BY PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The discussion during halftime Friday night in the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men (UPrep) locker room centered around defense. UPrep, which held opponents under 61 points per game during the regular season, just allowed Gates-Chili to put a 40-spot on their home scoreboard.
So when UPrep took the court for the second half, the emphasis was placed on stopping Gates-Chili’s output. JJ Strothers took it upon himself to lead the charge.
Coming out of the locker room Damon Payton looked to get in the lane on the half’s first possession, Strothers beat the opposing ball handler to the spot and drew an offensive foul.
“We just needed an instant click,” Strothers said after No. 6 seed UPrep downed No. 3 seed Gates-Chili, 82-76 in the Section V Class AA quarter-final. “I know charges get us going. I saw him out of control. I was going to sacrifice. It was either going to be a block or a charge. Luckily, we got the charge.”
The play ignited seven straight points from UPrep.
“I think that was the play of the game,” Strothers said. “It got us momentum, and we were able to build off it.”
Three possessions later, Jakhi Lucas converted an and-one to knot the game at 40. A 12-point deficit had evaporated and UPrep was on its way to a second straight appearance in the Class AA semi-finals.
It didn’t matter that Strothers made the play with three fouls already committed during the first half.
“It took a lot of courage, a lot heart to step in there,” second-year UPrep catch James Reaves said. “He didn’t care about the fouls. He just wanted to make a play. He made a great defensive play. We responded to that energy. That energy rocketed us. He set the tone with that charge.”
Strothers made good on the stop when he hit Lucas at the top of the key for three of his 31 points.
“I don’t even know how JJ got the ball on that play,” Lucas recalled. “I was trailing and he found me. I just shot it. As soon as it left my hand I knew it was going in.”
UPrep had a lead it did not surrender at 43-42.
“Everything came together and there was a sense of urgency,” Reaves noted. “So many times, we don’t have that sense of urgency. Our seniors felt everything slipping away and they just attacked. They responded. That was a beautiful feeling. I was happy for them in that moment.”
With the win, UPrep avenged a 64-60 loss earlier in the month. A game in which Elroy Clark would rather forget. Slowed by the flu, the senior guard managed just seven points in the first meeting. Friday night, he scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like I had a point to prove today because of last game when I was sick,” said Clark. “They came out with the win, but if it wasn’t for team tonight we never would have had that win. I thank my team.”
Thomas Jones III, Kailee White and the Senior Starting Five
Robert Davis, Gerald Drumgoole and the Junior Starting Five
Tony Arnold, Brennan Clark and the Sophomore Starting Five
Ky’Mere Meeks, Justin Smith and the Freshman Starting Five
Clark’s corner three off an inbound pass gave UPrep a 61-56 advantage early in the fourth quarter and put a smile across the face of Reaves who made his way down the bench to fist bump school president Joe Munno.
“We haven’t gotten that play right all year long,” Reaves noted. “We finally got it right. The timing was perfect.”
Thomas Jones III paced G-C (15-7) early with eight of 21 points on the night in the first quarter. Keith Slack converted 15 of 17 free throws and finished with a game-high 34 points. The junior forward came into the game with 1,105 career points.
Slack’s floater in the lane gave G-C a 38-26 lead with less than a minute to go in the first half.
Lucas converted three free throws with no time on the clock to pull UPrep within seven at 40-33 going into the locker room.
Strothers finished with eight points.
“Everybody counted us out,” the senior said. “I know the famous quote ‘defense wins games.’ You can see that. Defense won the game today.”
Teammate Zach Harris Scott scored nine before fouling out with 5:14 remaining in the contest. KayShawn fouled out with 2:47 to go.
UPrep (13-9) will take on Hilton (11-11) in Tuesday’s semi-final. A 6:30 PM tipoff is scheduled at the Blue Cross Arena.
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