Purple Eagles best Rams in N-O opener

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 13 December 2018 at 9:35 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Deyonci Farley puts up a shot over Roy-Hart defender Charlie Bruning during the host Purple Eagles win over the Rams this evening.

Leading from wire to wire, Albion scored a 56-40 home court victory over Roy-Hart this evening in the Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball season opener.

Deyonci Farley scored a game high 22 points to lead the way for Albion as Bryce Pritchard and Xavier Cornick both added 8, Kevin Hillman 7, Liam Ward 5, Michael DiCureia 4 and Jonathan DePuy 2.

Charlie Bruning scored 18 and Charlie Brigham 13 to pace Roy-Hart as Peyton Rhinehart added 5, Austin Garrow 2 and Lance Krieger and Reed Albee 1 each.

Roy-Hart’s Charlie Bruning grabs a rebound again from Albion’s Michael DiCureia.

Albion jumped out to a 9-0 lead at the outset capped off by a three by Farley who had a total of 8 points in the opening period.

Roy-Hart though got right back in the game by answering with a 13-5 run, including 7 by Bruning and 6 by Brigham, to cut the deficit to one, 14-13, at the end of the stanza.

After four lead changes early in the second period, the Purple Eagles closed the stanza with a 12-1 run, including 5 by Farley, to take a 30-18 lead at the half.

Albion went up by as many as 19, 38-19, midway through the third quarter but Roy-Hart closed with an 8-2 run capped off by a layup by Brigham to rally back to within 13, 40-27, at the three-quarter mark.

The Rams then closed the deficit to just seven, 45-38, with two and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter after a three and layup by Bruning and a three by Brigham but could get no closer.

Albion answered with a victory clinching 9-0 run to close the game including two free throws by Cornick and pair of layups by Hillman, the second coming off a steal.

In the other N-O game Wilson defeated visiting Akron 54-38.