News > Boys Varsity > Rush Henrietta
01.31.08
R-H fends off Fairport in overtime
James Johnson
Staff writer
| (January 31, 2008) — HENRIETTA
— Any team that plans to collect trophies and plaques in March will need
role players for an important win or two. The Rush-Henrietta Royal Comets seemed to accept that premise in winning Wednesday night. Instead of forcing ill-advised passes inside to 2007 All-Greater Rochester forward Dane Miller, R-H guards produced clutch plays when the ball was in their hands. "I knew they would come along once they got comfortable,'' R-H coach Chris Reed said of Xavier Everson, Cruz Sanchez, Derzerick Brooks and Clay Harris. "They are coming.'' The Royal Comets needed a few of those clutch plays to hold off stubborn rival Fairport 81-76 in overtime at R-H and remain undefeated in Monroe County Division I boys basketball. Fairport senior guard Kyle Downey made a desperation shot from about two strides into the frontcourt to tie the score 69-69 and force overtime. The Royal Comets seemed unfazed, however, despite losing a five-point lead in the final 24 seconds of regulation. They outscored Fairport 12-7 in the four-minute overtime period. |
CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer Rush-Henrietta's Clay Harris takes the ball to the basket as Fairport's Kyle Downey watches during the first half Wednesday. |
Rush-Henrietta, ranked No. 2 in the Democrat and Chronicle's large-school boys
basketball poll, improved to 12-3 overall and 9-0 in league play. Fairport,
which is No. 3, is 11-4, 6-3.
"It's another big win,'' Miller said. "We knew they were going to come back
hard.
"We went over everything before this game. It really feels great to win, but the
one we really want is in March" during the Section V Tournament finals.
Brooks, one of R-H's four new starters at the beginning of the season, delivered
a team-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and had eight rebounds for the
Royal Comets.
"There's a comfort,'' Miller said after he finished with 16 points and 11
rebounds. "They showed that when you play R-H, it's just not Dane.
"Tonight I told them if they get the ball, don't always look inside to me. Take
your shot.''
Everson and Sanchez, both juniors, finished with 14 points, including a combined
three 3-pointers. Rush-Henrietta made 56 percent of its shots from the field.
Sanchez made four of six free throws during the final 30 seconds of regulation,
but it was not enough to close out Fairport. The Royal Comets led 69-66 with 2.4
seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when Sam Townsend inbounded the ball in
Downey's direction.
Downey had room and time to catch and turn to the basket.
"When he touched the ball and turned, I just knew it,'' Miller said. "We're
lucky we weren't up by two.''
"My body dropped,'' Brooks said. "Every time we were up by six, they always hit
a 3-pointer. We never got them out of the game.
"Coach told us to stick with it. We had to win this game.''
The Royal Comets led 76-73 when Brooks made a 3-pointer with about 20 seconds
remaining in overtime. Fairport cut the lead down to three points again, getting
a 3-pointer from David Kozar with 10 seconds remaining.
"We felt pretty good going into overtime,'' Downey said. "But they are always
dangerous, because they can go on a run.
"In overtime, you have to come out with intensity. There's only four minutes.''
Sanchez made two free throws with 5.8 seconds remaining to finally seal the win
for R-H.
"It could be a good loss,'' Downey said. "It just depends on how we react to
this.
"If Rush-Henrietta shoots what they normally do (instead of 56 percent from the
floor), we win by whatever.''
Downey scored a game-high 30 points, 22 after the third quarter, for Fairport.
He leads Monroe County Division I in scoring with an average of 26.5 points per
game.
The Royal Comets completed a regular-season series sweep. R-H won 67-47 at
Fairport on Dec. 21.
"It's very exciting,'' Brooks said. "Two games in a row over our rivals? That's
crazy. They are very good.''
Marc Bertucci scored 15 points and had three blocked shots, and reserve guard
Mike Glenn added 13 points for Fairport.
JAMESJ@DemocratandChronicle.com