A one-point game after 11 minutes of action turned into a 32-point blowout.

“It felt like I was playing a video game,” Dunkirk head coach Sixto Rosario said.

The Dunkirk crowd went home happy with an 82-50 victory over Allegany-Limestone in a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 boys basketball game.

The victory puts Dunkirk just one win away from clinching at least a share of the league title.

Dunkirk’s Aries Cheverez skies for a lay-in during Wednesday’s CCAA Division 1 boys basketball game against Allegany-Limestone at Dunkirk High School. OBSERVER Photo by Ashleigh Brown

The Gators (3-14, 0-10) gave Dunkirk a fight early, as the first quarter saw the scoreboard even at 6-6, 8-8, and 10-10. Dunkirk (16-2, 9-2) took a 12-10 lead on a pair of Avery Krystofiak free throws, then extended the lead on a 3-pointer by Aries Cheverez with 49 seconds left in the period. Dunkirk led 15-13 after the first quarter.

“Their shots were falling. They were driving well. Our defense wasn’t there like we wanted it to be,” Rosario said. “They were playing phenomenal early.”

The game remained close for the first three minutes of the second quarter.

Nolan O’Brien cut Dunkirk’s lead to a point, 21-20, just before the five-minute mark in the period. Allegany-Limestone was playing well above its record, while Dunkirk was faced with yet another slow start.

“I was surprised, but I also knew — like in the Falconer game — in the first half, we always play bad,” Dunkirk guard K’vion Tell said.

Fortunately for the Marauders, things changed in a hurry.

Tell hit a step-back jumper to get the run started. Cheverez followed with a layup, then a jumper, before Tell and Jayden Kenner added on. Dunkirk went on a 10-2 run in just over two minutes.

The run only continued from there, as Tell scored on a fastbreak off a steal, then Cheverez drilled a 3-pointer with a minute to go in the half. Tell hit a 3-pointer of his own with 15 seconds left in the half to cap off an 18-2 run to close the second quarter.

“It feels good to see them actually put into play what we’ve been practicing,” Rosario said.

Dunkirk continued its momentum at the beginning of the third quarter with seven points in less than a minute. Cheverez hit a corner 3-pointer, then Malik McCall got a bucket, followed by another from Cheverez. That seven-point spurt over a minute was met with five more Dunkirk points before Allegany-Limestone finally ended the run with a layup with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

In all, in what amounted to a quarter worth of game time, Dunkirk outscored Allegany-Limestone 30-2. Dunkirk finished the contest with 22 points in the fourth quarter for the 32-point victory.

“This says a lot. It says these guys want to win. They want to play hard as a team. For the coaches and the program … it means a lot to see this happen,” Rosario said.

Three Marauders led the way on the night, as Cheverez, Tell, and McCall combined for 60 points. Cheverez led all scorers with 22 points.

“My guys stepped up and finished. That’s what it’s all about,” Tell said of his teammates. Tell’s supporting cast scored 62 points, as the third-leading scorer in Section VI was held more than 7 points under his season average.

“Seeing Malik get a bunch of layups, Aries shooting threes, it was amazing to see,” Tell said. “Aries was great. He was confident. If he plays like that every single game, it will be the same result from him. He’s a great player. I’ve always had trust in him, without a doubt.”

The Gators were led by Nolan O’Brien with 14 points. No other player for Allegany-Limestone reached double digits.

The two teams meet again on Friday as Dunkirk looks to lock up at least a share of the division title for the first time since 2011, and just the second time since the 1980s. A Dunkirk win would clinch at least a share of the title, and a Dunkirk win, plus a Fredonia loss on Friday at Falconer, would give Dunkirk the title outright.

ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE (50)

Callen 4 0 9, Amore 2 3 7, Wilczewski 1 2 4, Margeson 0 0 0, Peck 3 2 8, O’Brien 6 1 14, Brady 2 0 4, Questa 0 0 0, Owen 2 0 4, Crowley 0 0 0. Totals 20 8 50.

DUNKIRK (82)

Tell 8 3 20, McQuiggan 0 0 0, Rodriguez 0 1 1, Bache 0 0 0, McCall 9 0 18, Boland 0 0 0, Kenner 2 2 6, Krystofiak 3 2 8, Sheehan 1 0 3, Carr 2 0 4, Cheverez 9 0 22. Totals 34 8 82.

3-point goals–Callen, O’Brien, Tell, Sheehan, Cheverez 4.

Allegany-Limestone 13 9 14 14 — 50

Dunkirk 15 24 21 22 — 82