Cold shooting Mustangs edge Eagles

No. 2 Medina advances to Class B1 semis

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Jalin Cooper goes up for a shot as Jahleel Burks tries to block for CSAT during the host Mustangs sectional win over the Eagles this evening.

Surviving an ice cold shooting night, No. 2 seed Medina edged past visiting No. 10 CSAT 54-46 this evening in the quarterfinal round of the Section VI Class B1 playoffs.

It took a late 13-2 scoring surge, which broke a 41-41 deadlock, to finally earn the victory for Medina which advances to the February 25 semifinals against No. 2 East Aurora which ousted No. 6 Newfane 62-47.

Jalin Cooper scored 14, Tyler Ames 12, Justin Morgan 11, Dylan Lewis 8, Daryl Haynes 6, Ronnie Koonce 2 and Johnny Salone 1 for the Mustangs.

Shaun Wilson took game high scoring honors with 20 for CSAT. He hit a pair of threes to help the Eagles grab an 11-9 first period lead.

However, despite going only 5 of 31 from the field and 8 of 17 from the free throw line, Medina managed to grab a slender 18-16 lead at the half. Ames had a pair of layups and Morgan went 4 for 4 from the line to lead the Mustangs in the second period.

Two jumpers and a pair of layups by Cooper boosted the Medina lead to six, 24-18, at the outset of the third period.

Tyler Ames looks to shoot for Medina as Shaun Wilson defends for CSAT.

Late threes by Morgan and Lewis kept the Mustangs up 34-31 at the three-quarter mark after CSAT had briefly rallied into a 31-31 tie after back-to-back threes by Juan Verdjo.

Two layups by Haynes, the first off a turnover, put Medina back up by five, 38-33, at the outset of the final period.

A jumper off a turnover by Cooper kept the Mustangs up by five, 41-36, with five minutes to go but the Eagles answered back with s 5-0 run to rally into a 41-41 tie with 2:45 remaining.

However, Medina turned back that challenge with what proved to be a game clinching 13-2 run.

Three free throws by Lewis started that scoring spurt, Cooper followed up with a layup and Ames a rebound bucket as four free throws by Morgan and two by Ames capped off the run giving the Mustangs a commanding 52-43 lead with only 25 seconds to go.

Medina, which improves to 15-6, also downed CSAT twice during the Niagara-Orleans League season by scores of 69-60 and 58-32.