Pickin' Splinters

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Victor holds off Niagara Falls for program-first regional title

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By PAUL GOTHAM

HENRIETTA, N.Y. — A week ago, the Victor boys’ basketball team wanted to get a quick start on the way to winning a first sectional title in more than four decades.

On Saturday night at Rush-Henrietta High School, the Blue Devils needed to absorb a late rally in order to clinch a regional championship.

Griffen Hopkins led three in double figures with a career-high 21 points including 11 in the fourth quarter when Victor (22-2) pulled away for a 66-59 triumph over Section VI champion, Niagara Falls.

Clinging to a 43-41 lead heading into the final eight minutes, Hopkins scored seven in a 9-2 run to open the final stanza.

“He’s an unbelievable player, and he works really hard at the game,” said sixth-year head coach Tyler Roberts.

The sophomore guard opened the frame with a turnaround jumper in the lane. After Garrett Clar added a bucket, Hopkins hit a corner trey and finished off a drive for a 52-44 lead.

“Our whole team made a big effort to get him in good space,” Roberts said. “Our team understood that’s where we could take advantage of this team. The whole team worked together to get Griffen his shots. It might be someone else the next game.”

The run helped the Blue Devils secure a program-first trip to the state semifinals.

“I feel like this is the potential of this group because truly team basketball is winning basketball,” Roberts said of clinching a spot in the state final four.

Victor grabbed an early lead and held that advantage throughout the first half.

Hopkins connected on a catch-and-shoot triple from the left corner, led teammate Clar into the floor for a basket then converted a steal and layup as Victor opened on a 9-2 run to force two early timeouts from Niagara Falls.

The Blue Devils extended a 10-point halftime lead to 12 midway through the third quarter when Niagara Falls used a 12-0 run to tie the game.

“We talked at halftime that there’s a very strong possibility they can make a run because we’ve seen them do it in plenty of their games this year,” Roberts said. “We talked about staying together and actually coming more together when they make their run.”

James Robinson scored seven straight to start the rally, and Darryl Smith’s runner in the lane pulled the Wolverines even at 41.

“They were more aggressive, offensively,” Roberts said of the Niagara Falls flurry. “I thought that they got the ball to their better players in better spots. They really tried to get our bigs switched on to their guards on the perimeter. Then try to attack from there.”

Hopkins fed Cam Ryan for a layup to close the third. Victor had a lead it did not surrender at 43-41.

“We wanted to be within four or six at the start of the fourth and we were there,” Niagara Falls coach Carlos Bradberry told the Buffalo News. “Then, they switched to a zone and it gave us some problems.

“I thought that we probably left 10 or 12 points off the board. We missed a lot of shots that we usually make.”

Omarion Ralands topped the Niagara Falls (21-3) offense with 16 points. Robinson had 12. Ephraim Strong added 11. John Strong (5), Nick Estell (5), Davon Wade (4), Smith (4) and Kayvon Agee (2) also scored for the Wolverines who were looking for their eighth regional championship since 2000 and second in as many appearances.

Victor’s Nick Leonard scored six of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. Clar finished with 13 points in the win. Ryan added eight.

Ryan Dodge (6) and AJ Queri (3) rounded out the scoring for Victor.

Victor will play Brentwood of Section XI in the semis. A 2:45 p.m. tipoff is scheduled Friday at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, New York.

Victor was making a second regional appearance in program history having faced Grover Cleveland in the 1979 Class A state quarterfinals.

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