Among all the other things the Westhill boys basketball team had accomplished in its two-year run as New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B champions was winning 14 consecutive post-season games.
Getting 16 in a row would mean also owning back-to-back Federation Class B titles – but the long, remarkable run of these Warriors fell two wins short of that goal as it took a 56-55 defeat to Buffalo’s Park School in last Saturday’s Federation semifinal at the University at Albany’s SEFCU Arena.
Rarely, in this remarkable two-year run, has Westhill needed to face genuine late-game drama. True, the Warriors trailed in both of its state final four games in Glens Falls on March 20-21, but by the time of the final minute, both Rochester Leadership Academy and Woodlands were put away.
Park, the champions of the Catholic High School Athletic Association, would prove more formidable. Led by Jordan Nwora, who scored 18 points in the first half, the Pioneers led throughout the first two periods, and had a 31-21 advantage at the break.
Jordan Roland had scored 12 points in the first half, despite missing his fair share of open shots. But he and the Warriors stayed patient, even when Park extended the lead to 38-26 midway through the third quarter.
Just as he had done in Glens Falls against Woodlands, Brian Daily sparked a comeback. His back-to-back layups trimmed the margin to six, 41-35, going to the fourth quarter, and Westhill quickly caught up early in that last frame, setting up the tense finish.
An exchange of baskets followed until Tyler Reynolds finally put the Warriors in front, 49-47, with 2:13 left. The Pioneers countered with Kyle Harris and Randy Golda hitting on back-to-back baskets, and Park led, 51-49, going to the final minute.
Fouled with 23 seconds left, Harris made one of two free throws, and Westhill trailed, 52-49. As the clock wound down, everyone figured that Roland would have the ball, but Park, with fouls to give, didn’t hack the George Washington-bound senior.
Instead, Roland, who had made all kinds of big shots in his wondrous high-school career, took a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it with 1.9 seconds left, tying it, 52-52, and sending the game to overtime.
Points proved precious in the four-minute extra period, but Westhill inched in front, 55-54, and needed to make one more defensive stop to advance to the Federation final.
Instead, the Warriors proved a bit too aggressive, fouling Harris with 1.6 seconds to play. Showing remarkable poise and calm, Harris made both free throws, and moments later, when Roland’s last shot attempt got blocked by Golda, Westhill’s season was over.
Roland finished with 18 points and Reynolds 15 points. They, along with Daily, Jeff Lobello, Dan O’Connell, Mike Burton, Steven Bailey, Ryan Obrist and Andrew French, formed the core of the most successful senior class in Westhill basketball history.
Few Warrior fans will forget the run these seniors made, including that pair of state public championships and the 2014 Federation title at the end of a perfect (27-0) season. The task of trying to maintain that high standard falls on Ryan Roland, Chase Gedney and a modest returning cast in 2015-16.
