

2. Iroquois

3. South Park

4. Cheektowaga

5. Lake Shore

6. Pioneer

7. Starpoint

8. Lew-Port

9. Riverside

 

Class B1

1. Olean

2. Lackawanna

3. Depew

4. Maryvale

5. Newfane

6. East Aurora

7. Lafayette

8. Burgard

9. Tonawanda

10. Bennett

11. Alden

12. Dunkirk

13. Albion

14. Eden

15. Springville

 

Class B2

1. East

2. Cleveland Hill

3. CSAT

4. Fredonia

5. Roy-Hart

6. Akron

7. City Honors

8. Emerson

9. Southwestern

10. Medina

11. Buffalo Arts

12. JFK

13. Wilson

14. Gowanda

15. Falconer

 

Class C1

1. Oracle Charter

2. Middle College

3. Holland

4. Randolph

5. Salamanca

6. Barker

7. Tapestry Charter

8. Allegany-Limestone

9. Cassadaga Valley

10. Maritime Charter

11. Cattaraugus Little Valley

12. Da Vinci

 

Class C2

1. Silver Creek

2. Maple Grove

3. Portville 

4. MST Seneca

5. I-Prep

6. Olmsted

7. Westfield

8. Frewsburg

9. Chautauqua Lake

10. Health Sciences

11. Franklinville

12. Buffalo Science

 

Class D

1. Brocton

2. Sherman

3. Clymer

4. North Collins

5. Pine Valley

6. Forestville

7. Panama

8. Ellicottville

9. West Valley

10. Ripley

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 8

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders are looking for an unblemished mark in the MMA.  Three games to go, including a date with Timon on Thursday, and then a regular season finale against their rivals in the game of the week.

2. Niagara Falls (AA) - Got back in the win column by blasting Kenmore West. Host seemingly improved Lockport tonight.

3. Jamestown (AA) - After winning at West Seneca West this week, the Red Raiders can celebrate a three-peat at the top of ECIC I.

4. St. Joe's (MMA) - Got hold of a banged up Timon squad last week and showed no mercy in an explosive third quarter.  Nonleaguers with Frontier & Sweet Home preceed their biggest game of the season against Canisius on Saturday.  They could still earn the top seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs with a win on the court and a win on a coin toss (call tails).

5. Williamsville North (AA) - Close out league play against Orchard Park and then finish off the regular season by entering district rival Williamsville East's place on Thursday.

6. McKinley (A1) - Beat Riverside tonight and Hutch-Tech tomorrow, the Yale Cup is all yours.

7. Clarence (AA) - No upset losses for the Red Devils this year, who are the only blemish on both Amherst and Oracle Charter's records. Also the reason North has no hopes of winning ECIC I.  I wouldn't want to play them in sectionals.

8. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers lay a 13-game win streak on the line tomorrow night when they host a Depew team that's heating up at just the right time.

9. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - In desperate need of a win when they host Aquinas on Tuesday  night.

10. Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies finally get their turn at the revolving 10th spot in the large school poll (or at least this ballot).  A ridiculously hot start at Sweet Home on Friday night has them believing in their chances to win it all in Class A.

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - Saw Maple Grove for the first time on Saturday and was very impressed. These Huskies beat them 42 points!

2. Silver Creek (C2) - Riding a 17-game win streak with just three of those wins by single digits. The closest game was against Randolph, a seven-point win, who they rolled by 26 in the rematch.

3. Oracle Charter (C1) - Also riding a 17-game win streak, and only two of those wins were by single digits...the closest being a five-point win at McKinley.

4. Nichols (MMA) - Hung tough against the best in WNY (Canisius) and then routed Walsh the following night. Huge game at St. Mary's this Friday.

5. East (B2) - Slid them down a spot on this ballot after watching the McKinley game get away from them. The Panthers host their sweethearts from Middle College on Valentine's Day.

6. Cleveland Hill (B2) - The Eagles had their chance to beat Holland and celebrate an outright league title postponed.  They'll just have to do it this week instead.

7. Maple Grove (C2) - Seeing is believing. Lopsided box scores against CCAA III teams make it hard to gauge just how good a team is.  Watching them fly all over the court at Randolph was all the proof I needed...these guys can ball.

8. Middle College (C1) - It's hard to believe that last season's state runners-up in Class C are just the fourth ranked C team on my ballot, but that's how I see them right now.  A visit to East on Thursday is a great way to brush up for sectionals.

