News  > Boys' Varsity - Section V - Rush vs. East

02/15/03 East upsets No. 1 Rush-Henrietta in AA semifinal

No. 5 Orientals advance to AA title game By Jim Mandelaro Democrat and Chronicle (February 27, 2003) — With 1:14 left in the third quarter Wednesday night, play was delayed for 15 minutes when the 35-second shot clock malfunctioned at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The game finally resumed after both teams warmed up. The delay turned out to be the only thing that could stop East High. Sophomore Nate Brumfield scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and senior Kenny Wilson added 16 points as the fifth-seeded Orientals stunned top-seeded Rush-Henrietta 80-70 in a Section V Class AA semifinal. Freshman Calvin Betts powered R-H with 23 points and 16 rebounds. “Everybody doubted us,” said Wilson, the Orientals’ only senior starter. “But we knew if we played as one we would come out with a victory.” The Orientals (14-8) did it by beating R-H (20-2) at its own game. “They like to press,” said East coach Darrell Barley, “and we have guys who are very good individually. They do well against the press.” R-H came in allowing just 42 points per game but gave up nearly twice that against the Orientals, who endured a five-game losing streak this season.

JAY CAPERS East’s Nate Brumfield grabs a rebound away from Sheldon Brown, right. Brumfield scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and senior Kenny Wilson added 16 points as the fifth-seeded Orientals stunned top-seeded Rush-Henrietta 80-70 in a Section V Class AA semifinal.

“They were able to beat our press, and that hurt,” said R-H coach Chris Reed. “And we didn’t take care of the basketball. We got within four a couple of times and then turned it over twice in a row.”

Barley won a sectional title at East in 1990 under legendary coach Sal Rizzo, and Saturday he’ll have a chance to capture one as a coach. The Orientals will play second-seeded Fairport in the 9 p.m. final.

Barley calls this “an up-and-down season,” and with good reason. Several players were suspended because of poor grades, and others were injured. Just Wednesday, sophomore forward Chris Rogers broke his ankle in practice and will undergo surgery on Friday.

“We’ve had seven guys most of the year,” Wilson said.

East starts a freshman, a sophomore, two juniors and a senior, making Wilson the elder statesmen.

“The young guys are hardheaded,” he said, “but talented.”

East scored the first seven points and led 22-14 after one quarter and 38-28 at the half.

R-H bolted out of halftime with a 10-3 run, cutting the lead to three. But East never flinched, scoring the next nine points to take command.

The shot clocks then expired -- temporarily -- and the 15-minute delay forced both teams off the court. Once play resumed, Wilson needed just 12 seconds to drain a 3-pointer and set the tone.

E-mail address: jmand@DemocratandChronicle.com