(Medina's Jalin Cooper drives against Brandon Gross of Newfane)
Medina 73, Newfane 65
The two-time defending league champions from Medina looked well prepared for Monday night's game at first place Newfane, who entered with an unbeaten mark in Niagara-Orleans league play. The Mustangs executed their plan, took an early first quarter lead, and never looked back on their way to forcing a tie at the top of the standings. Medina had recently lost to Wilson, who Newfane buried on Friday night, setting up what looked to be a changing of the guards in the N-O. But Mustang Pride was real on Monday night and Medina clearly had other ideas. Jalin Cooper looked fully recovered from a knee injury that slowed him considerably earlier in the year and finished with a game-high 29 points. Izaiah Rhim had a balanced performance throughout and was tough on the boards, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Mason Lewis canned three 3-pointers in the first half to provide an early spark and then dug in defensively to help keep the Panthers from ever settling into the game and finding their rhythm. Medina's lead reached as many as 18 points in the game.
Medina 18 – 22 – 14 – 19 = 73
Newfane 14 – 11 – 21 – 19 = 65
Point Totals
Medina: Jalin Cooper 29, Izaiah Rhim 16, Mason Lewis 15, Nate Sherman 4, Tyler Chinn 4, Brendan Luthart 3, Alex Allis 2
Newfane: Kyle DeVoogel 19, Max Weber 14, Connor Hill 8, Matt DiTullio 6, Umaru Ibrahim 5, Brandon Gross 5, Andrew Boudeman 5, Jarrett Gilson 2, Chad Dunbar 1
Records
Medina: 5-6, 5-1 / Next game at Albion Thursday, January 25th
Newfane: 8-4, 5-1 / Next game at Roy-Hart Thursday, January 25th
Player of the Game
Jalin Cooper – Medina
Unsung Hero of the Game
Mason Lewis – Medina
Key Stats
Medina: Jalin Cooper 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, 3 steals / Izaiah Rhim 11 rebounds, 3 steals / Brian Fry 8 assists / Mason Lewis 6 rebounds
Key Runs
Medina began the second quarter with a 14-3 run that gave them a 32-17 lead. Newfane ended the third frame with eight straight points to pull within eight, 54-46. A 9-0 run late in the game got Newfane within three, 64-61, but Medina responded with a 7-0 run to put the game away.
3-Pointers
Medina (5): Mason Lewis (3), Izaiah Rhim, Nate Sherman
Newfane (4): Kyle DeVoogel (3), Matt DiTullio
Coaches Quotes
Tom Forrestel – Medina
On his team's preparation for this game
I've been coaching 18 years and that's probably one of the best weeks of preparation that one of my teams has ever had. They were just locked in, not only in the gym, but also in film session. About four days ago it was very clear to me that they were going to be ready at both ends of the court. We had a good game plan in place and they executed it. I'm super proud of them.
On coming in already a game behind Newfane
It was a perfect storm when Wilson beat us. They played great, earned it and deserved to beat us. It made this game that much bigger.
On the team's growth since the season began
It's pretty much the same team coming back, minus Johnny Salone and Vincent Montague (two starters lost to transfer). It just took a while for everyone to re-adjust their roles, find their identities, and come together. Of course Jalin's knee (Cooper has been recovering from a knee injury) was a major factor in the first third of the season. As time progressed, we've been getting closer. This week in preparation for this game, I saw it all come together.
On his game plan and limiting Max Weber & Kyle DeVoogel
Those two guys are really good and everything Newfane does goes right through those two. The theory is make them work at both ends of the court and keep their zone moving. Defensively, we wanted to make them one-dimensional. It got to the point in the game where their go was point guard isolation off the dribble. I think they were tired and I think it was effective.
On his team's pride
When you're the defending champion and you've got a lot of pieces back, there's the element of pride that you have to have. We're not going to hand anything to anybody – they have to come and take it. We wanted to dictate the pace of the game and the style of play.
Eric Klumpp – Newfane
On what Medina did well
They did a good job of establishing rhythm and taking away ours. They did a good job of moving the ball and getting it where it needed to be and our rotations were a little high.
On what Newfane didn't do well
We didn't move the ball side to side, so their defensive positioning didn't have to move. We have to be able to shift the court and make individuals play defense.
On a solid outing from Newfane sophomore Umaru Ibrahim
I thought Umaru played really well. He just battled and I was proud of the way he played.
Random Smatterings
- As I sat and watched the game, there were three words dancing through my head as the tone of the game clearly favored Medina, despite them coming in as the underdogs: preparation, execution, & pride. Then all of those words were spoken by head coach Tom Forrestel during the post game interview without my prompting.
– Both teams are very good, but while Newfane may have thought they wanted it more last night, Medina's desire to leave with a victory trumped that.
– Jalin Cooper had an excellent basketball last season in 2017. In the games I had watched this year, he was a shell of where he left of last year – until last night. It was good to see him back to form.
– Monday night's victory for Medina was its 8th consecutive win over Newfane.
– Another great atmosphere for a game last night. It's so much better after the New Year when games really matter to teams and fans and rivalries renew. The gym was full, fans were loud, and even the Wilson Lakemen team was largely represented in the stands.
– Newfane sophomore Umaru Ibrahim stood out last night for both the effort he turned in and the coaching he has taken since the year began. He defended well, got after some rebounds, and made a couple moves in the post that come from working at them.
– Both Medina and Newfane play in the Centercourt Classic on Saturday, February 3rd at Williamsville South. Medina takes on Franklinville at 12 pm, followed by Newfane vs. Ellicottville at 2 pm. They will be eager to prove that I've been ranking the wrong teams all season, as both Franklinville & Ellicottville are top 10 small schools, while the two N-O teams have gone unranked all season.
– The rematch between the Mustangs and Panthers will be Friday, February 9th at Medina. If neither team loses a league game before then, that game would be for sole possession of first place in the N-O.
-centercourt
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