Roy-Hart cagers best Barker

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Andy Xapsos makes a buzzer beater shot over Barker defenders Nate Luckman (4) and Kyle Secore (10) to end the third quarter. The action took place during the Rams win over the host Raiders this evening.

Staying within a game of first place, Roy-Hart bested host Barker 69-55 this evening in a Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball game.

Andy Xapsos poured in a game high 31 points to lead the way for Roy-Hart which improves to 6-1 as the Rams trail only 5-0 Medina in the N-O title race.

Chris Anderson added 10 points, Justin Heschke 9, Jacob Bruning 7, Ben Maynard and DJ Davis 3, Matt Borel and Zach Srock 2 and Brendon Hess and Austin Dodge 1 for the Rams.

Nate Luckman led Barker with 24 as Eddie Wasnock added 13, Michael Snell 11, Kyle Secore 3 and Jake Arnold and Jared Ginther 2 each.

Roy-Hart’s Justin Heschke pulls down a rebound against Barker’s Michael Snell.

Trailing 9-6, Roy-Hart rallied into the lead for good by putting together a big 15-1 run to close the first period. Xapsos scored 7 and Bruning 4 to lead that uprising as the Rams grabbed a 21-10 lead. Xapsos had a total of 11 in the period.

Keeping the momentum, Roy-Hart quickly extended its lead to 17, 30-13, by opening the second quarter with a 9-2 run including a three by Bruning, a jumper by Srock and a layup by Xapsos.

However, Barker battled back to within seven, 34-27, at the half by closing the quarter with a 14-4 run including a three, a layup and a jumper by Wasnock, two jumpers by Luckman and a three by Snell.

Three baskets by Snell then pulled Barker to within four, 39-35, with three minutes to go in the third period but Roy-Hart answered with a key 9-0 run to close the period.

Back-to-back layups by Heschke followed by a layup off a steal by Xapsos sparked that uprising as the Rams opened up a 48-35 lead at the three-quarter mark.

Nate Luckman takes a shot for Barker between Roy-Hart defenders Ben Maynard (3) and Justin Heschke (15).

Barker battled back to within eight, 54-46, early in the fourth quarter after threes by Wasnock and Luckman along with a three-point play by Wasnock and a layup off a turnover by Luckman.

Five Roy-Hart free throws, including three by Xapsos off a double technical, helped Roy-Hart move back out to a 59-46 lead.

The Raiders though battled back one last time to cut the deficit to seven at 62-55 with just under a minute to go after two layups and a three by Luckman and a rebound bucket by Jared Ginther but could get no closer.

Four free throws by Xapsos then helped to lock up the Rams victory. Xapsos scored a total of 12 in the final stanza including making 10 of 14 from the free throw line.

The loss drops Barker to 1-5 in N-O action.

Barker’s Michael Snell shoots a three as Andy Xapsos defends for Roy-Hart.