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Depew boys hold off Flyers, stay perfect in ECIC-III play
By Steven Dlugosz Times
 | | TIP-OFF...Depew's Kevin Dudkowski wins the opening tip against Maryvale's Andre Davis last Thursday. (Times |
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The Depew boys basketball team took a big step toward clinching its second consecutive Erie County Interscholastic Conference III title last Thursday, grinding out a hard-fought, defensive win against local rival Maryvale.
Despite connecting on just two field goals in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats earned a 49-37 home win against the Flyers. Guards Brooks and Blair Estarfaa were essentially Maryvale's entire offense, scoring a combined 25 points.
Depew (12-1 overall, 8- 0 in ECIC-III) led by as much as 18 points in the third quarter, taking a 33- 15 lead early in the frame on a three-pointer by junior Anthony Battaglia.
However, the Wildcats were unable to put the game away, as Maryvale gradually crawled to within 40-34 late in the fourth quarter following a technical foul on Depew head coach Larry Jones. With the contest within reach, Flyers guard Jamie Quigley had a couple open looks from three-point range, but each shot rimmed out.
 | | LAYUP FOR TWO...Maryvale center Andre Davis drives past Depew's Kevin Dudkowski to convert a layup. Despite this hoop, the Wildcats won to remain perfect in league play. (Times photo) |
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Battaglia then swished a three-pointer from the right elbow of three-point land to put the 'Cats up nine with two minutes remaining.
Despite going just 6-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth, Depew's defense was tenacious, as senior center Kevin Dudkowski held Maryvale sophomore big man Andre Davis to just four points. "He was outstanding," Jones said of Dudkowski, who used his big frame to keep Davis out of the paint. "(Brooks) Estarfaa was outstanding for Maryvale and he held them in the game. I thought our defense, though, came out tough. It was a great atmosphere on a Thursday night."
Depew senior point guard Greg Osika led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points, while Battaglia added 11. Osika, a starter on last year's Wildcats squad that went 21-2 overall and 12-0 in ECIC, said this year's team has established its own identity, despite similarities in records.
"It's kind of our own team with mostly different players," Osika told the Times. "(Beating Maryvale) gives us a little breathing room. Sweeping them is very big."
Depew closed the second quarter on an 11-2 run, as Osika and junior Tyler Stevens drilled treys. Junior forward Zach Zmich ended the quarter on a layup to give the Wildcats a 25-13 lead.
Last season, Depew also swept the Flyers during the regular season before Maryvale earned revenge with a postseason win at Buffalo State College. This year, a consecutive three-game sweep of league opponents Pioneer, Cheektowaga Central and Maryvale has Jones relieved.
"We knew it was the most important threegame stretch of the regular season for us," he said. "We've still got a lot of work to do, but hopefully it'll help gear us toward a number one (postseason) seed in Class A-2."
The Flyers committed 17 turnovers, while the Wildcats made 15 miscues. Depew made 14 of 23 free-throw attempts, while Maryvale connected on four of six attempts.
Brooks Estarfaa led the Flyers with 17 points, including three treys.
Depew returns to action tomorrow at ECIC-III opponent Springville at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to Starpoint Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Maryvale (5-8 overall, 4-4 in league play) will host Starpoint tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to Pioneer Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Balance is key for Central
in thumping of Tonawanda
In last Thursday's 75-54 Cheektowaga Central victory against Tonawanda, four Warriors reached double figures in scoring, with senior point guard Donte Parker leading the way with 18 points.
Parker connected on four threepointers, while senior forward Marqus Redmond and junior guard Damond Rainey each added 14. Senior center David Holmes contributed 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
Unlike its ECIC-III opener against Tonawanda- in which the Warriors shot 2-37 from three-point range and squeezed out a three-point win in overtime- Central cruised to a convincing win after holding a 30-24 halftime advantage.
The Warriors (8-5 overall, 6-2 in league play) return to action tomorrow at home against Pioneer, with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central dropped a close game to the Panthers on the road early in the season.
Central will also travel to league foe Amherst Monday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Eagles hold off rival Bears
in 45-40 decision Thursday
After nearly pulling off a comefrom behind win against rival John F. Kennedy early in the season, Cleveland Hill earned revenge last Thursday against its Black-and-Blue rival in a 45-40 triumph.
Senior forward Dwan Robinson carried the Eagles, scoring a gamehigh 22 points, including three threepointers. The win was the second straight for Cleve Hill, which improved to 3-11 overall and 3-4 in ECIC-IV.
Senior guard Joe Maher led Kennedy with 12 points, while senior center Mike Bartoszek contributed eight points and 13 rebounds.
JFK (4-10 overall, 3-6 in league play) shot just 17-69 from the field, including 3-21 from three-point range. Cleve Hill's 2-3 zone defense forced many shots from the arc by the Bears, few of which connected.
"(Cleve Hill) did a good job of taking away passes to the inside and really gave us the perimeter jump shot," said JFK head coach Tony Krupski. "Unfortunately, we couldn't knock anything down."
The Eagles held a 20-14 lead at halftime, as senior huard Anthony Rose drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the second quarter. Cleve Hill expanded its lead to 33- 23 heading into the final quarter, and JFK was unable to get closer than five points in the fourth.
Junior forward Curtis Hairston, described by Eagles head coach Jason Przybysz as a "rebounding machine" in recent action, hauled down a team-high 11 boards. Senior guard Joe Sanders recorded six assists, while junior Kevin Washington added four steals.
"We did a much better boxing out and limiting (Kennedy's) secondchance opportunities than we did the last time against them" Przybysz said in reference to a three-point loss to the Bears earlier in the season.
JFK then ran into a charging, firstplace Lackawanna squad on the road Saturday and were routed, 69-40. Again, Kennedy had a difficult time knocking down shots (16-59 from the field) and committed 30 turnovers. The Steelers jumped out to a 41-23 lead at halftime and expanded the advantage to 57-29 after three quarters.
In a 54-52 Cleve Hill win against league opponent Eden on January 16, Robinson hit a go-ahead threepointer with 45 seconds remaining. Hairston led the Eagles again with 13 rebounds.
Cleve Hill returns to action Monday at Lackawanna for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. JFK travels to ECIC-IV opponent Alden Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Lady Lancers cruise to win
against Lady Warriors
St. Mary's of Lancaster's win against Cheektowaga Central in girls hoops action last Thursday featured much balance, as nine Lady Lancers scored in the Catholic League school's 58-43 road win.
Senior guard Bridget Rosati led St. Mary's with 11 points, including three treys, Cheektowaga residents Raeanne Stilwell (freshman guard) and Chelsea Kiebzak (senior forward) added eight apiece
Central senior guard Taylor Pagano led the Lady Warriors with 20 points, including a pair of threepointers.
With the win, the Lady Lancers improved to 10-8 overall, while Central saw its record go to 9-6.
St. Mary's, which also lost a close game to Lancaster Friday, will face non-league opponent Iroquois on the road tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Warriors will travel to ECICIII foe Starpoint Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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