IAC BOYS BASKETBALL: NOTRE DAME OUTSCORES NEWARK VALLEY FOR 75-62 VICTORY (January 16, 2026)

Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Elmira Notre Dame rode the shooting of Max O’Connor and Rocco Sayers to a 75-62 victory over Newark Valley in IAC South Large School boys basketball action here Friday evening.

“The guys played really hard,” coach Scott Stratton said. “I’m super proud of their effort. We just didn’t get enough stops and Notre Dame shot the ball extremely well. Extremely well.

“Offensively, we did a good job tonight. We ran our stuff, got good looks and for much of the game knocked down shots.”

O’Connor scored 14 of his game-high 35 points in the first quarter, knocking down four 3-pointers in the process, to give the Crusaders an early 16-13 edge.

ND extended its lead to 36-26 at the half with a 20-point surge.

Rocco Sayers, who was helt to four first-half points, picked up six in the third quarter as the Crusaders added another point to their lead, making it a 54-43 game with eight minutes to go.

O’Connor tacked on another dozen points in the final frame while Sayers added seven more, giving him 17 for the night.

“We had a stretch late in the second quarter where we went without scoring for too long, and a stretch in the third where we gave up too many offensive rebounds, and, of course, the O’Connor kid was a bear to stop all night,” Stratton said. “Just when we started to slow him down, Sayers got hot.”

O’Connor chalked up eight 3-pointers and Sayers had three more as ND canned a dozen treys.

NV was led by Cooper Davis with 23 points and nine rebounds. Austin Green and Tristan Veruto scored 13 points apiece, Wyatt Welch had seven, Nate Hinckley contributed five points and eight boards, and Josh Benjamin tacked on a point.

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IN PHOTO: Cooper Davis. … TCSR STOCK PHOTO.

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