Mustangs down rival Purple Eagles; Raiders nip Rams with a three at the buzzer

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 19 February 2021 at 8:29 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Christian Drisdom tries for a shot as Damion Lattimer defends for Albion. The action took place during the host Mustangs win over the rival Purple Eagles this evening.

A fast start and a strong finish keyed Medina to a 54-42 win over visiting rival Albion this evening in a Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball game.

Barker nipped visiting Roy-Hart 61-58 on a three at the buzzer in another N-O contest.

Medina jumped out to as much as a 13 point lead early in the second quarter but saw Albion battle back to take a two point lead early in the third quarter and stay within one midway through the final stanza.

Medina’s Tyler Chinn goes in for a layup as Christian Doty defends for Albion.

However, the Mustangs answered the challenge by closing with an 11-0 run to lock up the victory.

A jumper and a fast break layup by Christian Drisdom ignited that decisive late uprising which also included three free throws by Tyler Chinn, another layup by Drisdom and a pair of free throws by Joe Cecchini.

Chinn finished with a game high 17 and Brian Fry added 16 to lead the Mustangs scoring as Jarin Rhim chipped in with 7, Cecchini and Drisdom 6 each and Dontae Rhim 2.

Bailey Blanchard had 15 and Tyler Gibson 11 to pace the Purple Eagles as Chris Shabazz added 8, Damion Lattimer 4 and Christian Doty and Jahmeek Riley 2 each.

Fry had a three point play and a three and Chinn a pair of layups to help Medina take a 13-7 lead at the end of the first period.

The Mustangs quickly upped the advantage to 13, 22-9, by opening the second quarter with a 9-2 run highlighted by a layup off a steal by Fry and a three by Chinn.

Albion though came battling back answering with s 13-2 run to close the period and cut the deficit to just two at 24-22 at the half.

Gibson had a three, a layup off a steal and a jumper and Lattimer a three to key that uprising.

Keeping the momentum, the Purple Eagles then took what proved to be their only lead at 26-24 at the outset of the third period after a layup by Shabazz and two free throws by Doty.

Medina quickly regained the lead at 28-26 after a layup by Jarin Rhim and a layup off a steal by Chinn.

Two threes by Fry and one by Jarin Rhim then helped the Mustangs open up a seven point, 39-32, lead at the three quarter mark.

However, Albion again came battling back opening the decisive final quarter with s 10-4 run to slice the deficit to just one, 43-42 with four minutes to go. Gibson and Blanchard each had two baskets and Shabazz one during that rally.

The Purple Eagles though could not find the range again as Medina answered with a decisive 11-0 closing run to claim the victory and improve to 3-0 in N-O action.

Albion is now 0-2 in league play.