Pickin' Splinters

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Eastridge outlasts Olympia in overtime

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Eastridge’s Cordell Young (13) led all scorers with 26 points as the Lancers defeated Greece Olympia in overtime, 83-80.

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Cordell Young finished with a game-high 26 points including three in overtime as the Eastridge boys’ basketball team defeated host Greece Olympia, 83-80 in Monroe County Division IV action, Saturday.

Playing without leading scorer Caquan Wester, on the bench with five fouls, Young’s bucket inside the two-minute mark of the extra period gave Eastridge a lead it did not surrender at 79-77.

“That was a tough win,” Eastridge head coach Dan Roser said. “It’s good for the kids to be in some pressure moments like that. Cordell rolled his ankle in the first quarter. He toughed it out the whole game.”

Eastridge’s challenges multiplied later in overtime when Emmanuel Leftenant also fouled out.

“We had some guys step up at the end,” Roser said referring specifically to the defensive efforts of Zy Switzer and Jalonie Pittman. “Everyone contributed.”

Eastridge led by six when the 6-foot-7 Wester went to the bench with 2:25 remaining in regulation.

Olympia didn’t waste any time and exploited its advantage inside with Anthony Starks. Jahod Faison fed the 6-foot-5 big man twice for buckets, and Starks converted a putback to tie the game at 72 and force overtime.

“He got us a little bit,” Roser said of the Olympia senior. “Whatever side he was on, we tried to have Zy or Manny (Torres) front him and get some help from the back side. We did that sometimes. They got it in a couple times. Our guards up top did a really good job of pressuring and making it difficult to make the entry pass into the big guy.”

Leftenant scored 12 of his 16 points after halftime.

“He’s had a lull the last few games,” Roser said of the senior guard averaging nearly 13 points per game but who hadn’t reached double figures in the past three outings. “We’ve been talking a lot and working a lot. Trying to get him back to playing his game and get downhill. A game like this is where he excels, where it’s up-and-down, up-tempo. He had some unbelievable finishes. Overall, he played a great game.”

Wester scored 21 before being disqualified. Switzer added 10 including a 3-pointer in overtime. Torres had seven. Pittman (2) and Anthony Bennett (1) also scored for Eastridge (10-1).

The Lancers were coming off their first loss of the season, a 72-52 setback against Canandaigua. Eastridge will host Gates-Chili for a 7:15 PM start on Wednesday.

Starks led five Spartans in double figures with 21 points. Faison had 18. Bryce Long added 17. Landen Evans scored 12 points, and Ricky Hill accounted for 10 points. Olympia (7-5) will host Vertus on Monday. A 7 PM start time is slated.

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