9. Lackawanna (B1) - Only losses on the season were against Cleveland Hill and Batavia.

10. St. Mary's (MMA) - How's this for ending the regular season with a bang? Home games against Nichols and Cleveland Hill will tell us if we've had the Lancers ranked too low, or just right.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

EBC Elite AAU tryouts

The Empire Basketball Club/EBC Elite AAU, will hosts its annual tryouts on Saturday, March 9th and Sunday, March 10th for the following:

Boys - Grades 6-11

Girls - Grades 9 & 10

 

Location

Daemen College

4380 Main Street

Amherst, NY 14226

 

Registration is currently open at www.empirebasketball.com and will close on March 1, 2013.   For more information, contact Tony Pulvirenti at [email protected]

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 2/17/13

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, February 11th

Lafayette @ City Honors - 6 pm

Lockport @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm

 

Tuesday, February 12th

Hutch-Tech @ McKinley - 6 pm

Akron @ CSAT - 6:30 pm

South Park @ Middle College - 7 pm

Aquinas @ Timon/St. Jude - 7 pm

Lake Shore @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

Iroquois @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm

Depew @ Amherst - 7:30 pm

St. Joe's @ Frontier - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, February 13th

Hutch-Tech @ East - 6 pm

 

Thursday, February 14th

Middle College @ East - 6 pm

Timon/St. Jude @ Canisius - 6:30 pm

CSAT @ Roy-Hart - 6:30 pm

Newfane @ Wilson - 6:30 pm

Holland @ MST Seneca - 6:30 pm

Sweet Home @ St. Joe's - 7 pm

Westfield @ Maple Grove - 7:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Williamsville East - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, February 15th

Nichols @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 16th

Canisius vs. St. Joe's - 2 pm  ** at the Koessler Center

 

Game of the Week - Canisius vs. St. Joe's on Saturday, February 16th

- Since I've been following high school basketball in WNY, I have yet to see a team finish unbeaten against MMA competition.  If the Crusaders can take care of business at home against Timon this week, they would have a chance to finish off an undefeated regular season with a victory versus their rivals.

In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Canisius was in control the entire second half and came away with a 77-65 win.  The Marauders' backcourt tandem of Jordan Glover and Jaylen Morris  might be more anxious than everyone else for the rematch. The pair were forced to the bench during the first half of round one after a collision left both of them dazed.

Canisius is currently the top ranked large school in WNY, while the Marauders are ranked fourth.  Neither team has lost to an opponent from WNY since the first rivalry battle in January.  On the season, the only WNY team Canisius has fallen to was Olean, while Jamestown, along with the Crusaders, are the only WNY teams to down St. Joe's on the season.

A lot will be on the line on Saturday, possibly including an unbeaten regular season in the MMA, whether or not a coin toss will decide the top seed for the Manhattan Cup playoffs, and most importantly, pride and bragging rights.  The last time Canisius swept the Marauders was in 2010, before winning the first of its back-to-back Manhattan Cups. 

Despite moving this rivalry to a larger venue in the Koessler Center, it still sold out on January 12th.  Get there and get there early.  You won't find a better atmosphere for a MMA game, unless there's a round three...

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

 

Maple Grove looks primed for sectionals

Last season, the Class C2 final was one of the year's most thrilling games.  Silver Creek defeated Maple Grove in an instant classic at a packed JCC for the right to move on to the overall Class C final at Buffalo State.  This weekend, Randolph visited Silver Creek on Friday night, and then hosted Maple Grove the following night, to makeup a game that had been postponed.  I took advantage of the opportunity to the two teams from last season's final on back-to-back nights, who also happen to be the top two seeds in Class C2 as we head into sectionals in two weeks.  My prediction: We have another instant classic to look forward to on Friday, March 1st!

 

Maple Grove flew around the court pressuring defensively, shot the ball well, and ran its sets to perfection,  in a 56-40 victory at Randolph on Saturday.  The Red Dragons improve to 16-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming in the season opener at Olean.  

 

The crowded gymnasium in Randolph watched a great first quarter, as the lead changed 10 different times.  The largest lead for either team didn't come until just 14 seconds remained in the quarter, when Jim Kistner came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer, giving the Red Dragons a 16-12 lead after one.

 

Maple Grove's Aaron Germain and Randolph's Bryce Morrison traded 3-pointers to begin the second frame, before the game's first run occured.  Germain and Will Soffel each scored a pair of buckets, as part of an 8-2 run for the Red Dragons, giving them a 27-17 lead.  The lead had been extended to 12 points, before Randolph grabbed the last four points of the half, sending the teams to the locker rooms with the score 32-24.

