The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Hamilton routs M-E in league opener
Bailey leads Emerald Knights with 14 points
Logan Bailey netted 14points and Zack Wilcox added 12 more as the Hamilton boys basketball team defeated Morrisville-Eaton 61-32on Thursday night for its first league victory.
The boys basketball teams from Morrisville-Eaton and Hamilton have both struggled to start the season. The Emerald Knights entered Thursday with a record of 0-3 while their Center State Conference III rivals were 0-2
oach Ben Johnson’s squad broke through in the win column in a big way on Thursday.
Hamilton used two 10-0 runs in the first half to take a 35-15 lead into halftime en route to a 61-32 victory in the league opener for both teams.
“We’ve been waiting for it,” said Johnson of the first win. “I think we’ve all had high hopes for the season andwe just started off slow. I think it’s just a good way to get going again and look forward to the next couple.”
Logan Bailey led all scorers with 14 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds while Zack Wilcox finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals in the victory.
“We were 0-3 coming in and its good to get a win, walk out,” said Wilcox. “We understand we have to work for it and we came in and got it done.”
Zebbi Henry led M-E with 8 points in the loss while Charlie Clark had 7 points and 9 rebounds.
Johnson and Wilcox both agreed that intensity played a key role in getting the Emerald Knights their first victory. Both teams started the game playing full-court defense and M-E had a chance to open up an early lead but made just one of four free throw attempts in the opening minute. Lucas Ord’s 3-pointer gave Hamilton its first points of the game and a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Bailey added three more 3-pointers during the opening period including two during a 10-0 run near the end of the frame.
The hosts entered the second quarter down 21-8 but pulled within 10 points when Coby Merkle stole the ball and found Zebbi Henry down the court for a fastbreak layup. However, Wil- cox scored a basket after grabbing an offensive rebound and then added another after a steal during a 10-0 run that gave the Emerald Knights a 35-15 lead going into the break.
“It was just in the heat of the moment,” said Wilcox. “A few offensive rebounds, just working hard, boxing out, getting my guy and forcing turnovers; getting down the floor and finishing the other end.”
The senior continued to crash the boards in the second half, scoring twice after grabbing offensive rebounds. Bailey added his fourth 3-pointer later in the quarter to extend the lead to 46-18. M-E’s Coby Merkle scored the next five points but Hamilton took a 50-25 lead into the fourth quarter.
Johnson turned to his reserves in the fourth quarter and they kept the Emerald Knights rolling. Schuyler Lamal-Brown netted two 3-pointers over the final period and every Hamilton player finished the game with at least one rebound.
“We’ve told them, we can put you in the right spot, we can tell you what you need to know but we can’t make you hustle,” said Johnson. “It’s good to see us finally come out and really want it.”