By PAUL GOTHAM
LETCHWORTH, N.Y. — Zach Bauer capped a fourth-quarter rally with a basket as the final horn sounded, and York boys’ basketball kept its season alive with a 66-64 victory over Alexander in Class C sub-regional action at Letchworth High School, Monday night.
Bauer converted a putback for the game winner.
“That’s what everybody dreams of,” the sophomore guard said. “I just had a really good angle at the board and went up strong.”
Tied at 64, York had the ball out-of-bounds under Alexander’s defensive basket with 7.2 seconds remaining in the game. Bauer inbounded ballside to teammate Ryan Brady and immediately moved to the opposite side of the lane.
Brady put up a shot in traffic that caromed long off the rim into the hands of Bauer.
“It was designed for Parker (Bonefede) and Ryan, and I missed my first read,” he said of the play. “Finally, I got it into him (Brady). He put a shot up. There was only a little time left, so I hustled my butt, got the rebound and put it back up.”
That York was in position to win the game was due in large part to the efforts of Bonefede. The MVP of the Section V Class C2 tournament connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game at 57.
“I really couldn’t see anything,” said the junior guard who was defended on both shots by Alexander big man Dylan Pohl. “It felt great. They all put their trust in me, and I knew I was going to hit it.”
On both sequences, Bonefede used a step-back to create just enough space to release his shot over the outstretched arms of the 6-foot-6 Pohl.
“I knew I was a little quicker than him,” he said. “I knew if I gave him a stutter step, I could shoot and I’d be all right.”
Bonefede hit a third triple later in the quarter. Brady set a ball screen on Alexander guard Kingston Woods to give his teammate just enough room. Again, Pohl switched on the screen, and Bonefede connected.
“I’d prefer he see the rim the next time,” joked York head coach Ed Orman Jr.
Alexander, coming off its first sectional championship in program history, led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter and took a 55-47 advantage into the final eight minutes.
“We played hard,” said second-year Alexander head coach, Jalen Smith. “There were obviously some things we could have cleaned up in late in that game, but I’m super-proud of them.
“Our standard wasn’t the greatest when we first got here but to be upset now and really hurt by the outcome of this when it’s the furthest we’ve ever been, means something. Things are turning around, and I’m super-proud of them. We got our main goal. We got the first sectional block in school history, so there’s really nothing to be upset about. Like I told them, that’s how the game goes.”
Despite the deficit going into the final frame, Orman had confidence in his squad.
“That’s this time of the year,” said Orman. “At the end of the third quarter, I truly thought we’re winning this game.”
Yeriel Diaz-Pena converted a steal and layup, and Brody Pangrazio drove baseline to pull York within four at 55-51.
The defensive emphasis over the final eight minutes was to slow down Pohl who finished with 19 on the night. York limited the senior center to four points in the fourth and held him scoreless over the final two-plus minutes of play.
“We started having our wings sliding across and getting a body on him,” Orman said. “We were sending Zach and Yeriel to get the boards on the back side. We were like, listen anybody but Dylan. He’s still got some. He’s that good, but we started winning at least some of them. Then we went hot. We got hot.”
Orman pointed to the influence of older brothers Joe Bauer and Jake Pangrazio who graduated last year.
“We got a bunch of little brothers. Little Bauer and Little Pangrazio. I have a theory that they didn’t get the ball much in the backyard hoops and on the playgrounds. They had to get to the boards because Joe and Jake were never going to pass it to them.”
And it paid off when Bauer grabbed a rebound before scoring the final bucket.
“He’s had to do that all his life, go get his own.”
Bonefede hit six 3-pointers as part of a 28-point night and grabbed 12 rebounds. Diaz-Pena scored 18. Brady had 11, and Mason Parsons seven.
Woods added 12 points for Alexander (19-5). Austin Wakefield (10) and Jake Brooks (11) also scored for the Trojans.
York (14-11), a seven-seed, will play Honeoye in the Class C regional qualifier. A 6:30 p.m. tip-off is scheduled Wednesday at Dansville High School.
There was another brother combo Tyler Brady and Ryan,three sets of brothers Jake and Brody Joe and Zach and Tyler and Ryan. sectional champs in 2022 and now 2025. Please keep up the great coverage.