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By TIM IRVING
There is something magical about Gates Chili’s basketball court for Rush-Henrietta.
Last year, the Royal Comets rallied from 14 points down to beat the eventual Section V Champion Spartans and earn a home Sectional game.
This year, they took it a bit further.
Down 14 against number four Hilton in the Class AA semifinals, Rush-Henrietta rallied to tie the game and then win it in overtime, 66-65, in dramatic fashion.
“I told them that and I didn’t completely believe it but that’s what you’ve gotta say, “coach Chris Reed said.
Tobey Wright hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 56. Both teams missed free throws from there and the game went to overtime.
Wright and Nasir Hunter hit three pointers and Preston Prince answered for the Cadets with a traditional three-point play to cut the lead to one.
Trailing 63-62 with five seconds left, Hilton’s Michael Whelehan hit a three-pointer to make it 65-63.
Mason Giorgione took the in-bounds pass and from 30 feet out, banked home a three-pointer at the buzzer to win it for the Royal Comets.
“I wasn’t gonna call time out, we were gonna either win or lose it with our best shooter and he hit it, “ Reed said.
“Honestly, I thought we were down by three but that’s the type of shot you live for so, I had to take it, didn’t event think about passing that ball.” Giorgione said. “Normally, when I take shots that deep at the end of the quarter or something, it feels kinda weird but that shot felt good and I knew it, as soon as it left my hand, it was going in.”
The eighth seeded Royal Comets advance to play number two Aquinas in the finals back at Gates Chili. The Li’l Irish are coached by Jeff LaFave, who led Gates Chili to the title last season.
“I look at our journey, “ Reed said. “We had to win a double overtime game against Edison to get a home game, and we were down six in overtime. Then we’re down 10 going into the fourth against Penfield, and won that one. Then we go to Victor, who had beaten us by 33 points both times we played them, and beat them on their floor, and then to do this? We lost eight games in a row, we didn’t win a game for five weeks and then we do this, that’s why you coach.”
After an even first quarter, the Cadets started to open up a lead behind Prince, who scored 14 first half points as Hilton opened up a 27-20 lead by dominating on the boards, while the Royal Comets couldn’t get shots to fall.
“We were afraid of pressing early because didn’t wanna foul so much, put we clearly had to generate offense.” Reed said.
The Cadets doubled their lead in the third quarter as John Bianchi and Prince started working both inside and outside to extend the lead and when Matt Mastowski hit a three late in the third, that made the lead 46-32.
Then, the shots started falling for Rush-Henrietta and after made shots, they slapped on a press that kept the Cadets off the board.
Giorgione, Wright and Hunter made three pointers and got the lead down to two points.
With 35.1 seconds to play, Wright hit two free throws to tie the game at 56-56. Prince was fouled before the ball was inbounded and missed both shots. The Royal Comets played for one shot but Prince stole the ball. On his way down court, he tried to avoid Giorgione’s attempt to steal it back and turned the ball over to Hunter, who was fouled going to the basket with .1 left on the clock.
Hunter was injured and wasn’t ready to shoot the free throws, so Ajani Cook came in cold off the bench and missed both shots, forcing overtime.
The game echoed the season to this point for Rush-Henrietta. Down and out two-thirds of the way through but giving themselves a chance.
“We’re fighters. We’re always gonna be fighters, it doesn’t matter how much we get down by, we’re gonna keep fighting until the buzzer goes off at the end and so far, it’s gone our way,” Giorgione said.
Hilton coach Troy Prince wasn’t hanging his head. “What are you gonna do? That’s a great shot by a great kid, he deserves that kind of success.”
“I don’t know that anyone deserves to hit that shot more than him.” said Reed.
SCORING
8-Rush-Henrietta 66
Tyler Simmons 11, Mason Giorgione 12, Nasir Hunter 13, Tobey Wright 15, Abdul Bori 15.
4-Hilton 65
John Bianchi 13, Derek Covey 2, Preston Prince 29, Greyson Trubia 2, Michael Whelehan 10, Matt Mastowski 5, Carter Clark 4.
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