LeRoy cagers post win over Albion

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Manwell Taylor (10) goes up for a rebound between the LeRoy duo of Canyon Roster (23) and Nick Egeling (32) during the Purple Eagles loss to the visiting Knights this evening.

Plagued by a rash of turnovers throughout, Albion dropped a 66-59 decision to visiting LeRoy this evening in a non league boys basketball game.

Tom Dunn scored 19, Canyon Roster 14 and Nick Egeling 10 to lead the attack for the quick moving, ball hawking LeRoy Knights which improve to 10-5.

Tommy Mattson and Kory Reynolds both scored 17, Chase Hall 10 and Evan Pappalardo 9 for Albion.

Albion did jump out to a 12-7 lead at the outset as Mattison and Pappalardo both hit threes.

However, LeRoy closed the quarter with an 8-0 run, including three straight layups off turnovers, two by Egeling, to rally into the lead for good at 15-12.

No less than seven of LeRoy’s 12 second period baskets then came directly off of turnovers as the Knights upped the lead to 10, 41-31, at the half. Dunn scored 8 during that stretch which was capped off by a three by Ryan Boyce.

Three straight baskets off turnoffs to open the third period, two by Roster, then ignited a 13-5 LeRoy scoring burst which upped the Knights advantage to 18, 54-36, late in the third period.

Albion’s Kory Reynolds (22) goes in for a layup between LeRoy defenders Nick Egeling (32) and Reese Triesco (31).

Battling back, Albion did close the quarter with a 10-0 run, including a three by Brady Meakin, a three-point play by Reynolds and a layup off a steal by Pappalardo, to pull the Purple Eagles back to within eight, 54-46, at the three-quarter mark.

A bucket off a turnover by Egeling put LeRoy back up by 12, 58-46, at the outset of the fourth quarter but again Albion came rallying back.

The Purple Eagles answered with an 8-0 run, including a rebound bucket by Reynolds along with a three-point play and a layup by Mattison, to cut the deficit to four, 58-54, with 3:10 remaining.

A layup by Pappalardo kept Albion within four, 60-56, with 1:45 to go but the Purple Eagles could get no closer.

LeRoy answered with a layup by Roster and then a big layup off a steal by Dunn to regain an eight point, 54-64, lead with a minute to go.

Mattison countered with a three to pull Albion back to within five, 64-59, with 43 seconds remaining but LeRoy finally put a lock on the victory on two clutch free throws by Roster.

Albion next hosts Newfane on Thursday in a Niagara-Orleans League contest.