OBSERVER Staff Report

FREWSBURG — It was a high school basketball game played several weeks before the start of the Section VI playoffs, but anyone in attendance won’t soon forget the drama that unfolded at the Frewsburg High School gym.

Especially the Bears’ Garrett Brink and Chase Haglund.

Brink’s 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining in overtime — set up when Haglund drilled a buzzer-beating, game-tying trey at the end of regulation — sent Frewsburg to a I-don’t-believe-what-I-just-saw 69-68 victory over Southwestern in an epic nonleaguer.

“The Saturday afternoon crowd was pretty excited,” Bears head coach Rob Collver said.

That is understandable.

Trailing by 14 points in the third quarter, Frewsburg outscored the Trojans 23-12 in the final period, highlighted by Haglund’s heroics. The stage was set when Southwestern’s Sam Arrington was fouled. He made the first free throw, but missed the second. Kael Collver pulled down the rebound, passed the ball to Gavin Smith, who found Haglund in front of the Bears’ bench.

“Chase pulls up and hits a 3 to send it into overtime,” Coach Collver said. “He comes off the court and said, ‘I told you so.'”

Armed with the momentum heading into the extra session, Frewsburg traded baskets with Southwestern until the Trojans made one of two free throws in the waning moments yet again to take a two-point lead.

“Gavin brought it up the court, drove to the middle and the defense collapsed on him,” Coach Collver said. “He kicks the ball over to Garrett in front of the (Bears) fans and he knocks it down.”

Smith led Frewsburg (8-7) with 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals; Haglund added a season-high 17 points; Collver finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks; Kenton Dahlin contributed 10 points; and Brink had 9 points and five assists.

Arrington led Southwestern (4-9) with 16 points; Chase Hartnett had 14, and Connor Young and Gabe Tyger both had 12.

SOUTHWESTERN (68)

Arrington 6 3 16, Young 6 0 12, Hartnett 5 2 14, Larson 1 0 2, Kennedy 2 0 6, Tyger 4 2 12, Work 3 0 6, Totals 27 7 68.

FREWSBURG (69)

Haglund 6 2 17, Brink 4 0 9, Smith 3 14 20, Weaver 1 0 2, Fountaine 0 0 0, Dahlin 4 2 10, Eckman 0 0 0, Sanfilippo 0 1 1, Collver 4 2 10, Totals 22 21 69.

3-point goals — Arrington, Hartnett 2, Kennedy 2, Tyger 2, Haglund 3, Brink.

Southwestern 14 16 18 12 8 — 68

Frewsburg 7 20 10 23 9 — 69

CORTES SHINES FOR

SILVER CREEK

SILVER CREEK — In need of separation, Silver Creek went to a reliable source — Ray Cortes.

Cortes scored 16 of his game-high 33 points in a decisive third quarter to send the Black Knights to a 74-58 over Dunkirk in a nonleague game.

“When he’s making his shots,” Black Knights head coach Ralph Jackson said, “it’s tough on anyone.”

Cortes, who drilled 5 shots from beyond the arc, also grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with six steals, six assists and two blocks as Silver Creek, which led 36-28 at halftime, improved to 8-5.

Jose Pratts added 12 points and 13 rebounds; and Brady Eick chipped in 11 for the winners.

For Dunkirk (3-7), K’Vion Tell had 15 points, Greg Orcutt contributed 12 and Sincere Sellers added 10.

DUNKIRK (58)

Orcutt 5 2 12, Tell 6 2 15, Krystofiak 3 0 6, Zentz 0 1 1, Gaines 2 1 6, Gutierrez 1 1 3, Sellers 3 4 10, Paz 2 0 5, Totals 22 11 58.

SILVER CREEK (74)

Galfo 1 0 2, League 4 1 9, Steinwachs 1 1 3, White 1 2 4, Eick 4 1 11, Pratts 4 4 12, Cortes 12 4 33, Totals 27 13 74.

3-point goals — Tell, Gaines, Paz, Eick 2, Cortes 5.

Dunkirk 14 14 16 14 — 58

Silver Creek 16 20 24 14 — 74

Jayvees: Dunkirk won

FOLEY LEADS

RED DRAGONS

ELLERY — Jonah Foley scored 9 of his game-high 25 points in the decisive first quarter to spark Maple Grove to a 60-50 victory over Pine Valley in a nonleague game.

The win raised the Red Dragons’ record to 10-4 While the Panthers dropped to 5-9.

Jack Mansfield added 18 points for the winners, who outscored Pine Valley 19-5 in the opening eight minutes.

Miles Volk led the Panthers with 16 points, Jon Sheldon had 11 and Trent Ivett added 10.

PINE VALLEY (50)

Slade 0 0 0, Ivett 4 2 10, JaSheldon 1 0 2, JoSheldon 4 0 11, Volk 5 1 16, Bradigan 0 0 0, Elliott 0 0 0, Seabolt 4 0 11, Totals 18 3 50.

MAPLE GROVE (60)

Foley 11 1 25, Lombardo 1 0 2, Rodgers 0 0 0, Mansfield 7 3 18, Laney 2 0 4, Bless 2 1 5, Verbosky 1 2 4, Barton 1 0 2, Price 0 0 0, Totals 25 7 60.

3-point goals — JoSheldon 3, Volk 5, Seabolt 3, Foley 2, Mansfield.

Pine Valley 5 13 18 14 — 50

Maple Grove 19 11 15 15 — 60

SHERMAN BREEZES TO WIN

SHERMAN — Jacob Ferranto scored a game-high 21 points and Logan Swan added 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead Sherman to a 63-43 nonleague victory over Forestville.

Carson Pinzok added 6 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for the Wildcats (6-9), who led 55-25 after three quarters.

Jacob Anders led the Hornets (1-12, 1-6) with 12 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists, and Blake Waterman and Jackson Rebmann both had 10 points.

FORESTVILLE (43)

Ecker 2 0 5, Waterman 5 0 10, Anders 6 0 12, Duliba 2 1 6, Rebmann 4 0 10, Totals 19 1 43.

SHERMAN (63)

Pinzok 2 2 6, Thomas 1 0 2, Johnson 1 0 2, DeKoning 1 0 3, Beatman 2 2 7, Swan 5 2 12, Meeder 2 0 4, Allen 2 0 4, Bestvold 1 0 2, Ferranto 5 8 21, Totals 22 14 63.

3-point goals — Ecker, Duliba, Rebmann 2, DeKoning, Beatman.

Forestville 10 2 13 16 — 43

Sherman 17 13 25 8 — 63

RANDOLPH FALLS

YORK — Randolph suffered its first loss of the season, falling to York 73-43 in a nonleague game.

The Cardinals, ranked No. 1 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C poll, dropped to 13-1.

York improved to 13-2.