By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Jackson Kulik finished with a game-high 19 points, and No. 2 Webster Thomas defeated No. 7 Brighton, 61-40 in Section V Class A1 quarter-final action, Saturday.
Kulik connected eight times from the floor and converted 3-of-4 free throw attempts in the win.
For head coach Griffin Coles, it wasn’t so much that Kulik produced on the offensive end but how the senior forward did it.
“He had an attack mindset,” the ninth-year head coach said. “He wanted to get to the basket. He finished at the basket. That’s a difference-maker for us right there. That was huge for us.”
Jackson Kulik strong off the bounce gives @HoopsTitans a 50-36 lead. pic.twitter.com/BBV4m78pGk
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2022
VIEW MORE DENNIS JOYCE PHOTOS HERE.
With Thomas leading 48-36 heading into the fourth quarter, the 6-foot-6 forward scored on two of the first four possessions of the final stanza. Both came on drives in the paint. Later, he drew the defense off the bounce and found teammate Eli Adams under the basket for a lay-in.
“Earlier on as a sophomore and sometimes last year as a junior, he had a tendency to want to float around the perimeter and just rely on the 3-point shot,” Coles added. “Tonight, he attacked.”
The reigning Monroe County Division II Player, Kulik has received plenty of attention from opposing defenses this year. Saturday night was no different with the Titans going against Brighton for the third time this season.
“They started the game all over him,” Coles explained. “They didn’t give him an inch of breathing room. I told him before the game that’s how they were going to come at him. They’re going to try to frustrate you. You gotta maintain composure. After the first three or four minutes, he responded well tonight.”
Jackson Kulik spin move and leads Eli Adams for two. @HoopsTitans 57-38. 3:36 remaining pic.twitter.com/vOhNSTRmEN
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2022
Kulik connected three times in the first quarter and added three more points in the second quarter.
“My jab step was working,” the Daemen College commit said. “It seemed to work almost every time. When it’s working, I’m going to keep going to it. When I got in the paint if there was help defense, I kicked it to my teammates, dump downs. I was just taking advantage of open lanes.”
The win was the third this season for Thomas (16-4) over Brighton and 13th overall in the past 14 games.
“My focus this week was who’s going to play harder?” Coles explained. “Who’s going to play more physical? That’s going to decide the outcome of the game.
“They went to work. They practiced hard all week. They battled with each other. They executed the game plan which is awesome.”
Shawn Mason added 12 points for Thomas. Adams and Andrew Quinn scored nine apiece. David Petz scored six while Sean Linder (4) and Cory Jarvis (2) rounded out the scoring for Thomas.
Matt Howe led Brighton (13-9) with 13 points. David Tisa, Jr. had nine while Andrew Falter scored seven and Andrew Kotrides had six. Trygve Watkins (3) and Eli Desandis (2) also scored for the Bruins.
“They battled,” Coles said. “It is tough playing a team three times just because you know each other’s sets. You know each other’s tendencies. You got scouting reports.”
Matt Howe starts the third-quarter scoring . @bruins_hoops pic.twitter.com/5Dil7N7BWY
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2022
Thomas will play cross-town rival, Webster Schroeder in the semi-finals. Time and location are to be announced for Tuesday’s matchup.
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