By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Connor Krapf finished with a season-high 18 points and paced a decisive second-quarter run as the Pittford Mendon Vikings won their fourth straight game with a 68-49 victory over the Edison Tech Inventors in the 2017 Hilton Holiday Hall of Fame Tournament.
Krapf poured in 12 points during an 18-4 run as the Vikings took a commanding lead that they did not surrender.
“He has a good sense of knowing when to go to the hoop,” Mendon coach Bob Nally said. “He’s good at finishing. He’s a lefty. A lot of people think when he’s going to the left he’s not going to be able to get a good quality shot. He tends to get a good look at the glass. When his eyes are on the rim, he’s really good at finishing.”
The junior guard converted a pair of steals into layups and then caught Edison extending its defensive pressure and got to the rim for another bucket. By the time, the 6-foot junior guard hit his first 3-pointer of the night, Mendon led 26-13.
“We were looking to push the ball because we knew we could get out in transition and get by them,” Krapf explained. “I was able to find an open lane a couple times and get into a gap.”
Averaging 9.6 points per game coming into the contest, Krapf topped doubled figures for the fourth straight game.
Connor Krapf gets the hurt and harm. At the half: @mendonbball 36 Edison Tech 25 pic.twitter.com/fgWLi80Con
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 29, 2017
“The best offense tonight was us just pushing it,” Nally explained. “We weren’t finding anything in the half court. Connor was really good with that.”
Slowed by foul trouble in the first half, Daniel Cook scored the first six points of the second half. The junior forward then set up Michael Harrington for a bucket, and Krapf connected again from long range for a 47-29 Mendon lead.
Matt Powers closed the stanza with a layup to give Mendon its largest lead of the day 60-32.
Cook finished the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Harrington also added 14 to go with eight rebounds.
“Mike Harrington stepped up big today,” Nally said. “He hit some big free throws, made some big buckets for us. That’s something he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of averaging double figures.”
Powers scored six points.
Krapf had five assists.
Edison Tech’s Alton Knights led all scorers with 20 points.
Other scorers: Edison Tech – Jeremiah Caldwell (3), Marquan Anderson (9), Demetrius Allen (4), Ryziere Wilson (2), Arandus Bumphis (3), Tristan Flowers (4) and Da’Shawn Sims-Jones (4). Mendon – Michael Kneuer (6), Charles Bennett (4) and Nathan Strauf (5).
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