game Saturday (Photo Provided)
By TIM IRVING
Class AA number one seed Victor went on a 15-2 run to end the third quarter and stopped fourth-seed Rush-Henrietta, 67-49 and advanced to host the Class AA Final on Saturday.
Chase Dickens led the run with three three-pointers on his way to a game-high 19 points.
The Blue Devils got out to a 10-4 lead before the Royal Comets ran off seven straight points behind Jalen House, who scored all six of his first half points in the first quarter.
Victor went on a run in the second, C.J. James has six steals in the first half and between James, Dickens and Connor Williams, the Blue Devils went on an 8-0 run.
But R-H junior guard Mason Giorgione knocked down a three and then made a floater in the lane, cutting the lead to three, Victor led by five at the half, 30-25.
The second half started with House and Williams, the 7’0” senior celebrating his 18th birthday, trading baskets.
Phil Nwugwu scored inside to make put Victor up 37-33 and that got the Victor run going. James followed his own shot and then Dickens hit threes from the left and right wings and then from the top of the arc. Williams scored inside and the lead got to 52-33 before Giorgione ended the run with a pair of free throws.
“When we get out in space, we’re really good and when we’re tentative, we’re not,” Victor coach Tyler Roberts said afterwards.
“We all trust each other and whatever’s open, take it.” Dickens said. “It happened to be my turn.”
The Royal Comets started to mount a comeback in the fourth, Gabe Wright with a couple of baskets cutting a 20-point lead down to 14 but they couldn’t close the gap any further.
Williams, who finished with 17 points, said “We know if we play a certain way the whole game then we’re gonna be the better team and we’re gonna come out on top versus anyone so we really just try to keep doing what we’re doing.”
The Blue Devils host Gates Chili in the final, the third meeting of the teams this year with the home team winning the regular season games.
“We just wanna execute what we do best and it’s gonna be fun to have a rubber match with Gates,” Dickens said.
SCORING:
Rush-Henrietta
Jalen House (13), Mason Giorgione (9), Nasir Hunter (5), Gabe Wright (11), Tobey Wright (5), Chris Sleeper (6).
Victor
Chase Dickens (19), Will Tehan (2), CJ James (16), Phil Nwugwu (13), Connor Williams (17).
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