By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Pittsford Mendon understood entering Wednesday’s game that it needed to keep its emotions under control. The game, after all, featured i state-ranked team (No. 8 in Class A) putting its 16-1 record on the line against Eastridge’s state-ranked team (15-1, No. 19 in Class A).
“We try not to let the kids get too high or too low,” head coach Bob Nally remarked.
Nally and the Vikings did not need to worry about many “lows” this time, trailing only once as it ran out to an early 18-7 lead. Mendon led by as many as 21 in the third quarter and cruised to an 85-74 victory at Eastridge High School.
Juniors Caleb Lewis and Jackson Green combined for 43 points, while senior Kidder Lindley scored nine of the Vikings’ first 17 points and finished with 13. Lindley collected his points at the basket, working inside and opening the perimeter for Green and his teammates. Mendon made six 3-pointers, two more than the Lancers.
“I think our guys executed really well,” Nally assessed. “Early on in the zone, I thought we were able to get inside, get good kick-outs, finish inside, which opened up some space… and some time for our shooters. They’re really quick; they’re athletic; they’re quick on close-outs. Caquan (Wester) is a force there with his length, so he’s tough to shoot over. But once we settled in, we found some early rhythm and that sort of helped us get off to a good start.”
Eastridge recovered from falling down double-digits early by holding Mendon to 13 points in the second quarter and entering the locker room down just 39-31. The Vikings opened the second half on a 15-4 run, however, with Green contributing eight of those points.
Ryan Deuel emerged in the third quarter, tallying seven of his 12 points in the period, while the Vikings outscored Eastridge 23-12. Mendon added 23 more points in the fourth to hold off a comeback-minded Eastridge squad and complete the victory.
Four Vikings- Deuel, Green, Lewis, Lindley and Eric Krowl- reached double figures, while Matt Woods iced the game by recording five of his seven points from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Emmanuel Leftenant and Manny Torres combined for 45 points in defeat.
“It’s tough,” Nally said of sustaining the runs his team reeled off. “When you think about it happening, you’re a little bit more doubtful. But when you look at our guys, our guys have all played a lot of minutes. They’re all good with the ball, they all trust each other, and they’re all smart players. We were able to handle their pressure on defense pretty well.
“It was a tough, physical game on both ends, but I think our guys really did a good job dealing with that and playing through it.”
Mendon scorers: Lewis 22, Green 21, Lindley 13, Deuel 12, Krowl 10, Woods 7
Eastridge scorers: Leftenant 24, Torres 21, Cordel Young 14, Caquan Wester 11, Ju Ju Pittman 4
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