Hill & Jack lead North

(The Spartans take the court together for one last regular season game / Photo by Erin Fabian)

 

After a great start to the season in ECIC I, Williamsville North found itself as the lone unbeaten team in the league heading into the stretch run.  The Spartans had already won a game at Jamestown and swept a tough Orchard Park team.  With just three league games remaining (Jamestown and a pair against Lancaster), North needed just one win in those three for a share of the league title.  They dropped the first game to Jamestown.  Then on Monday, the Spartans lost at Lancaster, to set up some high stakes drama at their place to decide who would share the hardware with Jamestown.  Thanks to Sean Hill & Maceo Jack, the drama was over by the middle of the third quarter, as the senior tandem teamed up on senior night to help deliver the school's name on a league championship banner.

 

Hill and Jack each recorded double-doubles, as North knocked off visiting Lancaster, 66-39.  The win assures the Spartans at least the #3 seed in the Class AA playoffs pending a coin toss that could also put them at #2, while Lancaster slips to the #4 seed in the upcoming Class AA sectionals.

 

After jumping out to a 9-2 lead, North saw Lancaster respond in the early going and get the large crowd that traveled in support, up on their feet in approval.  Sean Gill banked a 3-pointer late in the quarter to get the Legends within a point, before Jack snagged the last bucket of the stanza for the 13-10 lead after one.  Hill netted six of his 12 points in the second quarter, including a smooth jumper from just inside the arc, while Jack hit the first of his four 3-pointers after freeing himself up off the dribble, as the Spartans extended to a 28-21 lead at halftime.

 

Trailing by seven points coming out of the locker room, the first few minutes would be important for Lancaster and the direction the game would take.  With no major strategic adjustments made on either side, the third quarter shifted in favor of the Spartans, as the Hill & Jack show began.

 

" I challenged them," Williamsville North coach Chuck Swierski said.  "When I came out of the locker room and I saw they had three kids warming up, I thought we looked fresher than them.  I called my team over and said look at them - if you put it on them now, we can take this."

 

North proceeded to blow the doors off the gymnasium, erupting for a 22-4 quarter and holding the Legends to a single field goal along the way.  Hill began spilling dimes all over the court, getting out in transition and creating plays with his speed and vision.  The highlight of the evening and the assist of the game came late in the third quarter, when Hill opted to leave a pass in the air for Jack, rather than finish the fast break himself.  Jack obliged, and plucked the pass out of the air to finish it off with a two-handed slam, sending the place into a frenzy.  

 

After taking a 50-25 lead into the final frame, North still was not finished.  Jack, who finished with a game-high 28 points, along with 12 boards, scored 12 of his points in over the final eight minutes.  He opened the quarter with a trey, hit his third '3' of the game midway through the quarter, and put his team up by 30 after converting a traditional three-point play with 3:12 to go.  Then for good measure, Jack drained his fourth long range bomb to close out the North scoring with under two minutes left in the game.

 

Hill finished the game with 11 assists, to compliment his 12 points.  So many of the passes he makes are memorable, as you become entranced with his handle and suddenly he's zinging a pass to an open player.  If you can make a basic layup, you can score points playing with Hill - he will draw your defender away from you and spoon feed you a bucket.  During the fourth quarter as Hill was holding the ball behind his back, a Lancaster defender kept trying to poke it away.  Finally, seemingly feeling challenged, Hill put the ball on the floor and blew past his defender.  When the help was forced to come, he swung a pass over his shoulder to a wide open Jack in the corner....splash!

 

"He's the stick that stirs the drink and we know that," Swierski said.  "When he gets going and then he puts on a little razzle-dazzle and gets the crowd involved, the team responds - I've loved having him this year."

 

The Legends were forced to play without the team's leading scorer, Joe Powers, who missed due to injury.  While the outcome seemed destined to go North's way, Lancaster was clearly missing Powers on the offensive end, something Spartan assistant coach Bill Gorman was quick to point out following the game.

 

As the Spartans posed for a team photo following the game, everyone was all smiles and enjoying the moment.  The sting of Monday's loss at Lancaster was now in the rear view mirror, and suddenly the goal of winning a league title, shared or not, had been realized.

 

"We still get the year up on the banner," said Swierski.  "In the 50 years we've been in existence, we've got eight that we've either earned outright or shared.  It's something that when these kids walk into the gym, they can look up there, see this year, and have the same great memories that I've got."

 

Point Totals

Will North:  Maceo Jack 28, Sean Hill 12, Anthony Maniscalco 12, Nick Maranto 10, Connor Kelly 4

Lancaster:  Alex Konst 15, Sean Gill 10, Alex Damiani 5, Danny Speyer 4, Noah Speyer 3, Vito Fulciniti 2

 

-centercourt

 

Comments

[Overrated]

Lancaster = overrated yet again