 

Early in the second half, Maple Grove used an 11-2 scoring burst to push its lead to 43-27.   Morrison and Mitchell Maycock each bombed in shots from downtown in response, pulling the Cardinals back to within 10 points, 43-33. 

 

Maple Grove entered the fourth quarter with a 12-point advantage, and still led by that same margin with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.  Rather than Randolph making one last push to climb back into the game, it was the Red Dragons who furthered the distance.  A '3' from Germain sparked a 9-0 spurt that included a basket from Will Soffel and four points from Graham Soffel.  With 2:16 left on the clock, Maple Grove had its largest lead of the evening, 62-41.

 

Germain finished with a game-high 18 points, Austin Goerke added 16 points while pulling down 10 rebounds, and Will & Graham Soffel each had double-doubles, scoring 10 points apiece, with Will dishing 10 assists to match his brother Graham's 10 boards.

 

Morrison led Randolph with 16 points, Taylor Miller scored 13 points, and Maycock chipped in nine points on three 3-pointers.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Marcey takes his turn to shine for unbeaten Silver Creek

Talk to head coach Rob Genco and he'll tell you. Speak with any of the players and they all say the same.  They don't care who does the scoring, that's Silver Creek's mantra.  Get out in transition, move the ball with passes, and knock down shots.  The result is often a different leader in the box score each night.  It's also not unusual to see all five starters in double figures.  That's what we saw last night - a hot hand being fed by four other generous hands, and the hot hand feeding back.  As long as the rim gets filled, it's all good.

 

Steve Marcey led Silver Creek's balanced attack with a game-high 20 points, in a 66-40 win against Randolph.  With the victory, the Black Knights improve to 17-0 on the year and complete an unbeaten season in CCAA II.

 

In the early going, it was clear that Silver Creek's focus was to contain Cardinals' sophomore Bryce Morrison, who had gotten loose for 39 points on nine 3-pointers in the first meeting between the two.  Zed Williams began the game guarding him and sure enough, the first time he found any space, he popped a '3'.  Randolph was a focused team in the opening quarter, moving the ball well and getting back defensively.  Despite a pair of treys from Marcey and three blocks from Black Knight's 6-7 sophomore Bill Brooks, the Cardinals trailed just 14-10 after one quarter.

 

After a '3' from Morrison gave Randolph a one point lead early in the second quarter, Silver Creek began to do what it does best - run & gun.  After a basket by Williams gave the Black Knights the lead back, Silver Creek dialed up some defensive intensity that yielded turnovers and forced Randolph into difficult shots. Second chance points weren't an option, as Brooks & Williams secured every rebound and had the Black Knights out in transition, where they spread the floor and bang 'em for downtown.  Three straight 3-pointers fell next for Silver Creek (Kaine Kettle, Brennan White, & Marcey), including Marcey converting a four-point play.  It was all part of a 23-2 run that ended with Marcey popping another '3' and then dishing the assist of the season.  Marcey charged full speed into the lane on a break and as quickly as he made up his mind, wrapped a pass around his back in stride to White, who finished with the layin, making it 37-17.  Marcey scored 17 of his 20 in the first half and 11 of those 17 during his team's scoring burst.

 

The second half saw Silver Creek pick up where it left off, beginning with a 9-2 run that pushed the score to 48-22, the result of a 32-7 swing in 10 minutes of play.  The Cardinals were able to stop the bleeding when Mitchell Maycock connected from beyond the arc at the same time Brooks was hit with a technical that forced him to the bench with his fourth personal foul.  Randolph took advantage of the extra room in the paint and closed the quarter by scoring the last 14 points, closing the gap to 48-36.

 

Randolph would manage just four points the rest of the way, as the Black Knights got back to what built their lead in the first place.  Silver Creek outscored the Cardinals, 18-4 in the fourth quarter, before the game gave way to the reserves in the final minutes.

 

Kettle finished with 13 points , Brooks scored 12 points to go with 15 boards & four swats, Williams netted 11 points with eight rebounds & seven assists, and White chipped in 10 points.

 

Randolph was led by 14 points from Nathan Beaver, while Morrison finished the night with 13 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Fundraiser for Depew Boys & Girls Club Tonight

The Depew Boys & Girls Club is holding a fundraiser for the rebuilding of the club following a devastating fire on New Year's Day.  This takes place tonight -  Saturday, February 9th, at St. Mary's High School's Fieldhouse. Tickets are $25, which includes food, beer, soda and music.  Doors will open at 5:30 pm,with the event running from 6 pm until 11 pm. There will be raffles, check presentations as well as an update on the rebuilding of the club.

