The Section Five boys’ basketball A1 Final Four is set with games to tipoff Tuesday night at Webster-Schroeder High School. Winners will meet Saturday at Fairport High School. Here’s the rundown.
No. 1 seed IRONDEQUOIT (19-1/Monroe County Division 2) vs. No. 4 seed BROCKPORT (15-6/Monroe County Division 3)
How they got here: Alex Goldsberry poured in 22 points. Gerald Drumgoole had 13, and Irondequoit, ranked No. 2 NYS, advanced to a sectional semi-final for the the fifth straight season with a 68-37 victory over Greece Arcadia.
Antonio Alvarez scored 19, and Jake Juhrs had 11 to lead Brockport over Pittsford-Mendon, 48-41.
The last time they met in the post-season: Kyle Naperiala, Wyatt Smith and Tyler Stenglein led the way as then No. 1-seed Irondequoit beat then No. 8-seed Brockport, 66-44 to advance to the 2013 AA2 semi-final. That Eagles team eventually lost in the finals to Greece Athena.
Players to watch for Irondequoit: Zach Stenglein (13.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 2.5 steals, 7.3 deflections, 3:1 assist-turnover ratio), Gerald Drumgoole (13.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, 4.5 deflections, 50.0 FG percentage), Alex Goldsberry (12.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Tysean Sizer (10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.5 deflections) and Jeremiah Zitz (5.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.4 deflections, 1.5 blocked shots).
Players to watch for Brockport: Antonio Alvarez – 1,000 point career scorer and Amire Odey.
Trends: Irondequoit has won seven straight, and the Eagles’ only loss of the season came in the first game after Stenglein went down with a high-ankle sprain. The senior point guard has since returned. Irondequoit won the 2011 AA2 title.
Brockport won three straight and four of five to end the regular season. The Blue Devils last won a sectional title in 1968 when the Blue Devils claimed the AA crown.
An 8:15 pm tipoff is scheduled.
No. 2 seed GREECE ATHENA (18-3/Monroe County Division 3) vs. No. 3 seed EAST HIGH (15-6/RCAC Division A).
How they got here: Ryan Kubanka recorded a double-double (16 points/13 rebounds), and Greece Athena erased a double-digit deficit to beat Brighton, 51-41. Pat Meisenzahl and Kenny Speed scored 10 apiece in the win.
Windell Lucas scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead East over Canandaigua, 46-43. Lucas added four steals and two blocks. Teammate Zion Morrison had 23 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
The last time they met in the post-season: Deion Hamilton, Anthony Lamb, Jay Sarkis and Braxton Wilson led then No. 2-seed Athena past Dontay Caruthers and then No. 3-seed East, 72-63 in the 2013 AA2 semi-finals. Athena went on to win the 2013 title.
Players to watch – Greece Athena: Nigel Scantlebury (15.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4 rpg, 6.0 deflections, 2.0 steals, 45.5 FG percentage, 41.6 3-point FG percentage and 79.0 Free Throw percentage), Kenny Speed (12.4 ppg, 2.0 apg, 3 rpg, 5.5 deflections, 2.0 steals), Chad Scorse (9 ppg, 6 rpg, 49.0 3-point FG percentage), Patrick Meisenzahl (8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 38.o 3-point FG percentage, 3.6:1 assist to turnover rate) and Ryan Kubanka (9 ppg, 8 rpg, 2.0 blocks, 47.0 FG percentage).
Players to watch – East High: Zion Morrison (24.8 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.0 steals – 1,000 point career scorer), Windell Lucas (20.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 steals – 1,000 point career scorer) and Javar Collier (11.2 ppg, 6.0 steals and 8.0 rebounds).
Trends: No. 19 NYS Athena closed the season winning two straight and four of five. Under former coach Jim Johnson, the Trojans won the 2103 and 2015 A1 titles as well the 2014 AA championship. The Trojans have won eight Section Five titles all-time.
No. 18 NYS, East won two of three to close the season. Their loss in the middle came on the road to a resurgent McQuaid team. East took the 2014 A1 title along with the 2010 and 2012 AA2 crowns. The Eagles hold the all-time record with 24 Section Five titles.
A 6:30 pm tipoff is scheduled.
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