(Park's Brandon Smith rises up over a defender / Photo:Harry Scull,Buff News)
(2) Park 62, (1) Canisius 54
The Park School proved to be WNY's top program this season, knocking off the three-time defending champions who came into the game ranked #1 in the area, to win its first Manhattan Cup in Class A. Brandon Smith earned Manhattan Cup MVP honors, scoring a game-high 22 points, with 13 of those coming in the first half. The shots Smith was knocking down were impressive, as was the Pioneers defense, the play inside from Julian Eziukwu, Quentin Nnagbo, & John Orogun, and the constant dribble penetration and distribution by Noah Hutchins. Park never trailed in the second half and had an answer for every shot Canisius managed to knock down, tempering any late game dramatics. They will face St. Anthony's in Long Island this Saturday for the right to advance to the CHSAA state championship game in Class A.
Park 13 – 15 – 14 – 20 = 62
Canisius 13 – 12 – 13 – 16 = 54
Point Totals
Park: Brandon Smith 22, Dan Scott 13, Quentin Nnagbo 9, Julian Eziukwu 9, Noah Hutchins 7, John Orogun 2
Canisius: Jayce Johnson 17, Austin James 14, Nick MacDonald 8, Dwayne Vass 8, Ryan Bradley 7
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(3) Niagara Catholic 73, (1) Cardinal O'Hara 65
Niagara Catholic entered the tournament as the #3 seed, but took down the two teams seeded ahead of them to earn the 2018 Manhattan Cup in Class B, the first time the school has ever earned the honor under that name. When the school last win a Manhattan Cup in 1962, it was named Bishop Duffy.
Freshman Jalen Bradberry earned Manhattan Cup MVP, scoring a game-high 27 points in the championship victory and providing a pair of highlight flushes at the rim in the process. Haakim Siner scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Patriots, who started five underclassmen all season under the guidance of head coach Giulio Colangelo. Niagara Catholic began to gain some separation in the third quarter, gaining contributions from Raejuan Smith, Jaemon Turner, Avion Harris, and Mehki Starks. The win earns a chance at a CHSAA state championship in Class B on March 10th against the winner in NYC.
Niagara Catholic 13 – 20 – 18 – 22 = 73
Cardinal O'Hara 13 - 16 – 15 – 21 = 65
Point Totals
Niagara Catholic: Jalen Bradberry 27, Haakim Siner 17, Jaemon Turner 9, Raejuan Smith 9, Mehki Starks 7, Avion Harris 4
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 23, Nasir Benton 20, Jaedin Cottman 11, Jermaine Haynes 9, Joseph Turri 2
-centercourt
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