By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Shamir Caruthers toed the free throw line with 2.5 seconds remaining in Saturday’s Section V Class A2 championship. A 57-54 lead seemed enough at that point.
Then again, some might have considered the game decided when Caruthers’s teammate Damani Barley rose up for a dunk to open the third quarter, and East High had momentum on its side.
Damani Barley starts the third-quarter scoring. pic.twitter.com/XbsDfDJxbE
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 5, 2022
There was also the 9-2 East run early in the fourth quarter.
But every time Pittsford Sutherland’s Knights had a response.
So when Caruthers stepped to the free throw line, the game was still at hand.
And the senior guard put it out of reach.
“Last game we almost lost because of free throws,” Caruthers said after East’s 59-54 victory over Pittsford Sutherland. “We missed, and they had the opportunity to make a shot. The day before today we worked on free throws. When I got the foul down here, I was glad it was me because I had worked on it all yesterday.”
FINAL Class A2: East 59 Sutherland 54 pic.twitter.com/VYZrl7hN34
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 5, 2022
The victory clinched a third straight sectional title for the Eagles and 27th in program history – the most in Section V.
“When that first one went in, my heart was filled. I was so happy. I knew the second was going in because I had nothing to worry about.
“It feels good. We worked really hard for this from day one all the ups and downs. I’m just glad it ended like this. We still got more to do.”
Caruthers finished with nine points. The free throws were the only points the 5-foot-8 guard produced during the second half. He scored seven in the first quarter when East jumped to 23-11 lead.
East still led 33-23 at halftime.
Tyler Mullin paced a Sutherland rally with eight of his 15 points in the third quarter. The senior guard’s baseline jumper gave the Knights a 43-42 edge late in the third.
East brushed aside comeback, and Barley’s fourth 3-pointer made it a 51-45 game early in the fourth.
Barley paced a 15-2 run that extended to the first possession of the second quarter. Barley hit a pair of 3-pointers and added two more buckets as the Eagles grabbed a 25-11 lead.
Sutherland’s Max Michalski scored six of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-4 sophomore forward’s tap-in gave the Knights a 54-53 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the contest.
Max Michalski taps in his own miss and Sutherland has cut the deficit to 2 at 38-36. pic.twitter.com/UbxmCwd03P
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 5, 2022
“I felt like it was just part of the game,” Caruthers said. “Everybody goes on runs. When they went on their run, I wasn’t really too worried about it because we were about to go one too.”
Kai McCullough tied the game with a free throw, and eighth-grader Zion Parsons scored on a feed from Caruthers to give East a lead it did not surrender at 56-54.
Barley followed with another free throw to help seal the title.
“Winning three times is crazy, but this year was more special than any other year,” said Barley who was named Tournament MVP. “We only Kai and Shamir returning. It was like we were playing with a whole new team this year, a lot of younger guys. They stepped up.”
McCullough, who scored 14, joined Barley on the All-Tournament team along with Caruthers. Parsons added 14 points, and Quinton Gordan-Smith contributed three points.
Mullin and Michalski represented Sutherland on the All-Tournament team along with Wayne’s Mason Blankenberg and Eastridge’s Caquan Wester.
Sam Pisanelli scored 13 points for Sutherland. Chandler Reynolds had six points and Everett Wilcox, two points.
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