Purple Eagles surge past Rams

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 12 December 2019 at 9:26 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Deyonci Farley grabs a rebound against Roy-Hart defenders Peyton Rhinehart and Tom Ragonese during the Purple Eagles win over the host Rams this evening.

Taking charge in the third quarter, Albion went on to defeat host Roy-Hart 61-41 in a Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball game this evening.

Leading by a narrow two point, 28-26, margin at the half, Albion outscored Roy-Hart 18-7 in the decisive third period to open up a 13 point, 46-33, advantage.

A 10-0 run to open the period including two layups by Chris Shabazz and one each by Deyonci Farley and Kevin Hillman along with a jumper by Hillman, ignited that uprising.

(Click here to see Albion’s Chris Shabazz score from near the basket.)

Albion’s Bailey Blanchard pulls down a rebound against Roy-Hart’s Peyton Rhinehart.

Back-to-back threes later in the period by Anthony Freeman and Liam Ward helped give the Purple Eagles as much as a 16 point, 44-28, lead.

The Rams could get no closer than 13 down the stretch as two baskets each by Hillman and Farley, along with another three by Ward, helped keep the Purple Eagles in control.

The first half was much closer.

Albion held a slender 11-10 lead at the end of the first period on a late layup off a steal by Xavier Cornick.

Hillman then erupted for 11 points in the second quarter, including four layups off turnovers, to help the Purple Eagles maintain a narrow 28-26 lead at the half.

Tom Ragonese had three layup baskets, Canyon Wood two threes and Jon Gillings one in the second period to keep the Rams close before the Purple Eagles broke the game open in the third period.

(Click here to see Roy-Hart’s Canyon Wood hit a 3.)

Hillman finished with 17 and Farley 15 to lead Albion as Ward and Freeman both added 8, Shabazz 7 and Cornick, Elijah Lloyd and Bailey Blanchard 2 each.

Ragonese led Roy-Hart with 17 as Wood had 9, Rhett Goodwin 5, Peyton Rhinehart 4, Gillings 3, Reed Albee 2 and Aiden Petrie 1.

Albion is now 2-0 in the league and 4-1 overall while Roy-Hart is 0-1, 1-2.