By PAUL GOTHAM
LETCHWORTH, N.Y. — Coming out of a timeout midway through the second quarter of Wednesday’s Class C Boys’ Regional Qualifier, Avon’s Jack Browne found Zach Colvin for a bucket in the lane and a 16-6 Braves’ lead.
Two points were recorded in the scorebook. An assist added to the stat sheet. And an understanding of what the Braves could do with the ball was realized.
Starting with senior point guard Andrew Rowland, the ball switched sides of the floor twice before Colvin and Hudson Volpe connected on high-low action. Volpe didn’t hesitate to keep the ball moving to Browne along the right side of the paint. Colvin instinctively slid along the lane and Browne tucked a bounce pass into the senior big man for the first double-digit lead of the game.
By the end of it, the Braves had made 11 passes leading to the basket. All five players on the floor touched the ball at least twice.
If head coach Rob Fries said the play was scripted, few could have doubted him.
Avon might as well have been wearing their reversible mesh weave practice jerseys on Wednesday. The Braves looked that comfortable on the floor. Instead of tightening up in their fifth straight win-or-go-home game, they looked like a team finding another gear.
Avon ball movement coming out of a timeout. Zach Colvin finishes. pic.twitter.com/AykBR7aMy9
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 10, 2022
Browne scored the game’s first eight points. Michael Rowland accounted for eight of his 10 points in the fourth. Two of four players to finish in double digits leading the Braves into Saturday’s NYS Class C Far West Regional with a 56-43 victory over Oakfield-Alabama.
“They’re really unselfish, the whole group top to bottom,” head coach Rob Fries said. “We took care of the ball for the most part. We didn’t get great shots, but at times Andrew really got inside them which helped us. We did enough offensively with good defense.”
Jack Browne is having a quarter. All 8 as Avon leads 8-2. pic.twitter.com/6sXPaDfkkD
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 10, 2022
One will have to forgive Fries if he doesn’t want to gush a little.
VIEW MORE CAROLE VOLPE PHOTOS HERE.
Avon finished the game with 16 assists on 19 made field goals. On the other end of the floor, the Braves took seven charges. At halftime, Oakfield-Alabama had four made field goals while being whistled on four occasions for offensive fouls.
Avon has taken 4 charges. 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/4ZRoPcxd5O
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 10, 2022
“They did exactly what we needed them to do,” Fries said of his team. “We got a lot of charges out of different guys.”
And the Braves made shots, big shots when they needed them.
Colvin picked up his fourth foul less than one minute into the fourth quarter and went to the bench. O-A’s Gaige Armbrewster converted both free throws on his ensuing trip to the charity stripe. A once 16-point lead had been reduced to seven.
Next trip down the floor, Lee Hartke buried a three from the wing. Two possessions later, Michael Rowland, who sat most of the first half with two fouls, drilled a triple from 28 feet out.
7:20 remaining-Zach Colvin goes to the bench with his 4th foul. Lee Hartke responds with a trey. Avon 34-27. pic.twitter.com/HpXjixhw8W
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 10, 2022
“That was just a monster,” Fries said of Rowland’s basket. “We needed a bucket and he made a huge one. He is not afraid of the moment.”
The sophomore guard connected again from distance three minutes later for a double-digit advantage, and the Braves did not allow the game to get any closer.
Avon held Oakfield-Alabama (22-2) to its lowest scoring output of the season. The Hornets’ previous season-low was 54 in a loss to a Wheatland-Chili team that held opponents to 48 points per game this season. O-A entered the contest scoring nearly 68 points per game. With five minutes remaining on Wednesday, O-A had 30 points.
“We played big tonight,” Fries said of his lineup. “We played three big guys down low just to make it hard for them to score inside. It got us out of our rhythm offensively, but we felt that if we could stop them it was worth more than trying to score.
“Neither team got a lot of easy baskets. Both teams were good defensively. They’re so hard to score on, but they didn’t make a lot of shots and that helped.”
Armbrewster led O-A with 15 points. Kaden Cusmano had 12. Kam Cusmano and Colton Yasses had four apiece. Brayden Smith (3), Jordan Schlagenhauf (2) and Kyle Porter (2) also scored for the Hornets.
Hartke led Avon with 13 points. Browne had 11. Colvin scored 10. Andrew Rowland (7) and Volpe (5) rounded out the Avon scoring.
The Braves (22-3) will be making their first regional appearance since 2009 when they face Section VI champion, Salamanca on Saturday. A 1:45 p.m. tipoff is scheduled at Buffalo State College.
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