Salamanca's Lucus Brown battles a Fredonia participant for possession throughout Friday's CCAA West Division 1 boys basketball recreation at Fredonia Excessive Faculty. PJ Photograph by Braden Carmen
FREDONIA — Senior Evening at all times offers athletes a reminiscence they'll always remember.
Friday evening was that, after which some, for the Fredonia Hillbillies.
In a rematch of final season's Part VI Class B2 championship at Buffalo State College, Fredonia adopted an eerily related script en path to a victory over the Salamanca Warriors.
Fredonia hit Salamanca early and sometimes to construct a 32-point halftime result in lead the Hillbillies to a 77-61 victory in a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Affiliation Division 1 West boys basketball recreation at Fredonia Excessive Faculty.
“I informed the seniors earlier than the sport that this is able to probably be their final house recreation. … To go on the market and play the way in which they did, it's a testomony to the 12 guys (on the group),” Fredonia head coach Nick Bertrando stated. “It's the picture that everyone sees on recreation evening, nevertheless it's the rehearsal that occurs in observe and right here daily.”
Fredonia's Colin Luce defends Salamanca's Lucus Brown throughout Friday's CCAA Division 1 West boys basketball recreation at Fredonia Excessive Faculty. PJ Photograph by Braden Carmen
Final season's championship recreation obtained off to a shiny begin for Fredonia as effectively, with the Hillbillies holding a 28-11 lead by means of simply over 10 minutes of motion. In nearly precisely the identical timeframe Friday, Fredonia (12-6, 6-Three) led 29-Eight with 5:03 left within the first half as an Ashton Putney discipline objective set Salamanca (14- four, Eight-1). ) to name a timeout.
It didn't actually assist.
Fredonia stored taking pictures and the ball stored falling by means of the nylon. By halftime, Fredonia held a 47-15 benefit over Salamanca with 10 three-pointers.
“You're not going to cease them after they play like that, however you possibly can restrict it, and we didn't end with two excessive fingers. We didn't speak defensively,” Salamanca head coach Adam Bennett stated. “We have been caught up within the surroundings and we have been caught up in the way in which they have been taking part in.”
Senior Mike Hahn led the Hillbillies with six of his 10 pictures from past the arc within the first half. “As soon as I hit the primary ones, I began letting it fly. They fell and it felt good,” Hahn stated.
“Mike spent a whole lot of time within the health club. He's a child who labored his tail off to grow to be the shooter that he’s, however extra importantly, the person that he’s and continues to grow to be,” Bertrando stated.
Salamanca, which finally fell to Fredonia 58-54 to finish its season final yr, obtained revenge earlier this season at house with a 75-47 victory. That began Fredonia's three-game shedding streak. The sport in Salamanca was nearly the other of Friday's in Fredonia, with the Warriors flipping the script to seemingly make no errors within the first half en path to a simple victory.
After that three-game shedding streak to Fredonia, nonetheless, the Hillbillies had back-to-back hits in league play in opposition to Dunkirk and Southwestern getting into Friday's contest.
As was the case your complete first half, Fredonia stated, “Let's make it three.”
“They are surely the group to beat within the league. There's slightly additional motivation once we play them,” Hahn stated. “… We all know that if we come out and play our greatest, we are able to compete with any group and beat any group that we face.”
“Initially, they get all of the credit score. Nick (Bertrando) is such coach. We knew that the way in which issues went in Salamanca, they might be extraordinarily motivated,” Bennett stated.
Earlier than Friday's loss, Salamanca had its personal spectacular current 10-game profitable streak, together with a victory over the defending Class C state champion Randolph Cardinals. Salamanca was undefeated in league play with only one week left within the common season, with the CCAA Division 1 West crown already clinched.
“Truthfully, that is the most effective factor that might occur to us,” Bennett stated of Friday's loss. “We've been taking part in effectively for a very long time and we'll learn the way rapidly we be taught from adversity like this.”
Salamanca's comeback already started within the second half on Friday, because the Warriors responded from a 32-point halftime deficit by reducing the margin in half on the closing buzzer. Lucus Brown, one of many main scorers in Part VI, responded to zero factors within the first quarter and simply 4 factors within the first half by scoring 21 factors within the second half to match his 25 Hahn. . The Warriors outscored the Hillbillies 46-30 within the second half.
“I used to be very happy with how we got here again within the second half. We performed lots higher basketball within the second half,” Bennett stated. “We had each purpose to mail it in and none of those guys did. They performed exhausting till the ultimate whistle. That is a kind of moments the place hopefully, once we look again, when the season is all stated and performed, this would be the level the place we actually discovered who we’re. If the second half is any indication, I'll take my boys over anyone.”
Lucus Brown led Salamanca with 25 factors, whereas Avery Brown and Maddox Isaac every added 14 factors.
Fredonia was led by two starters, Mike Hahn and Davion White, who mixed for 49 factors within the win. Hahn completed with seven Three-pointers and 25 factors. Luca Gullo added 11 factors for Fredonia, 10 of which got here within the second half as the remainder of the Hillbillies struggled to attain.
Nevertheless it didn't appear to matter what lead the Hillbillies constructed on the backs of their seniors. From a 10-2 run with all 5 seniors on the ground to start out the sport, to a closing rating with this system's two most skilled members main the way in which with a mixed 49 factors, Senior Evening was a celebration of the Class of 2024 . .
“It was a giant win,” Hahn stated. “Undoubtedly an evening us seniors will at all times keep in mind.”
“Because the seniors got here out and I hugged them, I informed them how a lot I appreciated them,” Bertrando stated. “… I admire every little thing they've performed to proceed this very proud custom that now we have right here with the Fredonia boys basketball program.”
Subsequent up, Fredonia wraps up its league season Tuesday on the highway in opposition to Olean. Fredonia travels to Lewiston-Porter to shut out the common season on Thursday.
Salamanca wraps up its league season Tuesday at house in opposition to Southwestern, then hosts Frontier on Thursday to wrap up the common season.
SALAMANCA (61)
Herrick zero zero zero, Bradley zero zero zero, Isaac 5 2 14, ABrown 6 2 14, Ross zero zero zero, LBrown 9 6 25, Holleran 2 zero four, Trietley 2 zero four. Totals 24 10 61.
FREDONIA (77)
Hahn 7 four 25, Ferguson zero zero zero, Dowdy zero zero zero, Gullo 2 7 11, Quinn 1 zero 2, Koopman 1 zero Three, Discipline zero zero zero, Putney Three zero 7, Corridor 1 1 Three, White 11 zero 24, Lincoln zero zero zero, Luce 1 zero 2. Totals 27 12 77.
Three-point objectives – Isaac 2, Brown, Hahn 7, Koopman, Putney, White 2.
Salamanca 6 9 22 24 — 61
Fredonia 16 31 16 14 — 77