 

To make a donation to the rebuilding fund, to purchase tickets, or for more information, contact the club at 683-6755 or 683-1485 or email Hoch at [email protected]. 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Postponements & Makeup Dates

Cancellations include:

St. Francis @ Nichols 

Grand Island @ Niagara Wheatfield

Lew-Port @ North Tonawanda

Lockport @ Niagara Falls

 

All after school activities for the Buffalo Public Schools have been cancelled for today.  

 

** Nichols @ Lew-Port scheduled for Monday, February 11th has been cancelled and will NOT be rescheduled.

 

 

Below is a list of makeup dates for the boys basketball games:

 

Monday, February 11th

Hutch-Tech @ East - 6 pm

McKinley @ Riverside - 6 pm

Olmsted @ Emerson - 6 pm

Grand Island @ Niagara Wheatfield - 6:30 pm

Lockport @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm

Lew-Port @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm

Bennett @ Middle College - 7 pm

 St. Francis @ Nichols - 7:30 pm

 

 Wednesday, February 13th

Burgard @ City Honors - 6 pm

MST Seneca @ I-Prep - 6 pm

Buffalo Arts @ Lafayette - 6 pm

 

Friday, February 15th

Grand Island @ Lew-Port - 6:30 pm

 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

 

Newfane finishes off Akron

Three weeks ago, Newfane got off to a hot start against the Tigers.  They built an 11-point lead in the second quarter, only to see Akron pull to within five at the break.  Things would only get even worse in the third quarter, as the Panthers were outscored by 16 points in what ended in a 53-50 home loss.  The rematch was nearly identical in the first half, but then Newfane flipped the script on the Tigers after returning from the locker room for the third quarter.

 

Bryan Geise scored a game-high 21 points to lead Newfane past Akron, 52-37, moving the Panthers into second place tie in the N-O with the Tigers, who still has a date with league unbeaten CSAT.  Geise was perfect on all seven attempts from the field, including five 3-pointers, and I never even saw him miss one during warmups.

 

Newfane was on fire from long range in the opening quarter, with all but two of its points coming from long range.  Connor Sears hit back-to-back 3's to open the scoring for the Panthers and Geise knocked down three treys in the final 1:27 of the first quarter to help Newfane get out to a 17-9 lead.   Reid Weber began the second quarter by drilling another long-range bust for Newfane, giving them six 3-pointers in the first nine minutes and an 11-point lead.  

 

After a bucket from Sears made the score 24-12 midway through the second quarter, Akron tightened up defensively and began  looking inside for offense.  The result was nine straight points for the Tigers, all coming in the paint or from the line as a result of a foul inside.  As the teams headed off for the intermission, Akron had closed the gap and was trailing by just four points, 27-23.  

 

The halftime message in the Newfane locker room was either different this time, or received differently.  The Panthers came out as the aggressors in the third quarter, particularly on the defensive end, while continuing to stroke it from beyond the arc.  Newfane sank three more treys and limited Akron to a single field goal in the stanza, outscoring them 15-2.  Weber had a steal that he converted into a fast break layup with six seconds left in the quarter, making the score 42-25, and confirming that Newfane was not going to fold this time around.

 

Sears finished with 11 points for the Panthers and did a great job dishing off inside after driving the lane.  Weber and Alex Intihar each scored eight points for Newfane.

 

Gowah Abrams and Connor Ladd each had 10 points in the loss for the Tigers.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Random Smatterings V

Prior to the start of the Williamsville North/Jamestown game, the sportsmanship pledge was read.  Instead of the game announcer reading it, two different North cheerleaders took turns reading it.  Is reading the sportsmanship pledge such a heavily sought after honor that they couldn't even narrow it down to just one guest reader?  

 

In the current basketball polls for both the boys & girls, the #1 ranked small school beat the #1 ranked large school this season.  I can't imagine that's been the case too many times before this year.

 

Silver Creek is the only remaining undefeated team from WNY and are tied for the state's second longest winning streak at 16 games.

 

McKinley is amidst a 23-game winning streak in the Yale Cup and three wins from finishing a second straight season unbeaten in league.  The last time that happened was in 2005 & 2006 when Riverside won consecutive Yale Cups with undefeated seasons.  Those Riverside squads also hold the record for the longest winning streak in Yale Cup competition at 34 games.  The Macks would need to win out this season, and begin 9-0 in league next year to break that record.

