By PAUL GOTHAM
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Brody Vance scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Andover-Whitesville (21-3) fell to Section VI champion Clymer (17-6), 63-49 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class D quarterfinals, Friday at Buffalo State College.
With the defeat, Andover-Whitesville’s season ended.
“Tough loss,” said Andover-Whitesville head coach Jimmy Joyce. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to. Nothing that happened today diminishes what we accomplished this year. I’m so proud of these guys, these coaches, everybody. They put their names on the wall. In my mind, and I’ll take grief for it, that’s the greatest team Andover-Whitesville’s ever had.”
Trailing 46-31 after three quarters of play, Vance scored the first two baskets of the fourth. The junior guard’s steal and layup coming out of a timeout with 1:47 remaining in the game cut the deficit to seven at 56-49.
“Clymer, good for them,” Joyce said. “They executed better than we did. It’s that simple. No heads hanging low at all here. What a season.”
Vincent Joyce netted six of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter. Joyce converted 4-of-6 free throws during an 11-5 run to open the fourth.
“We got ball movement going,” Joyce said of the fourth-quarter success. “Not just one pass and shoot. We got back to our offense with screens, cuts, drives and hitting the open man. Once we did that, we got easy looks, and the boys started hitting them.”
Clymer’s Carson White led all scorers with 25 points.
“It was defense,” Joyce said of the key to the loss. “We knew defense was going to win the game. They played better defense than us tonight.”
James Miller-Young contributed six points for A-W.
Kam Einink and Eli Mitchell added 11 points apiece for Clymer. Roman Wassink scored 10. Blake Beckerink contributed five points.
Clymer will play either Edmeston (IV) or Sackets Harbor (III) next Saturday in the NYS Class D semifinals.
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