Purple Eagles post win over Tigers

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 6 December 2019 at 9:17 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Deyonci Farley puts up a shot over Lyndonville defenders Nathan Hydock and Russell Stephens during the visiting Purple Eagles win over the Tigers this evening.

Moving on top to stay with a big second quarter scoring surge, Albion turned back a late comeback bid by host Lyndonville to earn a 60-51 victory this evening in a non league contest.

Trailing 18-16 after the opening period, Albion used a turnover aided 19-2 second quarter uprising to grab a 35-20 half-time lead which the Purple Eagles never gave up.

Albion opened the decisive period with an 11-1 run over the first four minutes to take an eight point, 27-19 lead as Elijah Lloyd, Chris Shabazz, Deyonci Farley and Xavier Cornick all scored on layups off turnovers.

Continuing to capitalize on what was a total of 9 Lyndonville turnovers in the stanza, Albion closed with an 8-0 run including layups off turnovers by Farley and Kevin Hillman and a three by Anthony Freeman for a 15 point, 35-20, half-time advantage.

Albion’s Zach Coleccechi works against Lyndonville defenders Trenton Muck and Casey Winiecki.

Albion went up by as many as 18, 43-25, midway through the third quarter after two baskets by Hillman and one by Shabazz.

The Purple Eagles maintained a 13 point, 45-32, advantage at the three-quarter mark.

However, Lyndonville came battling back down the stretch.

A three-point play off a rebound basket by Nathan Hydock and a three by Nate Dillenbeck helped ignite the Tigers comeback.

Lyndonville cut the deficit to seven, 53-46 with 3:35 to go after free throws by Russell Stephens, Dillenbeck and Hydock.

A rebound basket by Hydock followed by a three-point play by Dillenbeck pulled Lyndonville to within five, 56-51, with 45 seconds to go but the Tigers could get no closer.

Albion, which went 0 for 10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter on Thursday in a narrow 64-63 overtime win over Emerson, this time went 9 of 12 from the line down the stretch to clinch the win.

In fact, the Purple Eagles final nine points came from the line including five by Hillman and two each by Shabazz and Bailey Blanchard.

The Purple Eagles also got two key baskets off layups early in the final stanza by Lloyd and Hillman to help slow the Tigers comeback bid.

Hillman finished with 16 and Blanchard 11 for Albion which got point production from nine players. Lloyd added 9, Farley 8, Shabazz 6, Freeman 5, Xavier Cornick and Michael DiCureia 2 and Zach Coleccechi 1.

Three players accounted for all of Lyndonville’s scoring as Dillenbeck had a game high 26, Hydock 15 and Stephens 10.

Albion is now 2-1 and Lyndonville 1-1.

(Click here to see Albion’s Xavier Cornick steal the ball and go in for a layup.)

(Click here to see Lyndonville’s Nathan Dillenbeck connect on a 3 from the outside.)

CSAT 62, Medina 47

CSAT bested visiting Medina 62-47 in another non league contest.

Christian Drisdom scored 13 for Medina as Nate Sherman, Brian Fry and Dontae Rhim 10 each.

Now at 1-1, Medina next hosts South Park at 6:30 p.m. Monday in a non league game.