Cataract City Classic - 2016

(Jhamir Isom breaks to the basket for Falls/Photo: Paul Battson, Niagara Gazette)

 

 Niagara Falls 65, UPrep 64

In the finale of the Cataract City Classic, host Niagara Falls ignited the WolvArena by gutting out a comeback win over an extremely talented UPrep team that features a high level talent in junior Jeenathan Williams.  Falls headed into halftime down 12 points after only scoring 19 over the first 16 minutes of play.  But behind a total team effort marked the grit of everyone that took the floor, the Wolverines were just relentless, and wore UPrep down in the second half.  

 

"We struggle offensively, we know that - we've just been able to guard," said Niagara Falls coach Sal Constantino following the win. 

 

While the 19 points at half that followed a 50-point overtime outing the night prior aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard, the 46-point second half that helped earn the one-point victory certainly was.  Couple the offensive surge with a group that settled in defensively after a rocky start, and it was quite an impressive close out for Falls.

 

After UPrep jumped out to a 10-2 lead less than three minutes in, the Wolverines allowed just 21 points over the last 13 minutes of the half.  In the second half, UPrep managed just seven total field goals, and were limited to only two buckets in the final stanza.  Falls also kept Williams off of the scoresheet in the third quarter.

 

Having trailed the entire way, it was midway through the fourth quarter when junior Tazaun Rose found himself unguarded - a few feet behind the 3-point arc.  He let it fly from way downtown and drew nothing but net, tying the game at 52-52.  It was the third bomb of the half for Rose, who was also the key distributor for Wolverines.

 

"I thought Tazaun did a nice job of not forcing shots in the second half, of creating for other guys, and I think he's our catalyst  - he's shown that in the first two games," Constantino said.

 

UPrep briefly took the lead back, before Jhamir Isom splashed a 3-pointer that sparked an 11-0 run to put Falls up for good.

 

"Coach pulled me aside and said you've got to get your team better  So what I did was drive, give opportunities for other guys to get a bucket - it feels good to get my first varsity win," said an exuberant Rose following the victory.

 

Ten players scored in the win for Niagara Falls and eleven different players have made it into the scorebook in the first two games, both thrillers against high caliber opponents.

 

"To comeback from the first half -they fought back with a team effort," said Constantino.  "There's no 25-point guy here, there's a bunch of guys who can get a little and they buy in to it."

 

Game MVPs - Tazaun Rose (Niagara Falls)  &  Jeenathan Williams (UPrep)

Point Totals

Niagara Falls:  Tazaun Rose 16, Jamel Burton 9, Jhamir Isom 9, Charles Lamar 8, Syquan Ralands 6, Marquise Miller 5, Devin Sanders 5, Quaran DuBois 3, Cortese Myles 2, Tyler Sanders 2

UPrep:  Jeenathan Williams 20, Kassius Williams 11, Tamar Jackson 7, Elroy Clark 6, Jakai Lucas 5, Jabez Thomas 5, James Strothers 4, James Barnes 4, Derick Minigan 2

 

Bishop Kearney 67, Cheektowaga 59

The season opener for the Warriors revealed a team that played together and worked hard, trading leads with a loaded Bishop Kearney team for three quarters.  Dominick Welch converted a three-point play with 3:55 left in the third quarter to give Cheektowaga a 39-38 lead.  The Kings responded with a 16-3 run to take a 54-42 advantage and didn't let the Warriors get any closer than six points the rest of the way.

 

The Kings' Nahziah Carter, a Dayton commit, along with Welch, put on a show for fans all game.  The high flying pair each had some sensational finishes at the rim, ran the floor, and showed off a mid range game.  The Warriors got a nice game from Adrian Baugh, who showed some touch from the perimeter, while Vaughn Burdette stood out with his effort.

 

Game MVPs - Nahziah Carter (Bishop Kearney)  &  Dominick Welch (Cheektowaga)

Point Totals

Bishop Kearney:  Nahziah Carter 23, Patrick Thomas 19, Tyker Harley 11, Sheldon Adams 8, Shykell Brown 6

Cheektowaga:  Dominick Welch 29, Adrian Baugh 13, Vaughn Burdette 9, Rudy Bragg 6, Alex Bryant 2

 

Amherst 62, East 60

One of the best games of the Classic went back-and-forth for most of the afternoon, with no team ever leading by more than eight points.  There were 12 lead changes, five ties, and it was a one-point game after the first quarter and at halftime.  The Tigers used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to go up 43-35 and led by six heading to the fourth quarter.

