Max O’Connor’s 3-pointer sent Elmira Notre Dame into overtime.
Rocco Sayers’ 3-pointer helped send the Crusaders into the state quarterfinals.
Those big-time shots from Notre Dame’s leading scorers carried the Crusaders to a 68-64 victory over Delhi in the Section 4 Class C boys basketball championship game Saturday, March 7 at Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden.
“It was just a great basketball game. It was back-and-forth,” said Notre Dame head coach Nick Weiermiller, who had high praise for Delhi and its coaching staff.
“Super proud of my kids. They wanted this so bad in the beginning of the school year and it went all the way down to the wire.”
Precariously so from Notre Dame’s perspective. It took a corner 3-pointer from O’Connor off a drive-and-dish from Sayers to knot the score 58-58 with 7 seconds left in regulation.
O’Connor left the game briefly with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter after a collision with a Delhi player. With O’Connor out, TreShawn Jenkins came in and hit two free throws in his place.
“I’m feeling much better now, but in the moment I was really dizzy,” O’Connor said. “I live for moments like this, so I had to go back in. I wanted to make that shot.”
Said Sayers of the assist: “It wasn’t necessarily the plan, but I know he hits big shots, so I had to hit him.”
Sayers swished a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in the four-minute overtime to break a 64-64 tie.
The shot was set up by an offensive rebound from Skoon Jenkins, who quickly fed O’Connor, who in turn got the ball to Sayers.
“I saw myself wide open and I had to take it,” Sayers said.
Notre Dame survived multiple potential tying 3-pointers from Delhi before O’Connor hit the second of two foul shots with 4.4 seconds left to seal the title.
What it means
Top-seeded Notre Dame (18-4) secured the 11th sectional title in program history and first since a 65-62 win over Moravia in the 2014 Class C final.
“It means the world,” O’Connor said. “We’ve worked all year for this, we went through our ups and downs. We’re the 1 seed, so we had to go out and execute.
“They’re a good team. We knew it was going to be a battle and we came out on top. Props to them, but we’re the champs!”
Second-seeded Delhi (19-4) saw its 17-game winning streak end one win short of the program’s first sectional championship since 1978. The Bulldogs lost in the sectional final for the third year in a row, with the previous two setbacks coming to Moravia.
Notre Dame’s players raced over to celebrate with fellow students just after the final buzzer.
“I’m so happy right now. It’s such an experience to get this win,” Sayers said.
Up next
Notre Dame will face Section 3 champion Cooperstown in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association regional final at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 15 at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Unbeaten Cooperstown (24-0), a 74-51 winner over Cato-Meridian in Sunday’s Section 3 final, is ranked first in Class C by the New York State Sports Writers Association.
“It’s just awesome for our school, for our community, for these kids to get the opportunity to go to states and compete and see where you are amongst other teams around the state,” Weiermiller said.
Said O’Connor: “The job isn’t finished. We’ve still got a long way to go. That’s what we’re striving for, a state championship.”
Notre Dame’s 1978 triumph remains the only official state championship for a boys basketball team from the Elmira-Corning region.
Notre Dame stars of the game
Sayers finished with 23 points, including four 3-pointers. O’Connor added 14 points and three 3-pointers.
Finn Schweizer contributed 11 points for Notre Dame, followed by Skoon Jenkins with 10. Schweizer’s long tap-in at the halftime buzzer sent the Crusaders into the locker room with a 30-27 lead.
Top reserve Mike Sutryk and starting forward Landon English fouled out, and Schweizer was a foul away from joining them on the bench. With the foul issues, Weiermiller said Notre Dame had people playing out of position.
“They just did a great job of adapting and just making plays happen,” Weiermiller said when asked about O’Connor and Sayers. “At the end of the day, you can draw up all sorts of plays, but Rocco, Max, Finn, all those guys just did an awesome job of making it happen out there.”
Delhi stars of the game
In customary Bulldogs fashion, four players scored in double figures for Midstate Athletic Conference champion Delhi. Lucas Nealis had 15 points and three 3-pointers, Teddy Kelsh scored 14 points, followed by Ben Schnabel and John Wilson with 11 points each.
Cael Townsend was in position to have the winning shot after he broke a 55-55 tie with 56 seconds left in regulation with a bucket in the paint.
Sutryk’s 3-pointer rattled out for Notre Dame before Schnabel hit one of two foul shots with 19 seconds left for a 58-55 advantage.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Clutch shots lift Notre Dame past Delhi in Section 4 Class C boys final
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
