By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Newark Valley started with a 15-2 run and would pull away from Greene for a 67-23 non-league victory in boys basketball action here Wednesday evening.
The Cardinals would lead 24-13 after a quarter and extend their advantage to 38-17 at halftime. A 22-6 burst in the third period gave NV a 60-23 cushion.
“We did well tonight doing the things we like to do,” coach Scott Stratton said. “We battled hard on the boards, scrapped on the floor, and got our hands in lots of passing lanes.”
The Trojans attempted to cut into the lead with a seven-point spurt late in the first, making it 15-9, but consecutive 3-pointers from Austin Green and Cooper Davis helped NV nearly double the six-point lead by the period’s end.
Davis, Tristan Veruto and Tim Wojtysiak scored five points apiece in the quarter, and Nate Hinckley added four more.
Greene managed to keep NV off the scoreboard better in the second period, but still got outscored, 14-4. Veruto pumped out six points and Green added his second trey.
The Cardinals came out of the half on fire as Davis, Josh Benjamin and Hinckley cranked out a half-dozen points each, and Green drained his third 3-pointer.
Veruto connected for five more points in the final frame, giving him 18 for the night. Davis contributed a dozen more and Hinckley added 10. Green and Benjamin chipped in with nine points each, Wojtysiak had seven and Wyatt Welch tacked on a basket.
“The balanced scoring attack was the result of unselfish offensive play,” said Stratton. “We made the extra pass and mostly got good looks, if not the best looks we could get in our trips down the floor.”
Benjamin also grabbed nine rebounds and took one charge; Hinckley recorded six rebounds and had four steals; Veruto pitched in with four offensive rebounds and three steals; Davis had three steals; and Carter Smith added four rebounds and three steals.
Jaden Eroshavich paced Greene with eight points.
Newark Valley heads to Owego Friday to face Candor in the Charlie Sibley Memorial Tournament semifinals at 6 p.m..
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IN PHOTO 1: Tristan Veruto. IN TOP PHOTO: NV on defense. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
