Medina cagers surge past Roy-Hart

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 5 January 2017 at 9:05 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Jalin Cooper goes up for a shot against Roy-Hart defender Cam Meadows during the Mustangs win over the host Rams this evening.

Vincent Montague goes in for a layup for Medina as Noah Kindron defends for Roy-Hart.

Moving on top to stay with a scoring burst to close the first quarter, defending champion Medina went on to defeat host Roy-Hart 73-55 this evening in a Niagara-Orleans League game.

Roy-Hart grabbed a 5-2 lead at the outset on a three by DJ Davis and a layup by Brendon Hess but Medina answered right back with a 13-5 run to close the period and take the lead or good at 15-10. Jalin Cooper spearheaded that surge with 11 points including two layups, a pair of rebound buckets and a jumper. He had a total of 13 in the stanza.

The Mustangs upped the lead to 15, 27-12, midway through the second quarter as Cooper, Johnny Salone and Vincent Montague each had a pair of baskets. Cooper had a total of 9 points in the period which finished with the Mustangs up by 12, 36-24.

Roy-Hart did cut the deficit to 6, 40-34, midway through the third period on buckets by Cam Meadows and Hess.

However, Medina turned back that challenge by closing the period with s 15-6 run to regain a 15 point, 55-40, lead at the three-quarter mark. Cooper had a three and a jumper and Izaiah Rhim a layup and a rebound bucket to highlight that uprising.

Montague then scored 9 points down the stretch to help the Mustangs claim the 18 point win.

Cooper finished with a game high 32 as Montague added 15, Salone 14, Rhim 8 and Tyler Howard and Jorge Phillips 2 each.

Hess led Roy-Hart with 20 as Jacob Bruning and Davis both had 10, Noah Kindron 9, Meadows 4 and Eric Fitch 2.

Medina is now 2-0 in the league and Roy-Hart 0-3.