Pickin' Splinters

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Schroeder gets statement win at Irondequoit

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Webster Schroeder’s Jon McCaffrey (22) and Nick Hauman (21) surround Irondequoit’s Xavier Gissendanner during Wednesday’s action. (Photo: SCOTT CORDARO)

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The significance of Wednesday’s win wasn’t lost on Rashaad Stokelin.

“Getting an early win here says a lot,” the third-year Webster Schroeder head coach said after his Warriors defeated host Irondequoit, 51-47, Wednesday night. “It is one hundred percent a statement win.”

Ben Carey and Nick Hauman scored 15 points apiece, and Schroeder improved to 4-0 on the season.

“It’s a statement win because Irondequoit has that state culture, that state-championship culture,” Stokelin said referring to the 2016-17 Irondequoit team that won the New York State Class A title.

VIEW MORE SCOTT CORDARO PHOTOS HERE.

Schroeder did it with an offense that connected seven times from behind the 3-point arc and took advantage of opportunities in the paint.

“A  lot of teams know that we want to shoot threes,” Stokelin noted. “To be able to do that night-in and night-out we’re going to have to establish something inside, and it’s going to have to start with Nick Hauman and Jon McCaffrey. They responded.”

A 16-2 run that started late in the second quarter proved to be decisive.

Trailing 21-17, Carey fed McCaffrey in the lane for a bucket. Jack Cannon converted a pair of free throws to knot the game, and Carey drilled a three for a lead they did not surrender at 24-21 heading into halftime.

“The threes that we did get, they probably came because we established such an inside presence and then were able to kick it out,” Stokelin said.

Hauman took over early in the third quarter connecting on a triple from the top before getting in the lane for two. The senior guard then found McCaffrey cutting baseline for a double-digit advantage at 33-23.

Schroeder also limited Irondequoit to nine field goals and 27 points through the first 24 minutes of play.

“It took a team,” Stokelin said of the defensive effort. “We gang helped. We gang rebounded. We look out for each other on the defensive end. We take ownership of things.”

The win had added meaning for Stokelin who graduated from Irondequoit in 2006 and was part of longtime head coach Chris Cardon’s first team to reach a sectional final in that year.

“It’s tough to win here,” Stokelin said. “Of course, against my old coach it’s very tough. I feel like he knows me, and I know him. At that point, we negate each other and let the players go out there and play.”

Ryan Heath and Quinn VanKerkhove connected on a 3-pointer apiece in a 13-3 Irondequoit run that started late in the first quarter and carried over into the second. The Eagles still led at 20-17 when Heath went baseline for two of his game-high 19 points.

The advantage was short-lived.

“If you lose, you battle,” Stokelin said. “But if you come in and get a win, it’s always a statement win because they’ll be right there come sectional time.”

Carey finished with 11 rebounds and eight assists in the game. McCaffrey had 10 rebounds and seven points. Alex DeRosa, Tyler Race, Michael Salina and Gio Schillaci each scored three points  for the Warriors.

Xavier Gissendanner had 13 points for Irondequoit (1-1). Owen Salerno (4), Charles Barnes (3), Evan Leonardo (3) and Damon Brumfield (2) rounded out the scoring for Irondequoit.

Irondequoit travels to play at Webster Thomas on Friday night.

Schroeder will play at Hilton on Friday.

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  1. Great Results reporting ! Fun game to watch because irondequot never gave up and made it very close at the end .

    PS Tell your wife Kelly that Gio Schillaci is in one of your pics . His success has to be attributed to his great former Kindergarten teacher from St Rita’s

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