(Avion Harris looks to move the ball for Niagara Catholic)
Niagara Catholic 64, Cardinal O'Hara 50
A competitive first half and a one-point game at the break gave way to a big second half for Niagara Catholic. Big runs for the Patriots, aided by poor shooting and shot selection by the Hawks quickly swung the game in favor of the visitors, after host Cardinal O'Hara had collected a pair of important wins on the road at St. Mary's and Nichols in its prior games. Haakim Siner scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the second half and was a force on the glass, piling up 18 rebounds in the win. Jalen Bradberry was consistent throughout and scored 18 points, along with eight boards. The outcome of the game left Niagara Catholic, Cardinal O'Hara, and St. Mary's all with one loss apiece against Class B foes in the MMA.
Niagara Catholic 20 - 7 - 19 - 18 = 64
Cardinal O'Hara 9 - 17 - 12 - 12 = 50
Point Totals
Niagara Catholic: Haakim Siner 19, Jalen Bradberry 18, Jaemon Turner 10, Avion Harris 8, Mehki Starks 7, Roman Wright 2
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 17, Nasir Benton 11, Yehshua Lee 10, Jermaine Haynes 6, Jaedin Cottman 6
Records
Niagara Catholic: 10-2, 4-1 / Next game vs. Timon on Friday January 19th
Cardinal O'Hara: 5-6, 2-2 / Next game at Walsh on Friday, January 19th
Player of the Game
Haakim Siner - Niagara Catholic
Unsung Hero of the Game
Mehki Starks - Niagara Catholic
Key Runs
Niagara Catholic had spurts of 7-0 & 8-0 in the opening quarter to take an early 20-9 lead. Cardinal O'Hara answered with a 12-1 stretch that tied the game at 21-21. A 14-0 burst in the third quarter swung the game open for Niagara Catholic, putting them up 43-30 and they added runs of 8-0 and 10-0 in the final stanza to seal the victory.
Key Stats
Niagara Catholic: Haakim Siner 18 rebounds & 3 steals / Jalen Bradberry 8 rebounds & 3 steals / Mehki Starks 3 steals
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 16 rebounds
3-Pointers
Niagara Catholic (1): Jalen Bradberry
Cardinal O'Hara (6): Nasir Benton (3), Yehshua Lee (2), Justin Hemphill
#BOOM
Haakim Siner had a breakaway flush for the Patriots
Random Smatterings
- The Patriots got almost all of their points close to the basket.
- Jalen Bradberry gets his shot off so fast.
- Bradberry came out fired up for the game last night. So was Mehki Starks. Avion Harris is always fired up and a fun player to watch.
- Mehki Starks makes some freshman mistakes, but his non-scoring contributions more than make up for them. So quick, defensive, and aggressive - he's the type of player that opposing teams must hate going against.
- I like watching Niagara Catholic because they all play like they have something to prove. They play fast and it makes basketball fun to watch. It doesn't hurt that they're all talented.
- There's not many players in WNY that could out-rebound Justin Hemphill - he is a special combination of size, talent, and springs inside. But the Hawks need him playing closer to the basket more often at the offensive end. When Niagara Catholic built its third quarter lead playing zone, Hemphill was out on the perimeter more than under the basket or the high post.
- Nasir Benton is putting together a very solid senior campaign at O'Hara. He's understated, focused, and the team's most consistent player.
- The MMA Class B is going to be a fun race to the finish.
-centercourt
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