By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Jaden Hartsfield’s individual statistics earned him 2019 Section V Class B1 Tournament MVP honors. It was Hartsfield’s act that didn’t appear in the box score which put the Greece Odyssey Leopards in position to win their second straight sectional title.
Hartsfield finished with a game-high 17 points in Odyssey’s 69-40 victory over Newark in the Class B1 title game, Saturday. He connected three times from 3-point land and scored 12 of those points in the first quarter as Odyssey sprinted to a 24-12 lead after eight minutes of play.
His heads-up play at the end of the third quarter, though, showed what he has meant to his team all season long. With less than a second remaining in the stanza and Odyssey leading 51-34, teammate Romell Griffin went to the line for two free throws. Hartsfield didn’t wait for any instructions from the bench. The 6-foot-2 junior guard motioned to his teammates.
“He pulls his teammates off the line,” fourth-year head coach Jim Guzielek said. “We didn’t need to be in the foul lane area. He knows we don’t need to pick up a foul there.”
The box score indicated Hartsfield handed out three assists for the game. Maybe it should have been four considering that he helped his teammates avoid an unnecessary infraction in the situation. It’s something he has done all year.
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“He is so cerebral, such a smart player,” Guzielek said. “He’s going to make the right play.”
That Hartsfield led the two-time champs came as no surprise. He paced the Odyssey offense averaging 15.8 points per game.
“Our balance prevents high numbers, but he is so consistent and tough to beat when we are up or if we need a big play,” Guzielek added.
During the regular season, Hartsfield shot 43.9 percent (123-for-280) from the floor. Those numbers jump to 53.7 percent (36-for-67) during the fourth quarter including 13-of-26 from 3-point land with the game on the line.
“He has one or two plays during the game that are spectacular, that only good players can make,” Guzielek said. “Only really good players see those plays. Jaden’s that type of player.”
Odyssey (20-3) will play Class B2 champ Wellsville (18-5) in Wednesday’s Far West Regional Qualifier. The two teams met twice during the season. Odyssey won both games: 63-51 (January 5th) and 73-59 (January 26th).
What: NYS Far West Regional Qualifier – Class B: GREECE ODYSSEY LEOPARDS (20-3) vs. WELLSVILLE LIONS (18-5)
When: Wednesday March 6th, 6:30 PM
Where: Letchworth
How they got here: Odyssey beat Livonia 54-53 in the quarterfinals and then Geneva 67-48 in the semifinals before downing Newark, 69-40 in the B1 final. Wellsville opened sectionals with a win over World of Inquiry, before knocking off Attica 58-40 in the semifinals and Wayland-Cohocton, 69-52 to claim the B2 crown.
History 101: Odyssey captured the 2018 Class B title, shocking Hornell, Mynderse and finally Livonia, all higher seeds to win the program’s first section title. Wellsville has won three sectional titles in five years.
How they match up: Odyssey enters having won eight consecutive games. The Leopards scored 71.20 points per game during the regular season, having not lost a single game when scoring 60 points or more. Odyssey allowed 56.45 points per game during the regular season and 70 points just once, a 72-54 loss to undefeated Pittsford Mendon (No. 3 NYSSWA Class A) on January 16. Wellsville has won 11 of 12 games. The Lions averaged 57.95 points scored per game during the regular season, dropping below 50 points just three times (all consecutively). They allowed 51.20 points per game, keeping opponents below 60 points in all but six contests.
Players to Watch for Odyssey: Jaden Hartsfield Jr. 15.8 PPG, Travon Harper Sr. 11.65 PPG, Aric Williams Sr. 9.35 PPG.
Wellsville: Alec Acampora Sr. G 12.0 PPG, 5.3 APG; Max Jusianiec Jr. G 18.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 6.4 APG; Joe Tronetti Sr. G 18.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG.
Coaches: Jim Guzielek (Odyssey), Raymie Auman (Wellsville)
What’s at Stake: The winner moves on to the NYS Far West Regional to face the Section VI representative, either Olean or Allegany Limestone.
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