(Amherst & Cheektowaga played another epic classic at Buff State / Photo by Harry Scull)
In each of the past three seasons, Amherst & Olean have reached the Section VI Final on Championship Saturday at Buff State. But they've never faced each other in that game, because the Huskies were classified in B1. This season however, Olean is up in Class A2, so it's only fitting that these two programs each entering a fourth straight sectional final finally face each other. After each won semifinal games on Thursday night, the stage is set for the Tigers & Huskies to square off on Saturday at 3:30 pm for the Class A2 title.
Amherst 54, Cheektowaga 53
TC Brown scored 17 points, including the game winner with 36 seconds left, to lift the Tigers over Cheektowaga in a thrilling finish to a an epic triad for a second straight season between the two teams. Cheektowaga had a chance at the end, but turned the ball over in the closing seconds and saw the clock hit all zeros before they could foul, sending the Amherst student section spilling on to the court to surround a jubilant Amherst team celebrating the dramatic win.
After six lead changes and three ties in the first six minutes, Amherst closed the quarter with seven straight to lead by five after one. Amadi Ikpeze got it going inside in the second quarter, scoring six of his 12 points, before Cheektowaga's Dominick Welch added six of his own in response at the close of the half, sending the teams to the break separated by just a point, 24-23.
A 7-2 start to the third quarter gave Amherst a lead they would retain throughout the quarter, reaching as many as eight points at the midway point. Cheektowaga got buckets from Welch, Patrick Plummer, Devon Camel, & Stephan Parker to finish the third on a 9-2 rip that once again saw the teams separated by just a point heading into the fourth.
With 2:25 to go, Welch scored to give the Warriors the lead, 50-49. A free throw from Brown and an inside score from Ikpeze put the Tigers back up, 52-50, at the 1:44 mark. Three charity tosses by Welch over the next minute had the Warriors back on top, 53-52 in the final minute, before Brown drove past his defender to finish at the rim for the game winnner.
Dorian Billups scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half in the win for the Tigers.
Welch finished with a game-high 25 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Zak Ciezki scored 16 points for the Warriors in his final game.
Olean 62, Starpoint 51
The Huskies won each of the last three quarters by a combined 22 points, as they absorbed an early flurry from Starpoint, before taking control of the rest of the game. Sophomore Ben Eckstrom scored all of his team-high 17 points in the second half, stroking three 3-pointers and swishing his mid range jumpers. Chucky Martin was tough inside and finished with 16 points for Olean, while floor general Jake Cavana added 10 points in the win.
Starpoint led by 11 points as the teams headed into the second quarter after finishing off the first eight minutes on a 10-2 run. The Huskies defense allowed them right back into the game prior to halftime, limiting the Spartans to a single field goal in the second quarter - a trey from Christian Nodine that didn't fall until five seconds prior to the intermission.
Late in the third quarter, Olean took its first lead on a '3' from Eckstrom. After Nodine scored in response for the Spartans, Eckstrom netted another to give the Huskies the lead heading into the final stanza, where they would not trail again. Starpoint tied the game on three occasions in the fourth quarter, but Olean pulled away over the final 4:34, outscoring the Spartans by ten points to advance to the championship game.
Nodine ended with a game-high 27 points in the loss, while Brock Kroening added 11 points for Starpoint.
-centercourt
The Amherst vs. Cheektowaga game was Epic. What intensity and poise by both teams taking it all the way down to the wire. As a team winning twice Amherst never showed the nerves that come with having to beat a team three times, especially your largest rival.
Not enough can be said about TC Brown. He's a tough kid, he's not a perfect basketball player by any means but he has absolutely made what he does well a craft and he will attack you all night. I'm not sure if there's a bigger winner in WNY basketball. I've seen him play 100 times and he's always there at the end. The Jamestown guard seems to be the only one in the same class. Both have ice in their vanes.
Great game! Great week thus far.
Posted by: Jimmy Dean | Friday, March 06, 2015 at 05:07 PM