 

Shoutout to the students at Nichols for the new student section known as Gang Green. The Vikings Class A Federation championship team of 2010 would have given that group plenty to chant about.  The newly formed gang looks and sounds like they've been at it for a long time.

 

There has been some discussion in this forum as to the location of the Far West Regionals being moved from Blue Cross Arena to Gates Chili High School.  I can confirm the regionals will be played at Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, March 9th, beginning at 12 pm.

 

For the second straight year, prior to Timon/St. Jude hosting St. Joe's, a gentleman sang God Bless America.  He does an awesome rendition and much of the crowd in attendance joined in.  Marauders head coach Mark Simon may have said it best at the completion of the song, simply stating "It doesn't get any better than that".

 

Olean's starters have seen the floor in the fourth quarter of a game just three times all season, in games against Canisius, Nichols, and Rochester East.

 

South Park's Tyrell Mitchell set the now single-game scoring mark for WNY this season with a 41-point outburst against Hutch-Tech.

 

Tommy Campion joined the 1,000 point club at Jamestown with a career-high 40-point performance in a win over Lancaster.

 

Sterling Taplin became the all-time leading scorer at Williamsville North, surpassing the previous mark of 1,318 set by Darren Brown in 1986.  Just a reminder, he's still a junior.

 

In an effort to inspire a late rally from the Steelers against Cleveland Hill last week, a Lackawanna fan stood and repeatedly bellowed "Come on Lackawanna, Goonies never say die".  He was ejected shortly after for pointing out the referees looked like brothers because they had the same hair.

 

Olean has two wins this season over large schools that are defending champions: Canisius (2012 Manhattan Cup champs) and Section V's East (2012 Class AA1 champions).

 

Of the 20 schools currently ranked in the large and small school polls, eight of them start at least three underclassmen:  Olean, Jamestown, Williamsville North, East, Clarence, Nichols, Silver Creek, and St. Mary's.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Weir & MacDonald lead Canisius past Nichols

Nichols is a good, young team, and its time may come again in the next two seasons.  Canisius is very, very good, and led by a pair of seniors who each did their part against a scrappy Vikings team, to ensure the Crusaders' mark in the Monsignor Martin Association would remain unblemished.

 

Matt MacDonald scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the final quarter, and Adam Weir scored 11 of his 21 points during a decisive third quarter run, as Canisius defeated Nichols, 75-63.  The top ranked Crusaders improve to 17-3 overall and 8-0 in the MMA, while Nichols slips to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the MMA.  All of the Vikings losses this season have been to large schools.

 

Despite seven points from Nichols' Chris Miner in the first quarter, Canisius got a balanced effort and led 11-9 after eight minutes.  After the Vikings briefly gained the lead in the second quarter, the Crusaders increased their lead to 26-23 at halftime.  

 

A basket from Cam Lewis pulled Nichols even with the Crusaders early the second half, before Weir sparked the run that would put some distance between the teams for the remainder of the contest.  Canisius outscored the Vikings, 18-3, during a four minute stretch that began with a traditional three-point play from Weir.  The Canisius College bound senior added a pair of 3-point bombs and a layup during the run that resulted in the Crusaders leading, 44-29.  Nichols had begun to respond before the third quarter ended, when freshman Howard Washington came off the bench to give Canisius back-to-back treys, with the second one being a buzzer-beating heave from inside mid court, giving his team a 50-36 edge.

 

MacDonald's monster fourth quarter thwarted any hopes Nichols had at climbing back into the game.  It included a stretch of three 3-pointers in under two minutes, on his way to 15 points in the stanza, and gave his team its largest lead of the night, 64-45.  The Crusaders buried eight 3-pointers in the second half.

 

Nichols was led by Liam Ryan and Chris Miner, who each scored 16 points.  Cam Lewis scored 15 points and Eric Luko finished with 12 points in the loss.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

McKinley errupts on East

When the two teams met at East at the start of January, McKinley faced a third quarter deficit before a run gave them the advantage heading into the final stanza, where they then put the game away.  In the rematch at Mack High last night, it was the same story, except with a much larger run that likely buried any hopes the Panthers had of winning the Yale Cup.

 

Marcus Morris scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Macks past  East, 75-53.  The win improves McKinley's league record to 9-0, extends its city winning streak to 23 games, and moves them closer to a second straight Yale Cup.  McKinley can ensure its name on the Cup with a win at Riverside on Friday.

