(Jaylin Rose, Nick Foster, and the rest of the Amherst Tigers smothered Cheektowaga from the word go / Photo by Emily Foster)

 

When I wrote the season preview in November, I made certain predictions as to which teams would win postseason championships.  One of the teams I pegged to make some real noise was Amherst, who I had winning titles in ECIC III, Class A2, overall Class A, and the Far West Regional in Class A.  Several key pieces returned for the Tigers that made me favor them.  There was TC Brown, a returning four-year varsity standout and one of the most competitive and confident players I've ever watched.  Amadi Ikpeze, a legitimate big man who can do far more than just clog the lane and occupy space in the post.  The Tigers had key contributors returning from the prior season in Nathan Woldu, Da'Shawn Hines, Nick Foster, & Rory Walsh, who were committed to the program and putting in work.  And then there was head coach Chris Kensy, who built a basketball program the right way at Amherst through hard work and preparation, qualities he learned from one of the hardest working coaches there is, his father Mark.

 

After watching Amherst completely take Cheektowaga apart, I left feeling like I just might know what I'm talking about.

 

The Tigers dominated the Warriors for four quarters to earn an 87-55 victory before an overflow crowd at the Amherst Jungle on Friday night.  The win keeps Amherst unbeaten in ECIC III and on the fast track for another league title and the top seed in the upcoming Class A2 sectionals.

 

"To start fast & finish strong like this, I can't ask much more of our kids," beamed Kensy following the win.  "I'm proud of each and every single one of them."

 

The fast start for Amherst saw them race out to a 15-4 advantage by the midway point of the opening quarter, getting scoring from all five starters during that span.  TC Brown finished off the quarter by banging a pair of 3-pointers and converting a three-point play to put his team up 26-10 after just eight minutes.  The Tigers continued to pour it on in the second quarter and their lead got as high as 27 points.  Hines buried one from downtown just before the horn sounded to send the teams to the locker room for halftime, Amherst holding a commanding 45-21 lead.  

 

"We had a plan since early in the week and every single one of them bought in," said Kensy.

 

St. Bonaventure commit, Amadi Ikpeze, was a force inside for Amherst and got things going early.  The big man really asserted himself in the post and scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half.  His team fed off his aggressive play at both ends of the floor, and his efforts earned him a double-double, as he collected 12 rebounds and also blocked six shots for the Tigers.

 

 "Anytime you establish the post, that creates so many opportunities on the perimeter and for attacking angles," Kensy said.

 

The Warriors attempted to get back into the game in the third quarter, showing some different defenses and cutting the deficit to 19 points by the midway point.  But whether Cheektowaga went man, zone, or tried to press and trap, Amherst's preparation was obvious, as it continued to find quick answers and continued to generate offense.

 

 "We try to throw everything at our guys," said Kensy.  "We go through all sorts of situations, all sorts of defenses – I think that's helped us to respond to any sort of defense."

 

Brown's strong play continued in the second half.  When the Warriors got to within 19, the senior splashed from long range on back-to-back possessions.  Over the final minute of the third quarter, Amherst went on a 10-0 run that included another long range bust for Brown, along with a pair of free throws.  After just three quarters of play, Amherst had a 68-36 lead and Brown had an eye-popping 32 points, 11 rebounds, eights assists, and six steals.

 

But it wasn't just the TC Brown show.  The term "complete team win" would be an appropriate title to put on the Tigers' resounding victory over Cheektowaga on Friday.  Besides Brown & Ikpeze, Woldu also registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Hines finished with 12 points to go along with four boards and four assists.  Foster and Walsh each dropped five dimes and hauled in five boards.  And 10 different players scored in the game for Amherst.

 

  "We moved the basketball extremely well, we crashed the boards very well — not to mention we knocked down some shots," remarked Kensy.

 

Cheektowaga had been playing well and was coming off a pair of double figure wins, including one at St. Joe's on Monday.  The Warriors are considered to be the Tigers' chief competition in ECIC III.

 

 "We have so much respect for them, but we knew we wanted to make a statement tonight,"  Kensy said. "We haven't been really tested and we've been hungry for this."

 

 Dominick Welch scored a team-high 28 points for the Warriors.  Stephan Parker finished with 16 points, and sophomore point guard Rudy Bragg added seven points in the loss.

 

Point Totals

Amherst:  TC Brown 32, Amadi Ikpeze 17, Da'Shawn Hines 12, Nathan Woldu 11, Richard Kay 6, Nick Foster 2, Jaylin Rose 2, Michael Walsh 2, Jake Funderburk 2, Jordan Barr 1

Cheektowaga:  Dominick Welch 28, Stephan Parker 16, Rudy Bragg 7, Tariq Thompson 3, Alek Bryant 1

 

-centercourt