(Former teammates Julian Cunningham & Bo Sireika were reunited on Friday)
Timon 82, St. Francis 66
Less than 45 seconds into the game, Timon had a 6-0 lead thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Alero World & Julian Cunningham. The pair would each add two more treys apiece in the opening frame as the Tigers took a commanding 25-11 lead after eight minutes, never allowing the Red Raiders within single digits for the rest of the game. Cunningham scored a game-high 26 points against his former team and got plenty of help from World (15 points) and Master Radford (19 points). The Twin Towers once again altered the game with their presence inside. Timon led by as many as 23 points in the game, thanks to contributions from every player who saw time in the game. Tahron Goudelock was a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line, and John Shields & Cullen Tonge struck from downtown.
Point Totals
Timon: Julian Cunningham 26, Master Radford 19, Alero World 15, Tahron Goudelock 10, John Shields 6, Cullen Tonge 3, Luke Issa 2, Joey Rozeski 1
St. Francis: Bo Sireika 21, David Bartholomew 16, Justin Poumpey 10, Dorion Ivey 9, Josh Palmer 5, Noah Unger 3, Lucas Theisen 2
Records
Timon: 13-2, 4-1 / Next game vs. St. Mary's Monday, January 29th
St. Francis: 9-8, 3-3 / Next game vs. Niagara Catholic Monday, January 29th
Player of the Game
Julian Cunningham - Timon
Unsung Hero of the Game
Cullen Tonge - Timon
Key Stats
Timon: Alero World 12 rebounds & 3 of 4 from downtown / Master Radford 11 rebounds & 9 blocks / Julian Cunningham 5 assists & 4 rebounds / Tahron Goudelock 10 of 10 on free throws
Key Runs
Timon took leads of 6-0, 18-7, and 25-11 in the opening quarter. In the fourth quarter, an 11-2 run gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 68-45.
3-Pointers
Timon (10): Alero World (4), Julian Cunningham (3), John Shields (2), Cullen Tonge
St. Francis (12): David Bartholomew (4), Bo Sireika (3), Dorion Ivey (2), Josh Palmer, Noah Unger, Justin Poumpey
#BOOM
I might have lost count, but I know Master Radford rocked the rim at least four times.
Coaches Quotes
Jason Rowe - Timon
On the hot shooting start
The guys did a very good job of executing and that was the shot that was open. I've told the guys from day one - if you're open, shoot it. That's how you build your confidence. Fortunately for us, they were going in.
On Cunningham & Radford
Those guys have been excellent for us all year and I'm very proud of them. Master is our 'Ray Lewis', he's our defensive guy on the back line.
On Cunningham going against his former team
We talked about it and one thing I told him was control your emotions. I've been in this situation before and told him just play how you've been playing and everything will happen. If you start pressing too much, you'll get yourself in trouble. Just play how you play and I thought he did an excellent job of that today.
On Alero World's 3-point shooting
We knew that and we work on that all the time. Alero is a 6-7 inside/outside player. He's not a "big man", he's not a "post player", he's like a stretch four and makes it difficult for teams to matchup with him because he can do those things.
Brian Ferris - St. Francis
On Timon
Such a tough matchup, those guys. They've got such an inside presence and I know better than anybody what they have on the outside. You've got to pick your poison with those guys. They made their first seven threes...not much you can do about that.
On the return of Bo Sireika from injury
For a kid who hasn't played in two weeks, I was happy with his activity. It was good to see the way he moved - he never came out.
On coaching against his former point guard, Julian Cunningham
He's doing well and played great tonight. He's the Juice that I remember.
Player Quote
Julian Cunningham - Timon
On facing his former team
I have a lot of friends on that team, but at the end of the day, they've still got to come out and compete with us.
Random Smatterings
- If it's not becoming clear to the casual fan who follows along at home, Julian Cunningham is a really good point guard. His accomplishments as a sophomore last season are well known, he earned a fourth straight win over Park earlier this season, his Tigers are a top 10 team in NYS Class A this season (forget the biased rankings you see every Tuesday), and his former team doesn't look the same without him.
- No one really knew in the preseason how Timon would be, and there was good reason for that. The program lost several players from last season's rotation and was like the secret service when I was seeking preseason information. But we know now. They are an elite program in WNY and head coach Jason Rowe has been exceptional in his first season.
- Cullen Tonge was on the Timon roster last season, but not part of the regular rotation in competitive games. This year, he has been the first player off the bench for the Tigers and contributes in every game. Two moments in the win over St. Francis that stood out were a charge he drew, along with watching him layout for a loose ball.
- The Timon student section, known as The Militia, can be pretty tough on opposing teams and coaches. It's good to see there are still some fans that can bring the heat and tow the line a bit, because it reminds me of when rowdy student sections used to be the norm. Keep up the good work!
- Bo Sireika returned to action after missing a couple weeks due to an injury that has bothered him for a while. As the game wore on, he seemed to become more and more aggressive. Then after the game I saw him and he looked sore to say the least. Once he's all the way back, it should make a huge difference for the Red Raiders.
- Sophomore David Bartholomew had a game worthy of some praise for St. Francis. At 6-5, he was asked to bang inside with the Twin Towers, but also showed he offers a little stretch four, knocking down a game-high four 3-pointers. He's going to be a good one for Frannies.
- St. Francis' Justin Poumpey took over the reins at the point for Julian Cunningham when he left for Timon. He's a different type of player than Juice and it's unfair to compare most guards in WNY to Cunningham, but I've been really impressed with the way he brings it every time I've seen the Red Raiders play.
- The rematch is Friday, February 16th at St. Francis.
-centercourt
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