Tigers tire out after hard-fought games
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Playing three games in four nights is tough for any team and the Amherst Central boys basketball team got a dose of that last week.

Amherst (8-11, 6-6) earned a hard-fought 47-44 overtime win last Tuesday at Starpoint, dropped a 61-52 game last Thursday at Maryvale and closed out the week with a 57-36 home loss to Clarence last Friday.

"By Friday, I think our legs ran out of gas," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle. "Clarence played well but we could have given them a better game."

The Starpoint game went back and forth. Starpoint was up, 8-5, after the first quarter, the score was knotted at 19-19 at halftime, Amherst led, 27-26, after the third quarter, and the score was knotted at 38-38 after regulation.

Starpoint hit two free throws to tie the game at 38-38. Each team had a possession to score late but could not.

In overtime, Nico McLean scored four points, Geoff Gallson had three and Viron Hale added two. McLean, in foul trouble the entire game, finished with six points. Gallson came off the bench and poured in a career-high 19.

Hale had a solid all-around game with seven points, 10 rebounds and eight steals.

Sam Schepart added six points for the Tigers.

Amherst shot 12 of 14 from the free throw line and 13 of 55 from the field.

"It was a hard-fought game so it was nice to come out with a win," said Chatelle.

The Maryvale game also was a battle. Amherst took a 15-14 advantage into the second quarter but the Flyers responded by outscoring the Tigers, 19-10, to go into halftime up 11, 33-25.

"In the second quarter, we didn't play as well and they made some shots," said Chatelle. "Whenever we play them, it always seems to come down to the team who makes key shots."

Maryvale led, 43-35, after the third quarter. The Flyers won largely because they made a ton of free throws, 22 of 26 to be exact. Amherst went 5 of 15 from the line.

"We held them to 12 field goals from the floor (eight twos, four threes)," said Chatelle. "We played well defensively; we just put them to the line too much."

McLean led all scorers with 19 points, six steals and four rebounds.

Mike Yanity scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. Hale added six points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Brooke Estarfaa and Blair Estarfaa combined for 29 points, including 14 of 16 from the free throw line.

Clarence's Greg Stevens scored 10 of his 21 points in the first quarter to help the Red Devils out to an 18-8 first quarter advantage, and Amherst never recovered.

Clarence was ahead, 25-18, at halftime and, 42-27, after the third quarter.

No Amherst player was in double figures. McLean was the closest with eight. Hale had four points and 14 rebounds.