By Aaron Smith
ROCHESTER, NY – Vince Kazmierczak scored seven of his team high 19 points in the last two minutes of the game, as Niagara County Community College held on to beat the Monroe Community College Tribunes 83-79 in WYNAC action Wednesday night on George Monagan Court.
Isaiah Jefferson (Buffalo, NY/ Buffalo East) scored a game high 20 points and Andre Armstrong (Queens, NY/Notre Dame Prep) contributed 18 in a losing cause for the Tribs.
Isaiah Johnson and Connor Vandegriff each contributed 16 for the visiting Thunderwolves.
The Tribunes got the scoring started at the 18:31 on a nifty give and go between Jefferson and Eddie Callender(Philadelphia, PA/Lankenau). Callender started the play pushing the ball up the floor and finding Jefferson ahead on the wing. Jefferson promptly returned the ball and the 6-7 freshman finished with the strong layup.
Teams would trade baskets for the first eight minutes of the game as the pace was frantic. After a Black and Gold 30 second timeout , Kenny Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/ Abington Friends) found a cutting Arnold Fripp Jr. (Brooklyn, NY/ Brooklyn Collegiate) along the baseline for a two handed throw down and a 23-21 lead.
The Thunderwolves immediately responded as Kazmierczak caught the ball out on the wing, drove to his right, and hit a short baseline jumper, to give Niagara CC a brief 24-23 lead.
The Tribunes quickly grabbed the lead back when Jefferson found Callender for the old-fashioned three point play, the Black and Gold led, 31-26.
After a missed basket in the waning seconds of the first half, Armstrong grabbed the rebound, drove the length of the floor and finished the acrobatic lay-up. The ensuing free throw capped the three point play.
More importantly the play snapped a 14-4 run by the Thunderwolves as teams headed to their respective locker rooms with Niagara County Community College leading 40-38.
The Thunderwolves immediately got the scoring started in the second stanza when Lorenzo Joseph found a wide open Kazmierczak for a three ball and a 43-38 lead.
The Black and Gold continued to fight back and when Jefferson ripped the ball from a Kazmierczak’s hands for the easy lay-up and one, the lead was cut to 45-43.
The back and forth pace continued. An Armstrong trifecta from the corner brought the Tribunes within three, 65-62.
After the Thunderwolves extended the lead back to five, Fripp Jr. took an inbounds pass, spun in the lane and hit the short jumper for a chance at the three point play. The free throw cut the lead to 67-65.
After a Niagara County miss, Callender grabbed the rebound, drove the length of the floor and missed the lay-up attempt. Jefferson grabbed the offensive board for the bucket and one. The free throw gave the Tribunes their first lead since the middle of the first half, 68-67.
But the Thunderwolves would not be denied and when Vandercliff came off a screen at the foul line for a catch and finish; Niagara Community regained the lead.
Next trip down Kazmiercza hit his fifth three-pointer on the night in front of visiting team’s bench, sparking off a celebration on the bench. It would be a lead that Niagara County would never relinquish.
Monroe drops to 16-13 on the season. The Tribs are home for the regular season finale as they host Jameston CC. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
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