TOWN OF TONAWANDA — The Niagara Falls Wolverines boys basketball showed why they’re considered the cream of the crop in the Niagara Frontier League on Tuesday night.
Led by 30 points from senior star Jonny Flynn, the Wolverines opened an 11-point lead after the first quarter on their way to an 80-63 win.
“That’s the key, getting out on people early,” Flynn said. “We try to get in your face defensively and not let you get back up.”
The game couldn’t have started any better for Ken West, as the Wolverines were assessed a technical foul for dunking in warmups, giving the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead and possession before the clock even started ticking. But after that, things changed.
Ken West coach Jim Badgley conceded his team may have been intimidated by the star power on Niagara Falls. The Blue Devils missed several open looks early in the contest and struggled to get rebounds all night against a taller Niagara Falls lineup.
“We took good shots, but maybe we didn’t follow through,” Badgley said. “We fought through it. ... I’m not disappointed. We played tough.”
Like Ken West, the Wolverines weren’t pleased with their start. Niagara Falls coach Giulio Colangelo wanted to see better play in the open court.
“We have to work on our transition a little more,” he said. “Our outside shooting was a little off, too.”
Flynn scored seven points in the first quarter, but was also content to set up his teammates. That was evident on a nice alley-oop to Ricardo Rose that gave the Wolverines a 12-6 lead in the opening quarter. Junior Rahshon Tabb followed that play with a steal and breakaway dunk, drawing some oohs and aahs from the packed crowd at the Blue Devils Athletic Complex.
Niagara Falls opened the second quarter with a suffocating pressure defense. The strategy worked early, forcing two straight turnovers. Ken West, though, adapted and was a game opponent in the second quarter, getting outscored by just two, 19-17.
“I knew it would be a tough game,” Colangelo said. “I knew we had to get an early lead and keep it.”
Clearly frustrated by their play in the opening 16 minutes, the Falls put the game away in the third. Bobby Daniels scored five points during a 9-0 run that ended the quarter and gave the Wolverines a 59-37 edge.
Even if Ken West forced a Niagara Falls miss, the rebound seemingly always ended up with the Wolverines. As a result, they were able to get several easy buckets.
In addition to his 30 points, Flynn finished with six rebounds and six assists. Tabb poured in 19 points, while Kelvin Agee Jr. added 12 for Niagara Falls (3-0 overall, 2-0 NFL).
Kenmore West (2-3, 1-1) got 14 points from junior Edvin Ramulic. Senior Joe Mogavero had a nice all-around game for the Blue Devils, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Contact Jay Skurski at 693-1000, Ext. 117.
Niagara Falls High School
Related Photos
December 20, 2006
BOYS BASKETBALL: Niagara Falls defeats Kenmore West
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