Albion nips Emerson in overtime

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Elijah Lloyd drives between Emerson defenders Lawrence Russell and Keshawn Conner for a shot during the Purple Eagles overtime win over the visiting Eagles this evening.

It took an extra four minutes but Albion earned victory No. 1 on the young boys basketball season by edging past visiting Emerson 64-63 in overtime this evening in a non league contest.

Kevin Hillman made two layups and a free throw to put Albion up 58-56 early in the overtime period.

However, Emerson answered with a 5-0 highlighted by a layup by Lawrence Russell and a layup off a turnover by Treyvaughn Jackson.

The last comeback though belonged to Albion as a three by Zach Coleccechi retied the contest at 61-61 with 1:32 remaining. A three by Hillman at the 51 second mark then provided the margin of victory.

Emerson though made the finish exciting. Two free throws by Russell sliced the Albion lead to just one with 26 seconds to go. The Eagles then had chance for the win but misfired on a shot in the final second.

Deyonci Farley led Albion with 17 points as Xavier Cornick and Bailey Blanchard both had 11, Hillman 10, Coleccechi 6, Chris Shabazz and Anthony Freeman 3, Damion Lattimer 2 and Elijah Lloyd 1.

Jackson finished with a game high 34 for Emerson as Russell added 12.

Emerson held narrow leads of 11-10 after one period and 25-23 at the half as Jackson scored all 14 of the Eagles points in the second quarter.

Albion got rolling in the third period outscoring Emerson 23-9 to rally into a 12 point, 46-34, lead at the three-quarter mark.

Farley scored 11 to lead that Purple Eagles surge which also included 6 by Cornick.

However, the tables turned in the fourth quarter as Emerson came battling back to outscore Albion 19-7 and force the contest into overtime.

A three by Blanchard and a rebound basket by Farley did keep Albion up by six, 53-47 with 1:39 remaining but the Purple Eagles, which went 0 for 10 from the free throw line in the period, could not score again.

Emerson capitalized on that drought by scoring the final six points to knot the contest at 53-53 on a three by Keshawn Conner, a layup by Jackson and a free throw by Russell with just six seconds to go.

Albion though weathered the storm as eight points by Hillman and a three by Coleccechi in the overtime period earned the Purple Eagles the narrow win.

Albion next visits Lyndonville at 6:30 p.m. Friday for another non league game.

Albion’s Bailey Blanchard goes up for a shot as Keshawn Conner, Lawrence Russell and Deron Loder defend for Emerson.