Pickin' Splinters

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Reaves, Wilson lead as Athena outlasts Hilton

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By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After 13 lead changes through the first 14 minutes of the second half, the Greece Athena boys’ basketball team had one run left in them.

And that was the difference Tuesday night.

Khorie Reaves and cousin James Reaves, Jr. combined for 41 points as Athena edged host Hilton, 66-62 in the opening round of the Hilton Holiday Hall-of-Fame Tournament.

“It was our energy,” said Khorie Reaves who scored five of his 17 points in the fourth quarter. “Once we got to the fourth quarter, I told my cousin, James, ‘we got to turn-up,’ so we could get the lead. Once we got the lead, we knew what we had to do to win the game.”

Clinging to a one-point edge at 61-60, Khorie Reaves took an Izaiah Stewart pass along the right side outside the 3-point line and used a jab step toward the middle of the lane to set up a drive.

“At first I was looking to pass, but Izaiah told me to attack, attack,” Reaves explained. “Once he told me, I ripped right, went up for the layup.”

The sophomore guard finished among a tangle of Hilton defenders.

“When I drive, I don’t even worry about the contact. I’m just focused on finishing.”

With the bucket and free throw, Athena matched its largest lead of the game to that point. The Trojans added to their advantage next time down the floor when James Reaves, Jr. converted a pair of free throws for a 66-60 lead.

“What steadied the ship was finding the lineup that worked,” Athena head coach Mike Setzer stated. “When we came into this game, our best lineup is when we go all guards. The problem is Hilton has two legit bigs, so we got guards covering them. It was tricky.”

Setzer countered Hilton’s front court of Preston Prince (6-foot-4) and Greyson Trubia (6-foot-6) with three interior players of his own: senior captains Marco DeRubeis (6-foot-5) and Terrell Wilson (6-foot-4) along with sophomore forward Connor Osier (6-foot-4).

“We were making it a little more difficult for Greyson and Preston to get those baskets,” Setzer noted. “I think it was the rotation. We didn’t stick to just one lineup. It was hey if it’s a defensive dead ball, let’s get two post guys in. If it’s an offensive dead ball, let’s go back to guys that can stretch their defense. It was just getting lucky with our substitutions.”

Wilson’s contributions didn’t stop on the defensive end. The senior scored six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. His bucket with 1:46 remaining in the game gave Athena a lead it did not surrender at 61-60.

“He’s one of the best human beings you’ll ever meet,” Setzer said of Wilson who did not play last year after being pulled up to the varsity as a ninth-grader and playing the full year as a sophomore. “His addition has really helped. Him coming back has been an awesome Christmas gift. He’s really helped us get better.”

James Reaves, Jr., the reigning divisional player of the week, topped the 20-point mark for the second time this season. The senior guard connected seven times from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers and finished 8-of-8 from the free throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out two assists.

Hilton took an early 7-2 lead, and Michael Whelehan’s second of three 3-pointers in the game gave Hilton its largest lead of the game at 15-9.

The Cadets had a five-point lead midway through the third quarter when Prince scored two of his game-high 25 points.

Khorie Reaves connected from long range to pull Athena within one heading into the fourth quarter at 47-46.

Athena improved to 5-2 on the season with its fifth straight win. Stewart added seven points in the win. Johan Jones had six. DeRubeis and Osier accounted for a point apiece. Khorie Reaves grabbed seven boards. Stewart handed out two assists. The Trojans will play Irondequoit in Wednesday’s championship game.

Hilton fell to 2-5. The Cadets have lost three straight by a combined total of 14 points. Trubia had 13 points. Whelehan added 11. Derek Cavey scored five points. Johnny Bianchi, Mac Emrich, Matt Mastowski and Riley Pendleton each scored two points. Prince grabbed a game-high 11 points. The Cadets will play Franklin in Wednesday’s consolation game.

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