IAC BOYS BASKETBALL: NEWARK VALLEY RALLIES TO DEFEAT EDISON IN OT (December 12, 2025)
Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Newark Valley squandered an early lead, but rallied to defeat Edison, 69-65 in overtime, in IAC boys basketball action here Friday evening.
“We were patient and got good looks in the overtime, and we buckled down and got stops on the defensive end,” said coach Scott Stratton. “That’s how we were able to seal the deal. All pre-game we talked about hunting for clean looks on the offensive end, and tonight that was most true in overtime. I’m proud of the boys for that.”
Austin Green, Cooper Davis, Tristan Veruto and Tim Wojtysiak all scored in double digits with Green, Davis and Veruto accounting for the Cardinals’ points in the extra session. Green had four, including a 3-pointer, while Davis and Veruto added three and two points, respectively.
“With two minutes to play in the fourth and down six, we switched up defenses and surprised them. We got a turnover and a bucket,” Stratton said. “Tim Wojtysiak and Nate Hinckley sank a few free throws, and then Austin Green drove baseline and scored to bring us within one. Cooper Davis a possession or two later drove a gap and laid the ball in to give us a one-point lead. Two rebounds and an Austin Green free throw later, we were up two. That’s when Wyatt took the charge.
“Cooper was fouled and made one of two free throws. Up three, that’s when Cornacchio sent the game to overtime with a wild make from behind the arc.”
NV held the Spartans to one OT basket, offsetting Edison’s 10 3-pointers, six of which came in the second half.
Davis had six points as the Cardinals took a 13-8 lead in the opening stanza and Green had five in the second period en route to a 29-16 halftime lead. Wojtysiak accounted for four points in each quarter.
“We did a great job in the first half defensively, and then a score of issues all seemed to happen at once,” Stratton said. “Cooper’s back started spasming, Josh (Benjamin) went down with an ankle injury and didn’t return, and Tim and Tristan spent time on the bench in foul trouble. But, guys came off the bench and competed and kept us within striking distance. And we believed enough to make it happen, even when the future looked bleak.”
Edison would turn the tide on NV in the third quarter as Bradley hit for 10 points and Doyle pumped out three treys to lead a 22-7 surge that gave the Spartans a 38-36 advantage.
The visitors unloaded for another 22 points in the fourth as Bradley added another 11 points and Cornacchio nailed three 3-pointers, however, the Cardinals tossed in 24 points. Six different players contributed points with Veruto scoring seven and Green adding five to lead the comeback.
“With us up three with 1.6 seconds to play, Mark Cornacchio made a highly contested 3-pointer to send the game to overtime,” Stratton said..
“We were up two with 11 seconds left in the fourth when Wyatt Welch took a charge on Marquis Bradley as he drove the lane. That was a huge play, and while Edison ended up tying the game up at 60 with a second to play, it meant that Elmira Heights’ best player would be on the bench for overtime. The foul on Bradley was his fifth.”
Green paced Newark Valley with 17 points, followed by Davis with 14, and Veruto and Wojtysiak with a dozen markers each. Nate Hinckley added nine points, Wyatt Welch had three and Carter Smith tacked on two more.
Bradley led all scorers with 23 points and Cornacchio added 12.
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IN PHOTO: Austin Green. … TCSR STOCK PHOTO.
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