 

The Macks jumped out to an 18-8 lead late in the first quarter. East managed the final seven points of the frame to make it 18-15 after an opening quarter that included McKinley's Lovell Smith (12 points and six steals) converting a steal into a slam midway through the quarter, before East came back on the ensuing possesion and found Tyree Tyson inside, who finished with a two-handed flush.  The Macks never trailed in the second quarter and saw their lead stretch between one and six points. At the intermission, McKinley led East, 31-28.

 

Trailing by five points in the third quarter, East used a 9-1 run to take its only lead of the game when Sean Young connected from beyond the arc.  The Panthers lead would be short-lived.  After trailing for just under two minutes, McKinley embarked on an incredible run that demoralized the Panthers. In less than eight minutes, the Macks cranked up the defense, took advantage of East's mistakes, and outscored the Panthers, 41-7, to make the score 75-48.  Daequan Warren scored all 10 of his points during the burst, and also finished with 10 rebounds and six steals.

 

Sammy Smith scored 12 points for McKinley and Donte Thompson added 11 points.

 

Tyson led East with 13 points in the loss.   Percy Bryant finished with 12 points and Johnathan Lewis chipped in 11 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt

 

 

 

2013 Poll Ballots - Week 7

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders did a fantastic job representing WNY at the RAP Invitational held at East High in Rochester over the weekend.  Not only was Canisius the lone team from WNY to win during Saturday night's triple-header, but they did so less than 24 hours after grinding one out at Timon.  The best part about the Crusaders' win over Fairport was the way they did it.  Canisius dominated a highly regarded team for the first three and a half quarters and led by as many as 20 points late in the third quarter.

2. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines had their chance to cement themselves as the areas top team this weekend, but ended up losing two games within 20 hours in Rochester, to a pair of teams that may likely face each other to decide the Class AA regional representative from Section V.  Last season, Falls dropped back-to-back games on consecutive nights and then went on to win Section VI's Class AA.  If they can do that again, they'll need to be a lot better they they were this weekend in the regionals.

3. Jamestown (AA) - Turned to the big guys against Williamsville North, and they were up to the challenge, big time.  After scoring a season-low in that game, Tommy Campion came back in Saturday's win over Lancaster to score a career-high 40 points, which also matches the top effort by any player from WNY this season.

4. St. Joe's (MMA) - Started the week off with a win at Timon and will have to do the same thing to end this week if they remain in this spot when the next ballot gets cast. The Marauders host the rematch against with the Tigers on Friday, after visiting St. Francis tomorrow.

5. Williamsville North (AA) - Bounced back nicely from the Jamestown loss by pounding on Frontier.

6. McKinley (A1) - The Macks head into what is likely a Yale Cup-deciding game with East tomorrow, coming off a solid 13-point road win over Middle College.  Earlier in the week, McKinley logged the highest point total of the season, unloading 111 points on South Park in a 61-point win.

7. Clarence (AA) - In what looked like a potetntial trap game, Clarence goes into Frontier last week and wins by 17 points.  The Red Devils are eyeing a home game in the Class AA quarterfinals.

8. Amherst (A2) - Taking care of business against East Aurora was what I've been waiting for from the Tigers. If they hope to win an overall Class A title, the time is now for them to begin ascending to their highest level.  Hosting Cheektowaga tonight.

9. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - A difficult schedule on paper turned into a difficult week for the Tigers, who have dropped three of their last four.  Making matters worse was not having the services of Dante Williams over the weekend.   Friday night at St. Joe's is an opportunity for Timon to reassure itself that the MMA still consists of a "Big 3".

10. Sweet Home (A1) - North Tonawanda's loss to Lockport made room for the Panthers, who have waited patiently all season for a debut on this ballot.  With a 12-2 record overall and an unblemished mark in ECIC II, I think they're more than deserving.

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - They got a little of everything they were looking for on Friday night at Rochester's Eats High: A quality opponent, a highly competitive game, and a come-from-behind victory after facing a little adversity.  The Huskies play with more team chemistry than any other unit from WNY.

2. Silver Creek (C2) - The only undefeated team remaining in WNY hosts Randolph this Friday, the team that got the closest to the Black Knights on the scoreboard this year.

3. Oracle Charter (C1) - The Phoenix finishes off their regular season this week, with trips to Olmsted tonight and Buffalo Science on Saturday.  Since winning at McKinley, Oracle Charter has gotten visits from the Buffalo News and YNN.  The Phoenix has definitely risen.

