Olmsted cagers sweep Medina

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 11 December 2014 at 12:00 am

Roy-Hart edges past Tonawanda; Barker girls win to go to 4-0

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Brennan Zinkievich looks to shoot against Anthony Mendrysa of Olmsted during the Mustangs loss to the visiting Owls this evening.

Olmsted High of Buffalo swept to a doubleheader victory over host Medina this evening in non league basketball action. The Owls downed the Mustangs 53-49 in the boys game and 33-23 in the girls contest.

Trailing by as many as 10 in the final period, the Medina boys turned up the defensive pressure to put together a strong stretch run. Jason Hellwig scored 14 of his 22 points to lead that Mustangs comeback bid.

Hellwig in fact scored Medina’s final 14 points including a three-point play, a pair of layups off turnovers, a rebound bucket, a layup off a steal and another layup. It was a clutch run of points that twice rallied Medina to within one, at 48-47 and again at 50-49, but the Mustangs could not pull even.

Olmsted needed five clutch free throws by Ernestali Perez in the final 23 seconds to put a lock on the win.

Brandon Roach took game high scoring honors for Olmsted with 28 but he sat out the final three minutes with an ankle injury. Dan Reid added 14 for the Owls.

Brennan Zinkievich netted 10 for Medina as Justin Morgan had 5, Devonte Howard and Tyler Ames 4 each, Dylan Lewis 3 and Jalin Cooper 1.

Zinkievich tallied 8, Hellwig and Morgan both hit threes and Howard had a layup in the final seconds to help Medina take a 17-16 lead at the end of the first period.

However, Olmsted rallied into leads of 28-24 at the half and 40-32 at the three-quarter mark. Roach tallied 16 over the middle two periods for the Owls.

Medina, which slips to 0-3, next visits Park School on December 16.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Molley Gross drives to the basket against Olmsted’s Staria Taylor.

Girls Basketball

Olmsted 33, Medina 23
Stymied by a rash of 15 first half turnovers, Medina trailed Olmsted 6-4 after one period and 13-7 at the half, a deficit the Mustangs could not quite overcome.

Medina did rally back to within one at 20-19 late in the third quarter after back-to-back baskets by Molley Gross and Holly Heil but the Mustangs could not pull even.

Olmsted led 24-19 at the three-quarter mark.

Taylor James scored a game high 27 points for Olmsted including all 24 of the Owls’ points over the first three quarters.

Gross led Medina with 13 points as Heil had 6 and Nicole Blount and Rowan Hamner 2 each.

Medina, which is now 0-2, next hosts Global Concepts on December 16.

Barker 41, Tonawanda 34
Staying perfect at 4-0, Barker posted a 41-34 victory over visiting Tonawanda in a non league game.

Trailing 23-22 at the half, Barker used a big 14-3 third period scoring burst to key the win. Kelsie Flegal had 7 points and Melissa Grosshans hit a three to lead the Lady Raiders uprising.

Caitlyn Mason led Barker on the night with 13 points as Flegal finished with 11 and Grosshans 7.