Jones, Slack and Gates-Chili get statement win

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Keith Slack has been playing varsity basketball at Gates-Chili High School since the ninth grade. Friday night, the junior guard walked off the floor for the first time with a victory against Fairport.

The watershed moment could have touched off a wild reaction. Instead the post-game celebration took on a subdued air. Sure, there were smiles and high fives going around, but the prevailing gesture Slack and his Spartan teammates shared were nods of acknowledgment.

“I feel like we can do anything,” Slack said after Gates-Chili’s 82-66 victory over Fairport, Friday night. “We beat the best team in our division and probably in Section Five. I feel like we can beat any team in Section Five now.”

Few in attendance Friday night could argue with the 5-foot-9 guard. Gates-Chili led 17-13 after the first quarter. Traylan McCray drilled a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Spartans a double-digit advantage at 27-17 midway through the second stanza. The Spartans still led by 10 at half.

Slack’s wing drive and floater early in the third made it a 42-30 game. His corner three a few minutes later pushed the advantage to 20 at 54-34. Fairport did not get within single digits for the remainder of the contest.

“Today was a statement for us,” first-year coach Terry Nowden said. “It was a real statement saying we’ve turned the page and it’s time to go as far as we can.”

That effort came against a Fairport team which had been holding opponents under 50 points per game. Slack and teammate Thomas Jones III combined to score 59 on the night.

The duo executed a relentless two-man game on the offensive end of the floor. Slack connecting on four 3-pointers and  pouring in a season-high 34 points. Jones doing his work from 15 feet in and posting his own high-water mark with 25 points.

“It was all about making the right play,” Jones said. “Even though me and Keith ended up with a majority of the points, I feel like we incorporated the team. We just made the right play at the right time. That’s why the lead kept growing.”

With the win Gates-Chili (10-5/4-3) handed Fairport (10-4/5-1) its first divisional loss. It was the fourth straight victory for G-C and seventh in their last nine games. They also avenged an earlier setback to Fairport.

“We lost to them basically because we gave it to them,” Slack said. “We made mistakes and they capitalized off them. We beat ourselves.

“This time we capitalized. We didn’t take the foot off the pedal. We just played hard, worked hard and got a very good win.”

The 82 points is the most any team has scored against Fairport this season.

Slack finished with five assists. He also collected career point No. 996.

Jones had eight rebounds. Damon Payton collected seven points and six assists. Mark Morrison chipped in seven points.

“We’re growing,” Nowden said. “We’re definitely growing. I told them before we even came out for the game, I said ‘our home record is 2-4. On the road we’re 6-1. We’re being spoiled here at home and not playing hard enough to get wins at home.’

“‘We practice here every day. We know the rims. We know the floor. We are accustomed to it. It’s like why are we 2-4. We’re playing a little bit too spoiled at home. We’re taking a lot of outside shots.’  Today, we decided to make adjustments on that.”

Jackson Sullivan led Fairport with 19 points. Andrew Bartlett had 10. Andre Starks, Ryan Lucey and Vanzell Johnson added seven apiece. Brett Heininger and Anthony Pappano both scored five points. Mike Brown had four. Tommy Lindstrom and Colin Bucenic chipped in three each.