By PAUL GOTHAM
HILTON, N.Y. — Griffen Hopkins scored 11 of his team-high 22 points during the fourth quarter when No. 7 Victor erased a five-point deficit and went on to beat No. 2 Hilton, 58-55, Saturday night.
With the win, the reigning state champs advance to the Section V Class AA Boys’ semifinals.
“It feels great,” said Victor head coach Tyler Roberts. “It’s tough to win on the road at Hilton especially playing against a great team like that.”
Trailing 49-44, Hopkins scored seven in a decisive 11-2 run.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LAURA ACCIAIO.
Nick Leonard started the rally with a basket in the lane.
Two trips down the floor later, Hopkins hit a fall-away jumper. The 5-foot-10 guard then connected on a corner three to tie the game at 51.
Garrett Clar gave the Blue Devils a lead they did not surrender with 59.0 seconds remaining in the contest.
Griffen Hopkins fall-away jumper. pic.twitter.com/8mTFQYZdOZ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 25, 2024
Garrett Clar gives Victor a 53-51 lead. pic.twitter.com/OijEVrBE91
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 25, 2024
Hopkins converted pairs of free throws on the next two possessions to ice the game.
“Our guys have been in big spots before, and we’ve talked all season about dealing with adversity,” said Roberts. “We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity this year, and I think it really helped us in that spot come together instead of come apart.”
A year ago, Victor compiled a record of 23 wins and 4 losses in winning the program’s first sectional title in 45 years and first state title. Clar, Leonard and Hopkins all returned from that squad along with fellow starter Cam Ryan.
An off-season ACL injury sidelined Ryan who was playing in his fifth game of the season, Saturday night. Clar also missed action late in the season with an injury.
The Blue Devils (12-8) lost five of six from late January into February.
Roberts credited the leadership of his captains: Clar, Leonard and Ryan.
“We had some difficult times this season,” he said. “It was the captains that pulled the team together. They’re the reason that we are playing this way right now because truly it takes all of us. It takes all of us every day in practice, and it took all of us with our energy all game tonight. That’s our mentality in Victor. The other team has to beat all 16 of us.”
Clar scored 16 in the win. Leonard added seven.
Ryan had six points.
“Cam has just been unbelievable for us this season,” Roberts said. “The entire time he was out with his injury he was still one of our leaders, helping younger guys and helping the development of other guys getting minutes this season.”
Hilton’s Ben Sneddon led all scorers with 24 points including a bucket in the lane with 25.4 seconds remaining to make it a 55-53 game.
25.4 remaining Victor 55 Hilton 53 pic.twitter.com/9POkmamCA3
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 25, 2024
Brady Gerig along the baseline, but Hilton trails 57-55 with10.7 to go. pic.twitter.com/whVWE8xefX
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 25, 2024
Johnny Bianchi scored 11 including a triple that gave the Cadets (15-7) a 49-44 lead with six-plus minutes remaining.
Brady Gerig had 10 points for Hilton.
The Monroe County Division I rivals split a pair of regular season matchups.
The two teams came into the game both scoring more than 63 points per game on the season. Hilton had scored 71 or more in its previous four games.
“They’re a great team,” Roberts said. “We know that defense and rebounding win games. And defense and rebounding travels.”
Victor will play No. 6 Irondequoit in the semifinals. Victor took a 68-64 decision when the two teams met in early January.
VICTOR
Griffen Hopkins 6 6-6 22, Colin Kubrich 1 0-1 2, Cam Ryan 2 1-2 6, Garrett Clar 7 1-2 16, RJ Johnson 0 0-0 0, Nick Leonard 2 3-4 7, Owen Dake 2 0-0 5, Brody Burgess 0 0-0 0 TOTALS 20 11-15 — 58
HILTON
Johnny Bianchi 4 1-2 11, Matthew Mandrycky 0 0-0 0, Tim Graziano 1 0-0 2, Payden Prince 0 0-0 0, Andrew Lenhard 2 0-2 4, Shawn Cavey 0 0-0 0, Brady Gerig 3 3-5 10, Jack Smith 2 0-0 4, Ben Sneddon 9 4-4 24 TOTALS 21 8-13 — 55
VICTOR 12 21 7 18 — 58
HILTON 13 17 14 11 — 55
3-point goals: VICTOR 7 (Hopkins 4, Ryan 1, Clar 1, Dake 1); HILTON 5 (Bianchi 2, Gerig 1, Sneddon 2).
Leave a Reply