4. East (B2) - Facing McKinley in the game of the week tomorrow, with major Yale Cup implications hanging in the balance.  Winners of six straight since loss to the Macks on January 3rd.

5. Nichols (MMA) - Played well enough against St. Joe's to have a fourth quarter lead before falling off late.  The Vikings play four games this week, beginning with hosting Canisius tomorrow and ending with a trip to Aquinas on Saturday.

6. Cleveland Hill (B2) - The Eagles finished strong and won at Lackawanna on Thursday. They are co-defending league champs, along with Tonawanda, the team they visit tonight. The last time Cleveland Hill won the league in ECIC IV outright was in 1989. They can accomplish that with a win tonight and on Friday at Holland.

7. Middle College (C1) - The Kats have dropped three of their last four heading into games with Riverside and Bennett this week.  The win for Middle College was against Sweet Home, which was its best win of the season.  

8. Lackawanna (B1) - The Steelers got off to a great start against Cleveland Hill, but poor free throw shooting down the stretch kept them from a strong finish.

9. St. Mary's (MMA) - Three double-digit wins following a loss at Nichols, one of which came against Niagara Catholic, who they host again tomorrow.

10. Maple Grove (C2) - The Red Dragons visit Randolph in a makeup game on Saturday night.  The Cardinals will be coming off a game with Silver Creek from the night before, Maple Grove's stiffest competition in Class C2.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 2/10/13

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, February 4th

Tonawanda @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm

Cheektowaga @ Amherst - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, February 5th

East @ McKinley - 6 pm

Niagara Falls @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm

Roy-Hart @ Newfane - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ Nichols - 7:30 pm

Niagara Catholic @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm

Maryvale @ Depew - 7:30 pm

Clymer @ Brocton - 7:30 pm

Salamanca @ Portville - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, February 6th

Timon/St. Jude @ Bishop Kearney - 6:30 pm

Batavia @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, February 7th

Newfane @ Akron - 6:30 pm

Portville @ Frewsburg - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, February 8th

Hutch-Tech @ East - 6 pm

Burgard @ City Honors - 6 pm

MST Seneca @ I-Prep - 6 pm

Williamsville South @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm

Timon/St. Jude @ St. Joe's - 7 pm

Cheektowaga @ Maryvale- 7:30 pm

Randolph @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm

Cassadaga Valley @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

Allegany-Limestone @ Olean - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 9th

Maple Grove @ Randolph - 6:30 pm

 

Game of the Week - East @ McKinley on Tuesday, February 5th

- The defending Yale Cup champions put their 22-game league winning streak on the line against the team that hoisted it the season before last, East.  The Panthers have just one loss in Yale Cup I this year, and it came at the hands of the Macks in the first meeting between the two this season.  McKinley defeated East, 79-76, on January 3rd.

If the Panthers could manage to snap McKinley's streak against its fellow city foes, they would pull even with the Macks in the Yale Cup  I standings and find themselves in a situation where they control their own destiny, with the potential to be co-league champs.  On the other hand, if McKinley is able to sweep East, it would likely claim both a second straight Yale Cup.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Olean looks ready for a state run

Imagine being the Olean Huskies.  After starting four sophomores and falling in the Class B state semifinal game last season, winning it all became the expectation this season.  High hopes for a team that still rolls out four underclassmen in the starting lineup, but even greater when you consider what they get to do to prepare.  Besides the 12 lopsided contests the Huskies are forced to endure (also known as the CCAA I league games), they had three competitive games on the season slate, spaced out from beginning-to middle-to end of the season.  We all know how the first two went - they hung on to claim a thrilling win over Canisius to start and lost to Nichols in a wakeup call without Sam Eckstrom over the holiday break.  The polish-up-for-sectionals game was a long roadie to face Section V's perenial Class AA power, East.  Despite multiple schools around them postponing games due to weather, Olean wasn't missing that game.  You see, Huskies love snow, and they also love winning.

 

Olean found the competitive game they were after, as they defeated Rochester's East High, 70-65, in a back-and-forth affair that headlined the first night of the annual RAP (Rochester Area Players) Invitational.  The win was the second in as many tries this season for the Huskies, against large schools that were defending champions (Canisius 2012 Manhattan Cup & V-East 2012 Class AA 1 champs).