 

East came back to re-take the lead early in the fourth, before the 10-1 run used by Amherst to create the separation needed to close out the Panthers.  

 

Marcellus Cooper had a pair of soaring finishes in the same minute of the game.  The first came off a baseline drive and ended with a two-handed finish in front of the rim.  The second was an 'And 1' tomahawk jam in the lane.  Both were contested by the Panthers' defense, but to no avail.

 

Willard Anderson has added some bulk and his game has taken a big step forward.  The junior netted a game-high 28 points and was stellar throughout on both ends.  East looks like they will be an extremely tough out in Class C.

 

Amherst has plenty to work with this season and is the type of team that will be vastly improved by season's end.  Jordan Barr, Richard Kay, and Will Alfieri were all impressive and will be solid in the Tigers' rotation along with Cooper and Da'Shawn Hines.

 

Game MVPs - Marcellus Cooper (Amherst)  &  Willard Anderson (East)

Point Totals

Amherst:  Marcellus Cooper 16, Da'Shawn Hines 12, Richard Kay 9, Will Alfieri 8, Jordan Barr 8, Brian Fulford 5, Jake Funderburk 4

East:  Willard Anderson 28, Justin Allen 12, Shawndale Williams 7, Taijuan Littlejohn 6, Waunya Shaw 4, Anthony Stevens 1

 

Nichols 60, Wilson 48

The Vikings took a 22-10 early in the second quarter with a 14-0 run that was sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers by will Johnson late in the opening frame.  Nichols took a 36-22 lead into halftime and never allowed the Lakemen to get any closer than six points the rest of the way.

 

Wilson won the third quarter, 15-8, sticking three triples - two from Jonah Miller and the other from Justin Daul, who plays his tail off and gives his team a strong athletic presence.  Eight points in the fourth quarter from sophomore Steven Frerichs got the Lakemen within six, 52-46, with just over two minutes to play.

 

However, Myles Hervey really came to life down the stretch for Nichols and canned 11 of his 15 points in the final quarter and was key to the Vikings being able to seal Wilson's fate.  Antonio Jones had a big first half for Nichols, while junior point guard TJ Banaszak was steady all game.

 

Game MVPs - Will Johnson (Nichols)  &  Justin Daul (Wilson)

Point Totals

Nichols:  Will Johnson 19, Myles Hervey 15, Antonio Jones 9, TJ Banaszak 9, Aidan Horan 8

Wilson:  Justin Daul 13, Steven Frerichs 11, Jonah Miller 9, Connor Seeley 5, Steve Lewis 4, Nate Fox 3, Jared Carney 2, Kevin Skavinsky 1

 

Park 55, Niagara Falls 50 in OT

(Park's Joe Jones is defended by Tyler Sanders of Falls/Photo: Larry Scheur)

The headliner from night one was played in front of a raucous crowd that had plenty to be excited about for four quarters...and then some.  The season opener for both teams was also the highly anticipated debut of the 'Big Three' for the Pioneers.  While the team has zero seniors on its roster, Park does feature a starting lineup that includes three underclassmen, Joe Jones, Daniel Scott, and Noah Hutchins, with Division I offers.  Park needed overtime to put away a Niagara Falls team lacks the notable star power on the Pioneers' roster, but never backed down and made Park play a physical, defensive affair for 37 minutes.  

 

"Two freshmen play a lot, the rest are sophomores & juniors,"  Park coach Michael Battaglia said following the win.  "In a game like this with this atmosphere, first game of the year - it's a hard thing for them and I thought they really handled the adversity well and I'm proud of these kids."

 

Scott wasted no time introducing himself to the crowd, slamming the ball home off the opening tip.  After taking a 12-6 lead in the opening quarter, Falls responded with nine straight points to take a lead it would hold onto until midway through the final stanza.  An 8-0 run from Park got them back on top with 1:32 left in the game.  

 

However, Tazaun Rose sank seven free throws in the final 90 seconds of regulation for Falls to force the extra session.

 

Brandon Smith connected from downtown right away in overtime and followed it was another quick bucket to put the Pioneers up by five, who never allowed a field goal by Falls over the game's last ten minutes.  Marques Lowe scored a team-high 11 points for Park in the win.

