By PAUL GOTHAM
BUFFAL, N.Y. — A third-quarter rally wasn’t enough as the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men (UPrep) saw its season end with a 54-48 loss to Section VI champion Niagara Falls in the New York State Class AAA Far West Regional, Friday at Buffalo State College.
With the loss, UPrep finishes the season with a record of 14-10.
Trailing 26-16 at halftime, the Griffins scored the first 15 points of the third quarter to take the lead.
Ja’yvion Sampson completed a traditional 3-point play to make it a one-possession game at 26-23. Jermelle Cotton followed with a bucket, and Sampson led Keone Manigault for two more points and a 27-26 UPrep lead. Sampson and Cotton capped the run for a five-point advantage.
“We kinda got jump-shot happy in the first two quarters,” said UPrep head coach Jerice Crouch. “We didn’t really run our sets. Coming out of halftime, we started to run our stuff, get stops and get transition baskets. It kinda opened up the game for us.”
Ja’yvion Sampson goes the length of the floor for a layup, @UprepBball opens the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 29-26 lead. pic.twitter.com/Lhy9V0EUkG
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 9, 2024
Quentin Nowden extended the lead to six with a 3-pointer, but UPrep was unable to build upon that advantage.
“The game was physical,” Crouch said. “You add that to the pressure of making that run, it takes a toll on you. That’s kinda who we’ve been all season. It just didn’t fall in our favor.”
Omarion Rolands converted five free throw attempts in the final 11.4 seconds of the third quarter to give Niagara Falls a lead it did not surrender at 39-37. The senior guard drew a foul on a 3-point attempt as the clock expired in the frame and took advantage of the opportunity at the line.
The Wolverines took a 58-41 decision when the two teams met on February 10th.
“They do a lot of things off the dribble, off the bounce,” Crouch said. We just talked about keeping guys in front and limiting them to one shot. We kinda struggled with that down the stretch. They got some timely offensive rebounds that hurt us.
“In the second half we started taking care of the ball. In the first half we had 10 turnovers, and it showed. That’s why were down 10 points. Once we started taking care of the ball, it allowed us to be in the game and be who we are. Sometimes, it’s a little too late.”
Both Cotton and Gavin White struggled with early foul trouble that limited their minutes on the floor.
“It hurt us, but we were able to fight back, be in the game and have a chance to win the game,” Crouch said. “Losing Cotton early, we struggled to score in the first half. Not even if he’s scoring, just him being on the floor opens up things for other kids.”
Cotton led all scorers with 14 points. Teammate Alex Webb added 12. Sampson and Nowden scored six apiece. Keone Manigault (4), Percy Robinson (3) and Knekose Mack (3) rounded out the scoring for UPrep.
Nick Estell and John Strong scored 13 apiece to lead the Wolverines. Rolands finished with 11. Mike Taylor (7), Trey Gayle (5), Ephraim Strong (3) and Kayvon Agee (2) also scored Niagara Falls (16-6).
Niagara Falls will play either Bay Shore (XI) or Baldwin (VIII) in the state semifinals.
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