Fredonia guard Ryan Kelly (1) celebrates during Fredonia’s Section VI, Class A2 boys basketball semifinal playoff win against Iroquois on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo State University. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

BUFFALO — Nick Bertrando has always kept his message consistent.

Trust in your training and believe in each other.

Saturday afternoon, his team did exactly that.

The Fredonia Hillbillies did everything they needed to do to take down Iroquois, the top seed in Class A2, on Saturday to earn a spot in the Sectional title game on Thursday night. Fredonia defeated the Iroquois Red Hawks by a score of 58-47 at Buffalo State University.

“This is what these guys have worked for. I’m extremely happy for them,” said Fredonia head coach Nick Bertrando. “I’m extremely proud of them, too.”

Fredonia point guard RJ Koopman gathers for a layup in the second half of a Section VI, Class A2 boys basketball semifinal playoff game against Iroquois on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo State University. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Bertrando has always preached defense as the focal point of his program. Faced with an Iroquois team that featured the top scorer in all of Western New York, Justus Kleitz, Bertrando’s team saw it as an opportunity to show just how strong its defense really is.

Kleitz was held to 12 points in the first half, amounting to half of Iroquois’ total as a team. Half of Kleitz’s points came from the free-throw line, as Fredonia’s physical defense limited his opportunities to score in other ways.

“We played a 1-seed with a very dynamic scorer, atop all of Western New York. We really stymied what he wanted to do, and I think that gave us an opportunity to get going on both ends of the floor,” Bertrando said.

Fredonia’s offense in the first half was paced by RJ Koopman, with 15 points to lead all scorers, including four 3-pointers. Fredonia led 31-24 at the break.

“Coming into this game, we knew they were going to run a 1-3-1 (defense) so I knew there were open shots on the sides of the court. Luckily enough, my guys saw me and I was just in the right position to get those shots,” Koopman said.

Fredonia head coach Nick Bertrando gives direction to his team during Saturday’s Section VI, Class A2 boys basketball semifinal playoff game against Iroquois at Buffalo State University. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

As much as Kleitz was held in check in the first half, Fredonia ran up the score in the third quarter, figuratively and literally.

In the third quarter, for the Hillbillies, Koopman scored the first bucket. Then it was his supporting cast that stepped up. Colin Luce, Donovan Dowdy, and Ryan Kelly combined for the next 16 Fredonia points.

Defensively, Kleitz, the leading scorer in all of Section VI at 34 points per game entering Saturday’s contest, was held scoreless for the entire quarter.

The Hillbillies outscored Iroquois 18-7 in the third quarter to take an 18-point lead into the final frame. Koopman then hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring of the fourth quarter. It gave Fredonia its largest lead of the game, 52-31.

Just as the game appeared to be over, Iroquois rose from the dead with 13 consecutive points. The Red Hawks called a timeout with 1:58 left to play after a 3-pointer by George Issa pulled them to within single digits. He had three 3-pointers in the frame.

But shortly after the timeout, Fredonia finally stopped the bleeding. Graham Putney hit a layup with 1:16 left to go back up by 10 points, 54-44. Fredonia finished off the victory with four free-throws in the final minute, two apiece from Luce and Koopman.

Koopman led Fredonia with 22 points, and did so on 7-of-10 shooting, including five 3-pointers. He also had four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He did not leave the floor despite playing with four fouls for a significant stretch of the fourth quarter.

“That’s just him being him,” Bertrando said of his point guard. “Taking what the defense gives him, but also putting pressure on the defense. He played 32 minutes tonight on both ends of the floor. … He was that focal point, and that leader we need from him.”

Koopman credits the tradition of the program for setting him up for the role he plays now as the point guard in his senior year. As a freshman, Koopman was on the bench as Fredonia won a Sectional Championship at Buffalo State.

“I devoted my time to be able to make it back to this place, and I wanted to win so bad,” Koopman said. “That’s a part of me that not a lot of people have. I will go out there every game and work as hard as I can, and that’s the bottom line, hard work.”

All five Fredonia starters scored at least five points, including 15 points from Luce and nine points from Dowdy. Kelly had seven points, including a layup off a steal followed by a 3-pointer late in the third quarter. Putney had five points, while Fredonia’s bench did not register a point.

“I’m really elated with the time, the effort and the energy that these guys have put in. It’s just special,” Bertrando said.

Kleitz finished with 19 points for the game – 15 points below his season average entering the contest. It was only the second time he was held under 26 points all season.

“It was a full team effort,” Bertrando said of limiting Kleitz. “Ryan Kelly and RJ Koopman did a lot of the heavy lifting, but other guys switched on him. To me, that’s team defense. It’s fun to see these guys put it all together.”

Kleitz and Issa combined for 16 points in the final period. TJ Domino was third on Iroquois with seven points for the game. Kleitz was the only one of seven Iroquois scorers to reach double digits.

Up next, Fredonia faces Olean for the Class A2 Championship on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., back at Buffalo State University.

“It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable,” Koopman said. “I can’t wait for Thursday. We’re all pumped.”

Fredonia won both regular season meetings with Olean, the third place team in CCAA Division 1, as Fredonia and Dunkirk split the league crown.

“Right now, it’s not even about that,” Bertrando said after the win. “It’s really just about these guys.”