The Hornell Red Raiders fell to the Newark Reds in a Monday night matchup at Keuka College.
When asked about how he thought the team played, head coach Kirk Scholes commented, “I thought we played a really good first half. We hung tough and kept it manageable. Newark was switching defenses, and they played a couple things we haven’t seen yet this year. I thought the guys handled it well and continued to grind even with Newark knocking down shots from everywhere.”
The Raiders hit seven of their 10 3-pointers in the first half and saw themselves down 37-29 at the break.
The Raiders managed to get within three with a score of 43-40 in the third quarter before Newark took off on a run that Hornell couldn’t catch.
“The second half, we just couldn’t get a stop,” said Scholes. “They continued to make shots inside and outside. The frustrating part for me was the turnovers. We struggled taking care of it for a stretch in the 3rd, and they made us pay. Against a team as good as Newark, if you don’t value the ball, they have the athletes that will hurt you in transition.”
The Raiders were outscored 28-15 in the third quarter, a deficit from which they couldn’t recover, with a final score of 85-62 in favor of the Reds.
“This was a game we needed,” continued Scholes. “I think we will be able to take a lot from it. Newark switched defenses 4 or 5 times. Their length and athletic ability caused problems for us. We have to continue to grind out practices and games. We need to take the loss and learn from some of our mistakes and hopefully be better from it down the road.”
Gennaro Picco was leading scorer for the Raiders with 20 points, and PJ Picco picked up 14. Three of the Newark Reds scored in double digits, with Raeshawn Howard leading all scorers with 34 points. Kellen Foster netted 23, while Brayden Steve chipped in 18 in the win.
Scholes and his team have a few days to work before their next game at the end of the week.
“We have a big game in terms of the league and B2 Sectionals standings on Friday,” said Scholes. The #1 ranked Raiders will host the #3 Dansville Mustangs on Friday night at 7pm.
