With the Section III Class C-2 semifinal on the line Saturday afternoon, West Canada Valley veteran coach Steve Porter wanted the ball in the hands of his best player.
Six-foot-five senior standout Jared Suderley delivered by sinking a pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds left in overtime to lift the unbeaten Indians past feisty Onondaga 59-57 at Rome Free Academy.
The clutch free throws by Suderley capped a career-best 40-point performance. Suderley shot 17-for-19 from the foul line, grabbed 13 rebounds, handed out three assists and blocked two shots for the Indians (20-0) who pulled out a victory in a game that was tied at 52 after four quarters.
“I didn’t know what to say to the kids afterward, but thank God,” said an emotionally-drained Porter afterward. “Suderley has been steady all year at the foul line. He came into the game, shooting 85-for-100. He’s the one we want on the line at the end.”
West Canada will play Immaculate Heart of Watertown, the No. 2 seed and a 72-50 semifinal winner over Mohawk Saturday, in the sectional title game at 7:45 p.m. on Friday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Saturday’s semifinal at RFA, was nip and tuck the whole way as neither team led by more than five points at any time.
The Indians, who scored the final five points of the first half to take a 25-20 halftime lead, led 41-38 after three quarters.
The Tigers (15-5) held Suderley without a field goal in the fourth quarter, but last year’s Center State Conference Division III Player of the Year did go 8-for-9 from the foul line to give the Indians a 52-49 lead with 34 seconds remaining.
Taylor Bassett, who scored 24 points to lead Onondaga, drained a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to tie the game. Malik Mountain added 10 points for the Tigers.
“Bassett is very good and Mountain is very quick,” Porter said.
West Canada’s Xavier Maxwell had a chance to win the contest, but missed a pair of free throws with 8.9 seconds left in regulation. However, Suderley grabbed the offensive rebound off the second miss and Porter called a timeout to set up a play. Maxwell, who added nine points, missed a runner in the lane as time expired.
“Down the stretch, we had a couple of turnovers and we didn’t get a shot off,” Porter said. “This is the first time this year, we’ve had a game were we had to execute certain plays. Overall the kids did a great job. They better get used to it though, that’s what it’s going to be like the rest of the way.”
