Pennsy's Bucheit, Kraus dominate Big 30 boys game, Hamilton leads New York girls to 74-61 victory
By: Sam Wilson | Olean Times Herald | March 19, 2017 | Photo courtesy Paul Burdick Sports Images
PORTVILLE — It took all of 15 seconds for Andrew Bucheit to assert himself as a matchup problem for the New York boys team at the Big 30 Senior Basketball Classic.
Bucheit, a 6-foot-7 Kane senior center, hauled in a rebound off of Salamanca's Zeus Enriquez' attempt at an alley-oop lay-in, and rumbled coast to coast for a two-handed slam and the game's first basket. It wasn't the last dunk of the night for Bucheit, whose 32 points paced a loaded Pennsylvania offense in a 129-90 victory at the third annual senior games held at Portville Central School.
The Pennsy boys' win came after a 74-61 win for the New York girls, led by University at Buffalo-bound Ellicottville star Marissa Hamilton's 17 points.
Bucheit's 32 points top the high mark for the Classic set in the first-ever game in 2015 by Cameron County's Nate Sestina, who now plays at Bucknell University. Bucheit added 10 rebounds in the win.
The Pennsy boys ripped off a 13-0 run to close the first half, with Bucheit scoring the last seven on a pair of fastbreak dunks and a buzzer-beating halfcourt jumper. Suddenly trailing 62-42 at halftime, New York couldn’t cut the deficit closer than 20 in the second half.
"It was just awesome," Bucheit said of the Big 30 senior game experience. "It was a blast getting together with these guys that I've been playing against for years and years, (to) finally play with them and have some fun was a good time."
Elk County Catholic's Gabe Kraus added 28 points, hitting an astonishing eight 3-pointers, and adding seven rebounds.
The teammates for the day came together quickly in an afternoon practice session led by coach Jim Acker of Smethport.
"It was just a couple minutes," Bucheit said. "That's all it takes to get to know the players. Playing against these guys, you get to know their game.
"(Acker) just was talking about how he wants to play: hustle, not too sloppy like an NBA All-Star Game, but just have fun."
Olean High's Monty Shoemaker made four 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 16 points for a New York squad coached by Allegany-Limestone's Chad Lyter. Malachi Barros (Cuba-Rushford) added 13 points and five rebounds and Joe Sherlock (Salamanca) added 12 points. Enriquez chipped in seven rebounds with his seven points.
Also for Pennsy, Kraus' ECC teammate Nate Dacanal tossed in four treys and scored 16 points with six boards. Derek Rieder (Cameron County) scored 15 points, Aaron Wolfinger (Coudersport) added 11 points, Garrett Babcock (Oswayo Valley) had seven points and seven boards and Davis Gardner (Kane) had seven points and six boards.
The boys teams tossed in 34 total 3-pointers, 19 for Pennsy, topping the 31 total from the 2016 Classic.
IN THE GIRLS game, New York and Pennsylvania traded runs, often led by Hamilton or (for Pennsy) Coudersport’s Ally Easton, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Along with 17 points, Hamilton tallied 14 rebounds, two blocks and three assists.
"She's a good ball-player and we knew she was going to get her share," former Austin coach Dick Logue, who guided the Pennsy seniors, said of Hamilton. "She's the real deal, no doubt about it.
"She was the main factor in that game, and for us I thought the Easton girl was for us. Some of them, they've played AAU ball with each other and against each other so we knew what (Hamilton) could do anyway."
Coached by former St. Bonaventure player and Belfast coach Paul Hoffman, the New York girls showed balance, spreading the ball with each of their 12 players scoring. A trio of seniors from Allegany County -- Chloe Kottwitz (Bolivar-Richburg), Sara Kuhn (Whitesville) and Erin Lawson (Wellsville) -- scored eight points each. Brittany Button (Bolivar-Richburg) pulled down nine rebounds.
