(Averill Park)
Burnt Hills edged out Averill Park in a defensive battle, securing a 40-37 victory in the Class AA sectional first-round matchup. A strong third-quarter surge by Averill Park made for a tense final frame, but Burnt Hills held on to advance. The Spartans will meet #3 seed Troy on 3/1 at HVCC at 1:00 p.m.
Trailing 25-15 at halftime, Averill Park erupted for 18 points in the third quarter, flipping the momentum in their favor. With the Burnt Hills holding four point lead late in the third quarter Averill Park's Jacob Phelps connected on a four point play to tie the game at 30. The Spartans John Klopfer hit a three pointer and then Declan Flanigan connected from long range for the Warriors with 0:19 seconds left in the third period.
The teams were tied at 33-33 heading into the final period. However, Burnt Hills locked in defensively in the final period, holding the home team to just four points to reclaim control and close out the win. After the game was tied at 37, Gus Franco hit a tough jumper in the lane to give the Spartans the lead for good with 0:51 left in the game. Averill Park's last attempt to tie the game fell off the mark from long range.
John Klopfer led Burnt Hills with a game-high 18 points, Gus Fusco contributed nine points, while Ethan Skinner added five.
Averill Park was led by Jacob Phelps, who tallied 13 points, Declan Flanigan added 10, and Justin Matthews finished with seven.
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