(Maceo Jack splashes a '3' to open a 2nd half run for North)

 

When I let Williamsville North coach Chuck Swierski know that I would be up to cover his Spartans' key game in ECIC I against Orchard Park on Wednesday night, he said "Wow, must be a big game – think I'll put on a tie!"  Sure enough, when I arrived, Swierski was sporting a dress shirt & tie, something we joked about prior to tip as the teams warmed up.  But after a first half that saw the Quakers close with nine unanswered points to take a 36-30 lead at the break, North emerged from the locker room and its coach had ditched the tie.  From there, it only took his team one minute to ditch their deficit as well.

 

The Spartans found their swagger in the second half, outscoring Orchard Park, 39-16 over the final 16 minutes, to snag a 69-52 win.  North remains the lone unbeaten team in ECIC I and takes a three-game lead in the league standings over the Quakers.

 

"I challenged them,"  Swierski said of his halftime talk with the team.  " I said what you see on paper doesn't mean anything – what matters are the results of the game."

 

North accepted the challenge and played like a completely different team in the second half, and in the process, made Orchard Park a different team as well.  After the first two quarters saw the Quakers execute sets with relative ease, which seemed to give them a lift on the defensive end as well, Orchard Park unraveled offensively in the third quarter and failed to score a field goal.

 

Maceo Jack, who was honored prior to tip for scoring his 1,000th career point in the prior win at West Seneca West, added another 31 points to his total in the victory.  The senior standout banged a 3-pointer to open the second half scoring just six seconds in to spur the comeback, which began with 10 unanswered points.  Nick Maranto scored the next five for North, who quickly grabbed a 40-36 lead.

 

Midway through the third quarter, Jack converted a three-point play and then followed it up with another bomb from downtown to put North up by ten, 47-37.  A 21-2 stanza for the Spartans had them on top, 51-38, heading into the fourth quarter after trailing by six points just eight minutes earlier.

 

"In the first half, one team played as a team and one played as five individuals, and when it's like that, we're not going anywhere as a team," Swierski said.  "We committed to man-to-man & made sure that when they set those screens that we switched on all of them and really stressed the communication aspect of it – in the first half, I don't think we really talked."

 

The communication and commitment made it so Orchard Park was no longer able to run all the way through its offense and was forced to attempt to defend in transition as North possessions continued to start off rebounds and turnovers.  North thrived in the open court during the second half, and the faster pace played right into the strengths of Jack, Maranto, and point guard Sean Hill, who finished with a double-double (10 points & 12 assists).

 

"Make sure you've got hands in the passing lanes and make sure you're switching on picks, and when we get a turnover…go," said Swierski.  "Nick (Maranto), when he runs, he puts a lot of pressure on the other team and you know Sean (Hill) is going to find him – it's just a matter of getting to an open part of the floor where you can make a play. Nick (Maranto) did that today and I think it's the best game he's had in a while."

 

The strong play from the Spartans continued into the fourth quarter with an 8-2 start that made the score 59-40.  Midway through the final stanza, Orchard Park showed flashes of the energy North came out with in the second half, but by that point, the contest was well out of reach and both coaches unloaded their benches for the final two minutes.

 

Jack added 13 rebounds and five steals to his 31-point night.  Maranto had 13 points in the win, while Jairus Huggins hauled in 12 boards and scored eight points for North.

 

Ben Wereski led Orchard Park with 16 points, Dan Freilicher scored 13 points, and Kevin Looney chipped in 10 points in the loss.

 

Point Totals

North:  Maceo Jack 31, Nick Maranto 13, Sean Hill 10, Jairus Huggins 8, Anthony Maniscalco 6, Nick Pillon 1

Orchard Park:  Ben Wereski 16, Dan Freilicher 13, Kevin Looney 10, Dylan Anderson 4, Phil Marks 3, Joe Losardo 2, Chris Liberatore 2, Dan Anderson 2

 

-centercourt