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By TIM IRVING
“They’ve beaten us two of the last four years in sectionals and a lot of my best friends out there, losing, it definitely hurts you.”
Hilton senior Preston Prince and his Cadets teammate didn’t need more motivation as they held on to beat University Prep 48-47 in overtime in the Class AA boys basketball quarterfinals.
The Cadets will face eighth-seeded Rush-Henrietta after the Royal Comets upset top ranked Victor.
“It’s a 4-5 game, right? Their non-league schedule is incredible so their record is a little deceiving, “ Hilton head coach Troy Prince said.
The Griffins made a first quarter run, highlighted by back-to-back dunks by Andrew Edwards and James Matthews that had might have had the Cadets thinking, “here we go again.”
But Hilton ended the quarter with a three-pointer from Michael Whelehan and a basket inside by point guard Johnny Bianchi for a 9-7 lead, low-scoring for both squads.
Both Prince, the 6’4” senior point guard who is going to Niagara on a baseball scholarship and Carter Clark got into foul trouble but Prince hit two late free throws to give Hilton a 21-20 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, something ignited Prince.
“I think I was a little too amped up at the start of the game. I needed to calm down, refocus, kinda get my feet back under me.”
With the Griffins up 29-26, Prince went on a tear, scoring 12 points in the third and the Cadets built a 38-31 lead.
Troy Prince said, “We rebounded our tails off and got out in transition and that forced them (UPrep) to spread out and that got us the lead.”
Conversely, Hilton slowed down in the fourth and UPrep’s trapping defense started to pay off, holding the Cadets to only two points for most of the fourth quarter. Senior guard Mylan Maxwell ran off eight points and with 1:27 left, tied the game at 40.
The teams traded baskets before Matthews was fouled and made the second of two free throws with 15.7 seconds left.
Prince went down court and drew a foul, making the first of two free throws to tie the game at 43 with 10.9 seconds left. He missed the second but Greyson Trubia pulled down the offensive rebound and Hilton called time out to set up a play.
The worked the ball out top to Bianchi, who just missed a three-pointer and the game went to overtime.
With 25 seconds to play, Maxwell, who scored all 12 of his points after the third quarter, hit a pair of free throws to put the Griffins up 47-46.
Without calling a time out, Hilton brought the ball up and gave the ball to Preston Prince.
The left-hander took the ball out near center court, drove right and made a scoop shot with 4.4 seconds left.
“He has shakeability. He’s been a point guard his whole life and teams put a bigger guy on him because he posts them up and then he goes to the basket, “ said his father, Troy.
Matthews got off a shot at the buzzer that came up just short.
Prince finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Trubia led the way with 13 rebounds.
In the end, father and son, coach and team, get to spend more time together and that is what gets Troy Prince emotional.
“It’s not just (Preston), I’ve had this whole group since they started in third grade and this past week of being off, we spent so much time together off the court where you get that bonding and the feeling of, this is great…we’ve become dangerous.”
The Cadets and Royal Comets play Tuesday at a site yet to be determined.
SCORING
5-University Prep 47
Mylan Maxwell 12, James Matthews 12, Andrew Edwards 10, Brandon Moore 4, Emmanuel Charley 6, Malcom King 3.
4-Hilton 48
Johnny Bianchi 5, Preston Prince 26, Greyson Trubia 5, Michael Whelehan 5, Matt Mastowski 2, Carter Clark 5.
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