Late surge powers Mustangs past Quakers

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 28 January 2017 at 7:51 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Johnny Salone puts up a shot past Orchard Park defender Dave Morris during the Mustangs non league win over the visiting Quakers this evening.

A fourth quarter scoring burst keyed Medina to a 75-66 victory over visiting Orchard Park this evening in a non league basketball game.

Jalin Cooper and Johnny Salone each scored 8 of their game high 24 points to key a decisive 22-14 fourth quarter surge as Medina improves to 10-4 on the season.

Izaiah Rhim added 13 for the Mustangs as Mason Lewis had 7, Vincent Montague 5 and Tyrellis Atkins 2.

Dylan Anderson scored 17, Dan Anderson 16 and Dave Morris 13 for Class AA Orchard Park which slips to 6-7.

Medina’s Mason Lewis drives up court against Orchard Park defender Tristan Lancaster.

Leading by a slender one point, 57-56, margin early in the final period, Medina went on a 14-4 scoring spurt to pull away to an 11 point, 71-60 lead with 2:20 remaining.

Cooper had a layup off a turnover and three free throws, Salone a layup and a free throw, Atkins a layup off a turnover and Lewis and Rhim layups during that key run.

The Quakers did cut the deficit to five, 71-66, but the Mustangs answered with back-to-back layups by Salone in the final 35 seconds to put a firm lock on the victory.

Orchard Park grabbed a 20-16 lead at the end of the opening period as Dylan Anderson and Morris both had 7 in the early going. Eight points by Cooper, along with 4 each by Salone and Rhim, kept Medina close.

Medina took the lead for the first time at 24-22 early in the second period after an 8-0 run on a three and a jumper by Lewis and a three by Montague.

Orchard Park though answered with a 6-0 run to regain a 28-24 lead and went on to hold a narrow 36-34 advantage at the half.

Medina regained the lead at 44-42 midway through the third quarter after a 7-0 run on a three-point play by Salone, two free throws by Cooper and a layup off a steal by Rhim. A late dunk by Salone and three-point play by Rhim kept the Mustangs up by one, 53-52, at the three-quarter mark.

Back-to-back layups by Cooper upped the Medina lead to five, 57-52, at the outset of the final period.
Orchard Park did pull back to within one, 57-56, after buckets by Morris and Dan Anderson but the Quakers would not regain the lead.

Medina answered with what proved to be a decisive 14-4 run to regain the upper hand for good.

The Mustangs next host Buffalo Science at 7 p.m. Monday.