Tarver scores 10 down stretch to help advance to Region III Championship

(Herkimer's Jallah Tarver scored 10 of the team's final 15 to help defeat Finger Lakes in the Semis).

CANANDIAGUA, NY – Overcoming a poor first half which saw the Herkimer Generals men's basketball team allow 22 points off turnovers in Saturday's (2/28) game on Putt Moore Court at Finger Lakes Community College, the Region III Semifinal finished with the Generals on top, defeating the Lakers 65-59 in regulation.

Herkimer (28-3, 17-1) led the first 10 minutes of the half despite being overwhelmed by a Lakers defense which packed it in, allowing Herkimer to shoot from deep if they wanted. This allowed Finger Lakes to pressure the ball in the paint, resulting in 15 turnovers for the Generals.  

In turn, a six point deficit (16-10) turned into a to a five point lead (21-16) for the Lakers on a 11-0 run, ending when sophomore Dantre Langhorne (Greenport, NY) tipped in a missed shot to stop the bleeding with just over five minutes left until intermission. Langhorne finished with six points, five rebounds and eight assists.

Three-point baskets by Felix Riascos (Poughkeepsi, NY) and Jamell Johnson (Rochester, NY) kept the lead from reaching double digits with the momentum in favor of the home team, leading 33-27 at half. Riascos and Johnson combined for six of the Generals seven three pointers in the game, shooting over 50 percent from deep.

The second half saw the Generals get within one possession of a tie numerous times. It took an offensive rebound and three point shot by Riascos to finally tie it at 45-45 with 10:22 left in regulation, helping the guard to six points in the contest. On the very next possession, Johnson hit his third three pointer to recapture the lead 48-45, helping Herkimer lead by one (50-49) with 7:09 left in regulation. Johnson finished with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals.

Helping the Generals maintain the lead throughout was Jallah Tarver (Schenectady, NY). The sophomore scored 10 of the team's final 15 points, ending with a team-high 15 on 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. His ability to get to the paint and finish was the difference in the game.

Finger Lakes did manage to get it within one possession in the final 1:19, but Julio Galay (Bronx, NY) sank a couple free throws to put the game back at two possessions (62-57), and from there it was over.

Up next for Herkimer is the Region III Championship game, which will still be hosted at Finger Lakes Community College. Their opponent is Mohawk Valley Community College, the #2 seed in the tournament. Last time these two played, Herkimer ended a 14-game win streak by the Hawks, causing the team to go 4-4 in their final eight regular season games. Tipoff on Sunday (3/1) is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Score:
Herkimer Generals 65, Finger Lakes Lakers 59

HCCC (28-3, 17-1) Jallah Tarver 15, Jamell Johnson 14, Ken Woodard 14, Dantre Langhorne 6, Felix Riascos 6, Carson Murphy 5, Julio Galay 2, Kainan McCarthy 2, Eli Huggins 1 Totals: 31-10-65

FLCC (23-6, 10-2) Kievonn Banks 15, Tahiem Robinson 11, Brandon Bullock 10, Torrey Wright 9, Dylan Verkey 8, Tahaij Lewis 6 Totals: 24-14-59

3-point goals: Generals 7 (Johnson 4, Riascos 2, Tarver 1) Lakers 3 (Bullock 2, Robinson 1)

Halftime:
Finger Lakes 33-27

Next Game: Region III Championship 3/1 vs. Mohawk Valley at 1 p.m.

-Giorgio Varlaro