By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A power outage closed Fairport schools on Wednesday. The electrical failure nearly extended to the basketball court later that night.
Cam Keeley and Dan Masino combined to score 30 points, and the Red Raiders defeated the Bishop Kearney Kings, 58-46 in the Class AA semifinal at Blue Cross Arena.
Keeley sparked a decisive run which saw Fairport score on eight straight third-quarter possessions.
“Our ball movement got a little bit better in that stretch, so we got some pretty good looks,” Fairport coach Scott Fitch said. “We’re capable of shooting it very well.”
Keeley’s three from the top of the arc brought Fairport out of a trough which saw the Red Raiders score on just one out of 14 possessions – a stretch that started in the second quarter, carried over to the third and included five turnovers.
“It was painful, very painful,” Fitch said of the drought. “I don’t think we played our brand of basketball tonight. I feel like we were just lucky that we were tough enough to kinda grit out a tough game. But we definitely didn’t play pretty.”
Matt Muncey and Masino followed with 3-pointers the next two trips down the floor. Keeley’s turnaround in the lane capped a run which saw the Red Raiders turn a four-point halftime edge into a 14-point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
“It definitely wasn’t the best game of ours for sure, but part of that is their defense too. Give them credit,” Fitch said of Bishop Kearney. “If the ball doesn’t move, then we don’t get open looks, and we’re just not going to be able to create one on one. I feel like in the stretches we scored well, the ball moved and we moved. When it didn’t, we were very stagnant.”
Fairport opened the game on fire and needed just seven minutes to grab a double-digit advantage. Ryan Algier converted a rebound and putback. Masino scored in the paint then found Dan Gable cutting for two. Gable followed with a drive from the wing, upfake and finish. TJ Hendricks grabbed a loose ball then scored and Fairport led 19-8 on their way to a 21-10 advantage after eight minutes.
“It definitely helped settle the nerves a little bit,” Fitch said. “First time in the Blue Cross this year, so I’m very proud of the kids.”
Bishop Kearney whittled away at the deficit.
Shykell Brown hit a pair of jumpers early in the second. Patrick Thomas hauled in a rebound and found Nahziah Carter on a leak out, and Carter closed the half with a three from the right corner.
Fairport led going into the locker room, 26-22.
“When you’re playing a team like Kearney that’s so explosive, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop a little bit,” Fitch stated. “You never feel comfortable.”
Masino finished with 18 points on 5-of-12 from the field and six of seven from the free throw line. The senior guard handed out a game-high six assists and collected four of Fairport’s nine steals.
Keeley scored 12 and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Fairport outrebounded Bishop Kearney 32-29 and had a 9-3 advantage in second-chance points.
The Red Raiders forced 12 BK turnovers and outscored the Kings 12-4 in points off mishandles.
After connecting on just one of six attempts from behind the arc in the first half, the Red Raiders hit five of 11 in the final 16 minutes.
Carter led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting. The senior guard/forward, who will continue his career at the University of Dayton, corralled a game-high 10 rebounds.
Bishop Kearney (16-7) never got any closer than seven points in the fourth quarter.
Bishop Kearney was assessed a technical foul during pre-game warmups for dunking the ball. Masino converted both free throws.
The win was the third straight for Fairport over Kearney. The Red Raiders took a 74-58 decision earlier this season. Fairport beat BK 46-44 in last year’s semi-final.
The game was delayed at halftime to replace the nets.
Fairport (21-1) moves on to play UPrep in Monday’s final. An 8:15 pm tipoff was scheduled.
FAIRPORT 58, BISHOP KEARNEY 46
BISHOP KEARNEY (16-7)
Nahziah Carter 12-22 3-4 28; Shykell Brown 3-9 0-0 6; Jamal Fennell 2-4 1-2
5; Patrick Thomas 1-3 3-4 5; Sheldon Adams 0-7 2-4 2; Jakarri Buckner 0-0
0-0 0; Kaleb Smothers 0-0 0-0 0; Tyke’r Harley 0-2 0-0 0; Kevin Goode Jr.
0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-47 9-14 46.
FAIRPORT (21-1)
Dan Masino 5-12 6-7 18; Cam Keeley 5-11 0-0 12; Stephen Gabel 3-8 1-2 7;
Ryan Algier 3-7 0-0 6; Jordan Holmes 2-3 1-2 6; Matt Muncey 2-3 0-2 5; TJ
Hendricks 1-3 0-0 2; Tommy Farina 0-0 2-2 2; Nick Kennedy 0-0 0-0 0; Connor
Stoutz 0-0 0-0 0; Thomas Arao 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 21-47 10-17 58.
Bishop Kearney……………. 10 12 13 11 – 46
Fairport…………………. 21 5 23 9 – 58
3-point goals–Bishop Kearney 1-12 (Nahziah Carter 1-2; Shykell Brown 0-2;
Sheldon Adams 0-6; Tyke’r Harley 0-2), Fairport 6-17 (Cam Keeley 2-7; Dan
Masino 2-5; Matt Muncey 1-1; Jordan Holmes 1-1; TJ Hendricks 0-1; Stephen
Gabel 0-2). Fouled out–Bishop Kearney-None, Fairport-None. Rebounds–Bishop
Kearney 29 (Nahziah Carter 10), Fairport 32 (Cam Keeley 7). Assists–Bishop
Kearney 7 (Shykell Brown 2; Nahziah Carter 2), Fairport 11 (Dan Masino 6).
Total fouls–Bishop Kearney 14, Fairport 13. Technical fouls–Bishop
Kearney-Shykell Brown, Fairport-None. A-3000
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