 

In  game that  held 21 lead changes and saw Olean trail most of the third quarter, it was an 8-0 run late in the final stanza that sealed the victory fro the Huskies.  Wil Bathurst scored with 2:03 remaining to give his team a one-point lead, before Nick Schmidt knocked down a 3-pointer on the ensuing possesion to increase the advantage to four points with 1:37 left.  That four-point lead matched the largest for the Huskies at any point in the game (they got out to a 4-0 lead to start), and the Orientals seemed to get frantic because of it.  As East would miss desperation shots, Olean would rebound and hit free throws.  The Huskies were up 62-55 with 58 seconds remaining.

 

Sam Eckstrom picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first 2:29 of the game and sat not just the remainder of the quarter, but the remainder of the half.  The strategy paid off early in the third, when Eckstrom was called for a phantom charge, but was able to remain in the game.  He finished with 13 points, scoring eight of those in the third.

 

Bathurst paced Olean with 20 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and one steal.  Schmidt scored nine points, Pat Scholla and Max Portlow each netted eight points, and Luke Hennessey added seven points.

 

Portlow keyed a 7-0 run to finish the third quarter, in which he scored all seven of the points. Scholla was everywhere defensively and delivered multiple touch passes perfectly.  Hennessey is as pure a point guard as there is, and he's money from the charity stripe.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Cleveland Hill sweeps Lackawanna

Two seasons ago, Tonawanda had a breakthrough season in ECIC IV and won its first league title in 56 years.  Last season, the Warriors were league champs again, but they had to share the honor with Cleveland Hill, who earned a piece of the ECIC IV pie.  But when it comes to championships, no one wants to share.  One way to guarantee an outright title is to win all your games.  That's what the Eagles had done entering last night's game at Lackawanna.  Winning in Lackawanna, the team that has dominated ECIC IV for years, wouldn't be easy, but it would sure be rewarding.

 

Cleveland Hill finished strong in the fourth quarter and earned a season sweep over its chief competition in ECIC IV, defeating the Steelers, 74-68.  With the win, the Eagles stayed unbeaten in league play and with two wins in their next three against Tonawanda, Holland, and JFK, they will own their first outright ECIC IV crown since 1989.

 

A tight contest early on shifted the way of the Steelers midway through the opening quarter.  With the Eagles leading 12-10, Lackawanna finished the quarter on a 13-2 run, led by sophomore Damone Sylvers.  During a 90 second span, Sylvers dropped a 3-pointer to spark the Steelers' run, and then slithered through the defense on his way to circus-shot layups three different times.  Lackawanna had a 23-14 lead after the first quarter.

 

Lackawanna still owned a nine-point lead in the final minute of the half, before the Eagles scored the four points before intermission.  Richard Sotero sank a pair from the line to pull the Eagles within five at the half, 35-30.  Sotero was excellent for Cleveland Hill in the first half, scoring 14 of his team's 30 points to help them keep pace with the aggressive Steelers.

 

The action quickly heated back up in the third quarter when Jordan Parker opened it with a 3-pointer and followed it up with another bucket to tie the game at 35-35.  Over the next three minutes of game play, the teams literally traded baskets.  After a basket from the Eagles' Andrej Krajewski put them up 45-43, Lackawanna responded with  3-pointers from Cam Smith and Sylvers to take a four-point lead, the largest margin since the half began.  Not to be outdone, Cleveland Hill got a pair of buckets from Rayshawn Smalls and another from Parker over the final two minutes of the third quarter and held a 51-49 advantage heading into the final stanza.

 

An exciting stretch in the last quarter began when Smith connected from downtown to put Lackawanna in front, 54-53.  The Eagles came back with a score from Jermaine Hairston, before Smith bombed another from long range, increasing the Steelers' advantage to 57-55 with 6:11 remaining.  Just seconds later, Jared Watkins hit a '3' for the Eagles, who then got a steal and basket from Sotero to go up 60-57.  Then following a defensive stop, Aaron Phillips dropped one in from behind the arc, capping an 8-0 run that occurred in just 45 seconds.  When the smoke cleared, 16 combined points had been scored in a minute and a half, including four combined 3-pointers.  More importantly for Cleveland Hill, in a game that saw 18 lead changes and seven ties, they were on top, 63-57, and would not relinquish its lead the rest of the way.  

 

Parker led five Eagles that finished in double figure scoring with 18 points.  Sotero scored 16 points,  Hairston netted 14 points, and Watkins and Phillips each added 10 points.

 

Sylvers scored a game-high 20 points fro Lackawanna in the loss.  Shaquille Brooks finished with 15 points, while Smith scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42