 

"We can play better, that's for sure," Battaglia said. "But they can play better too, they were missing one of their best players."

 

Game MVPs - Joe Jones (Park)  &  Tazaun Rose (Niagara Falls)

Point Totals

Park:  Marques Lowe 11, Daniel Scott 10, Noah Hutchins 10, Joe Jones 9, Brandon Smith 9, Quentin Nnagbo 4, John Orogun 2

Niagara Falls:  Tazaun Rose 16, Charles Lamar 7, Tyler Sanders 5, Devin Sanders 5, Jamel Burton 5, Cortese Myles 4, Quaran Dubois 3, Rodderick Arrington 3, Marquise Miller 2

 

Williamsville North 47, Medina 35

The Mustangs looked like they were game to run with Class AA Williamsville North during the game's first eight minutes, before allowing 19-2 run by the Spartans that gave them a commanding 30-11 lead.  Medina junior Jalin Cooper heated up in the second half and finished with a game-high 18 points, but was the only steady offense for Medina.

 

North was excellent on the defensive end throughout, limiting the transition game of Medina and making life especially difficult in half court sets.  The Spartans were also patient offensively and used their offense to create sound scoring opportunities.  Corey Swiech and Joseph Nusall shared team-high scoring honors with 11 points apiece.

 

Game MVPs - Corey Swiech (Williamsville North)  &  Jalin Cooper (Medina)

Point Totals

North:  Corey Swiech 11, Joseph Nusall 11, Jairus Huggins 9, Ryan Johnston 7, Jonathan Abaya 6, Anthony Maniscalco 3

Medina:  Jalin Cooper 18, Mason Lewis 5, Johnny Salone 4, Tyrellis Atkins 4, Brendan Luthart 3, Izaiah Rhim 2

 

 

Depew 65, Niagara Catholic 51

Chad Biersbach got his junior campaign started with a record-setting performance and grabbed the attention of anyone who wasn't familiar with the Wildcat who is now in his fourth varsity season.  Biersbach scored at least nine points in every quarter, banged seven 3-pointers, and finished with a Cataract City Classic scoring record of 43 points.  

 

Depew trailed only once in the game, 2-1 in the opening minute.  They spent most of the second half with a lead ranging from about 10-12 points, as the hot hand of Biersbach never allowed the Patriots to make a serious push.

 

Niagara Catholic has three young players that should come along nicely as the season progresses in Jaden Turner, Thomas Owens, and Jaemon Turner.  The team's top returning player from last season, Nick Krupp, scored a team-high 12 points, despite not being at 100%.

 

Game MVPs - Chad Biersbach (Depew)  & Thomas Owens (Niagara Catholic)

Point Totals

Depew:  Chad Biersbach 43, Eric Jarrett 6, Tyler Biersbach 5, Jacob Mlodozeniec 4, Jordan Ciesielski 2, John Mietus 2, Sean Miller 2, Austin Pilley 1

Niagara Catholic:  Nick Krupp 12, Thomas Owens 8, Jonathan Phillips 8, Roman Wright 6, Jaden Turner 6, Jaemon Turner 5, Kashus Bradley 2, Harrison Abramaitys 2

 

-centercourt

Comments

[section6observer]

Thoughts on Classic

Park is possibly the worst coached team in WNY. Last year they should have never lost to a game in WNY and the game with the falls should not have been that close, considering the individual talent Park has(although Falls is a tough team). It is a disservice to the kids that play but if Park is content with its coaching they will keep being a team that will never reach its potential.

Welch is special , too bad he does not have the supporting class to really have a chance to be a state champ.

Anderson of East equally impressive very good talent.

Rose from falls outplayed some kids with high reps Friday night, where did he come from?

Cooper may be the best athlete in WNY basketball.

[JZ]

Is this the same UPrep team that lost huge to Albion and also to Buff Science in the previous weekend's Buf-Roc Shootout according to the scores in the Buff News? Doesn't seem possible.

[Big Daddy]

Not the same Prep as played at Albion. This U-Prep squad is loaded and their star player is a dominant star. Niagara Falls deserves all the credit in the world for coming back and winning that game.

[JZ]

Thought so. Thanks. The other one is Roch Prep then.