Maine-Endwell boys basketball had a season to remember
Westhill boys basketball holds onto its 25-0 season with a 64-35 semifinal win over Maine-Endwell to advance to the NYSPHSAA Class A championship.
Section 3’s Westhill boys basketball team topped Maine-Endwell, 64-35, to advance to the New York State Public High School Class A final, set to take place on Friday, March 20, at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. Westhill (25-0) held Maine-Endwell (17-7) to an 11-point first quarter, followed by a 9-point second quarter - a reflection of the Wolf Pack’s game-winning defensive effort throughout the matchup. “We've been preparing since November 17, that first day, relying on our defense,” Westhill head coach Jon Connelly said.
“We know we've had the core group is coming back from the past two years, and this group is tough as nails, and they showed it tonight. ” Both teams, willing to put their bodies on the line, flew across the floor for loose balls and stalked one another on defense to the point of frustration, both from the players and the crowd. Westhill capitalized on the tension within the game, maintaining a quick pace that put Westhill at 29-20 to end the first half.
More: Where Section 4 teams are in the NYSPHSAA basketball tournament “We like to pick up and apply pressure; we think we can wear teams down” Connelly said, addressing Westhill’s defensive urgency. The second half brought the same defensive fire as the first half, the kind of fire that one would expect from two teams that are in pursuit of its first NYS Class A final in their program’s history. Westhill senior Eli Welch began the fourth quarter with a 3-point play that sparked the beginning of the Wolf Pack’s best quarter of the night (22 points) and largest lead of the game.
Following Maine-Endwell’s starting five being subbed out and a standing ovation from the M-E crowd applauding the team’s effort, an 8-0 run from the Wolf Pack put a cap on the game at 64-35, punching Westhill’s ticket to the program's first Class A final. In addressing Westhill’s undefeated season and the team’s mindset heading into the finals, senior Eli Prince pointed to the team’s tunnel vision and defensive hustle. “We’re just going to be locked in,” Prince said.