South responds with defensive road win
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Coming off its worst effort of the season in a 61-52 non-league game at Clarence last Tuesday, Williamsville South clamped down defensively at Iroquois on Thursday to remain alone atop ECIC Division II.

South shot 40 percent (6-of-15) from three-point range and held Iroquois to two fourth quarter points and 25 overall in a 51-25 road win.

"I considered Iroquois a must win game," said South coach Al Monaco.

The 25 points allowed breaks a six-year school record for least points allowed (26 in 2000-01 against Pioneer). The Billies have held an opponent to two points in one quarter four other times, the last versus Lackawanna during the 1996-97 season.

Thank goodness South played terrific defense throughout the Iroquois game because its offense did not score in the game's opening three minutes. Iroquois led, 10-8, at the end of the first quarter.

But in the second and third quarters, Adrian Wood made sure the Billies' offense came alive, scoring 10 points in the second quarter and another 10 in the third quarter as South built a 23-15 halftime and 39-23 third quarter lead. Wood finished with 25 points, including a career-high four three's.

Frank Pieri only scored seven points but was a difference inside with 12 rebounds. Mark Coppola (three points, eight assists) and Scott Steimer and P.J. Coppola (five points each) also contributed.

Against Clarence, Monaco doesn't know whether it was because his team was still on an emotional high from beating Williamsville East in a huge ECIC II league the week prior or playing on the road, but the Billies were flat.

"I called my first timeout 22 seconds into the game and we were already down 6-0," said Monaco. "With 50 seconds gone, I called my second timeout and we were down 10-0."

South trailed, 25-9, at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Monaco switched to a zone defense to change the tempo of the game and it worked briefly. South trailed, 28-20, with two minutes left in the first half. But the Red Devils ran off the last 10 points to lead 38-20 by halftime.

South trailed, 48-35, after the third quarter.

Pieri led South with 10 points. Spencer McIntyre and P.J. Coppola scored nine points each. Wood finished with only seven points on 3-of-13 shooting. Mark Coppola added eight points.

South only shot 30 percent (13-of-31) from two-point range and 18-of-57 overall.

Greg Stevens (22 points), Drew Bielawski (11 points), Tim Karl (10 points) and Chris Skubis (10 points) paced Clarence's office.

South (6-6, 5-1) travels to Hamburg at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Hamburg is the only team to have beaten South in ECIC II this season.

Williamsville East

By the time the Flames figured out how to handle St. Joe's, the outcome was already decided.

Trailing 63-35 after the third quarter, East switched to a straight man to man pressure defense and outscored St. Joe's, 25-12, in the fourth to cut the final deficit to 75-60.

"We played a passive man to man half court defense early because we wanted to make sure they don't get fastbreak layups but we gave them too much room to maneuver and they did what they wanted," said East coach Dennis Belote. "In the third, we went to a full court press but left them too much room and they found the open man and hit three three's. They seemed to collapse when we pressured them in the fourth which was surprising."

St. Joe's led, 19-12, at the end of the first quarter and 39-25 by halftime.

East's Brian Wallden led all scorers with 25 points. He also grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked six shots. Andy Heim added 11 points. Chris Schiumo scored eight fourth quarter points (two three's, two free throws) and held St. Joe's Domonic Cook (18 points) scoreless in the three minutes he guarded him.

East (6-5, 3-2) hosted Amherst on Tuesday but results were unavailable before The Bee went to press. They travel to West Seneca East at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com