Faith and confidence can take a basketball or any other high school team a long way.
One place is to a No. 1 ranking in the state, like the Penfield Patriots, who have sat in that spot in Class AA since December.
Faith and confidence can also help a team overcome a deficit, or in the case of the Patriots on March 13, carry a squad away from a strong challenge.
Penfield would build leads of three, four, five, six and even seven points over North Tonawanda during the Far West Regional state tournament game, only to have the Lumberjacks repeatedly knock down those advantages.
There are times when a team that can cling on to an opponent that is in the lead, causes panic or sparks fear and ends up winning, pulling off an upset. But the Penfield Patriots pulled faith and confidence out of the pockets of their shorts and went on to win the state quarterfinal 62-49 over North Tonawanda.
“We’ve prepped ourselves for so many situations,” Penfield guard Jackson Green said. “The most important one is attitude. We go back our principles.
“The most important one is attitude. It’s more than just saying mentality. It’s that next play mentality. No matter what’s going on in the game, it’s on to the next play.”
The North Tonawanda Lumberjacks again whittled down another lead for Penfield to two points, 47-45, with 3:18 remaining in the fourth and final quarter. This time, the Penfield Patriots scored seven unanswered points which carried them away from the Lumberjacks from Section VI or Buffalo region.
“We’ve played good teams in the past,” Green said. “We know what we have to do, we know how to execute.”
Penfield senior forward Ryan Savino made a 3-pointer to begin the decisive run, that included a dunk during an in-bounds play by 6 foot-9 inch tall junior center Jake McCarthy and two free throws by CJ Johnson.
A 6-5 guard in his junior year season at Penfield, Johnson led all scorers with 21 points. McCarthy finished with 18. Green, a 6-6 junior, had 11 and Savino seven, including his jump-starting 3-pointer.
“The mindset, the attitude that regardless of how the game was going, we always knew we were going to find the final push,” Penfield coach Jason Ellis said.
What’s next
A state semifinal, 10 a.m. March 20 near downtown Binghamton. Penfield (23-1) faces the winner of the state quarterfinal on March 15 with Seton Catholic in Binghamton versus East Syracuse-Minoa.
Below, is how the state tournament quarterfinal between Penfield and the Section VI or Buffalo region champion North Tonawanda Lumberjacks unfolded:
Final
Penfield 62, North Tonawanda 49
4th quarter – 1:08 remaining
Penfield 59, North Tonawanda 47
Aaron Hardaway makes a 3-pointer that gives Penfield a double-digit lead, before a basket and a timeout by the Lumberjacks.
4th quarter – 2:11 remaining
Penfield 54, North Tonawanda 45
Penfield Patriots are on a 7-0 run leading to a timeout called by North Tonawanda.
4th quarter – about 3:00 remaining
Penfield 50, North Tonawanda 45
Ryan Savino hits a 3-pointer from a wing, an answer to a North Tonawanda floater for a basket.
4th quarter – 5:04 remaining
Penfield 43, North Tonawanda 41
Penfield center Jake McCarthy makes sure he gets to the free throw line with a strong move. He then makes both free throws after the ball rolls out of the rim.
End of 3rd quarter
Penfield 38, North Tonawanda 35
Late 3rd quarter
Penfield 36, North Tonawanda 35
Spencer Juliano makes a 3-pointer to bring the Lumberjacks to within one point of Penfield.
3rd quarter
Penfield 36, North Tonawanda 29
Jake McCarthy, Penfield’s center, turns an accurate bounce pass in the lane from Jackson Green into a layup as he is fouled. McCarthy then makes the free throw
3rd quarter – 5:29 remaining
Penfield 30, North Tonawanda 25
Penfield center Jake McCarthy, a 6-9 junior, remains a big factor. He makes two free throws.
Half
Penfield 26, North Tonawanda 19
Penfield’s mini-run at the end of half includes a 3-pointer by CJ Johnson and an alley-oop pass turned into a layup by 6-9 junior center Jake McCarthy.
2nd quarter – 1:30 remaining
Penfield 19, North Tonawanda 19
CJ Johnson makes two free throws, the start of a 7-0 spurt by Penfield to close the first half.
2nd quarter – 3:27 remaining
Penfield 18, North Tonawanda 17
Penfield center Jake McCarthy, a 6 foot-9 inch tall junior, makes two free throws to put the Patriots ahead again, briefly.
End of 1st quarter
Penfield 14, North Tonawanda 14
1st quarter – 30 seconds remaining
Penfield 14, North Tonawanda 12
Jackson Green has found his shooting range and touch. Jump shots on back-to-back possessions put the Patriots ahead briefly.
1st quarter – 3:35 remaining
North Tonawanda 8, Penfield 6
AJ Cinquino hits a teardrop-like shot after the teams spent the early moments of the quarter trading turnovers. North Tonawanda’s defensive plan is to play a 2-3 zone.
When is the Penfield vs North Tonawanda Class AA boys basketball Far West Regional game?
6:30 p.m. on March 13
Where is the Penfield vs North Tonawanda Class AA boys basketball Far West Regional game?
Buffalo State University
Penfield boys basketball
North Tonawanda boys basketball
Penfield boys basketball photos
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Patient Penfield pulls away to double-digit win in state quarterfinal
Reporting by James Johnson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
