Raiders upend Mustangs to avenge earlier loss; Rams top Lakemen to regain N-O lead

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Barker’s Aidan Mescall drives to the basket against Medina defender Anthony Bowman during the Raiders narrow win over the host Mustangs this evening.

Avenging an early season 22 point (59-37) home court loss, Barker upended host Medina 53-51 this evening knocking the Mustangs out of a share of the Niagara-Orleans League lead.

The loss drops Medina to 4-2 as Roy-Hart, which downed host Wilson 52-40, regains sole possession of the N-O lead at 5-1.

A free throw by Aidan Mescall with 11 seconds remining, which snapped a 51-51 tie, proved to be the game winner for Barker as Aidan Voss added another free throw with a second to go.

Voss finished with 15, Mescall 12, Luey Castro 10, Nathan Meza Ray, Brad Cantrell 5, Steven Class 2 and Seth Gerhardt 1 for Barker which is now 2-4 in N-O action.

Anthony Bowman scored 18, Jarin Rhim 14, Joe Cecchini 13, Amari Soule 3, Justin Pitts 2 and Kaedon Cleveland 1 for Medina.

Medina jumped out to a 16-10 first quarter lead as Cecchini scored 7 and Rhim 5.

However, Barker battled back to take a 26-25 lead at the half after back-to-back threes by Meza Ray and Cantrell followed by a rebound basket by Castro late in the second period.

Medina did regain a narrow 43-41 lead at the end of a sea-saw third period as Bowman scored 8, Rhim hit a three and Cecchini had a three-point play in the stanza. Voss scored 8, including a three, in the period for the Raiders.

The Mustangs took a 47-43 lead early in the final period after baskets by Rhim and Bowman but the Mustangs could not score from the field again.

Medina’s last lead came at 51-50 with 3:23 to go after three free throws by Cecchini.

Barker answered with a pair from the free throw line by Castro with 1:36 remaining to take a 51-50 lead.

The Mustangs pulled even at 51-51 on a free throw by Cleveland with 13 seconds remaining but again the Raiders answered right back, this time with what proved to be a game winning free throw by Mescall just two seconds later for a 52-51 lead.

Barker’s Nathan Meza Ray drives against Medina defender Amari Soule.

Roy-Hart 52, Wilson 40
Aiden Petrie scored 15, Jamel Johnson Jr. 13, Vinny Buscarino 10 and Brandon DiNeri 6 to lead the way for Roy-Hart.

Paul Smith scored 12 and Mason Branca 9 for Wilson which slips to 3-4.

Roy-Hart built up a 26-19 half-time advantage which the Rams never relinquished. Johnson scored 6 in the first period and Petrie 10 in the second to get the Rams going.

Roy-Hart led 37-31 after three quarters and DiNeri hit two threes in the final period to help keep the Rams on top.

Newfane 61, Albion 50
Leading by a narrow 43-40 margin after thee quarters, host Newfane used an 18-10 fourth period scoring edge to lock up a 61-50 win over Albion.

Evan Myers scored 10 of his 14 points in the final stanza to key the Panthers big stretch run.

Landon Braman took game high honors with 20 and Brady Harrington added 10 for Newfane.

Shakarion Drisdom scored 13, Jahmeek Riley 12 and Tyler Gibson 8 for Albion which trailed 35-29 at the half.

N-O Standings: Roy-Hart 5-1, Medina 4-2, Akron 3-2, Newfane 4-3, Wilson 3-4, Barker 2-4, Albion 0-5