WAVERLY ROLLS TO 77-24 WIN OVER EDISON

By: Tim Birney | Waverly Athletics | December 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy David Alliger

WAVERLY — Waverly scored early and often, and built a 25 point first-quarter lead en route to a 77-24 win over Thomas A. Edison here Monday night in IAC South Large School boys basketball action.

“Our full-court press was the difference,” said Waverly coach Lou Judson.

“We haven’t been able to run certain things early on in the season because we weren’t conditioned yet,” he noted. “Now, we’ve been able to put in some of the things we want to do this year, and one of them was pressing. It really worked for us early in the game, and led to some easy points.

“We were very active with our hands, and our feet, and looked good in our press tonight,” added Judson.

Junior Joey Tomasso scored 10 points, while freshman Hogan Shaw knocked down a 3-pointer, and scored five points to fuel a 30-5 blitz in the first eight minutes.

Tomasso and juniors Jay Pipher and Jon Searles scored six points apiece in the second quarter as the Wolverines used a 24-7 run to take a 54-12 lead at the halftime intermission.

Despite making just 2 of 10 free-throw attempts in the third quarter, Waverly used a 10-4 spurt to extend its lead to 64-16 heading into the final eight minutes.

Tomasso led Waverly 18 points, four rebounds, and five steals, while Searles scored 13 points grabbed 14 rebounds, including 12 offensive boards, and blocked one shot, Shaw had 12 points, including two 3-pointers, and five rebounds, and Pipher had 10 points, and five assists.

Senior Nate DeLill had eight points and four steals in the win, while senior Isaiah Bretz added seven points junior Jake VanHouten had six points, nine rebounds, four steals, and one blocked shot, junior Jake Benjamin hauled down 10 rebounds, and junior Thomas Morley and sophomore Payton Fravel chipped in with four and three rebounds, respectively.

“I was very pleased with our bench tonight,” said Judson.

“Jon Searles played a very solid game tonight. We need him to do that a little more consistently, and against guys his own size.

“Most of our starters only played a couple minutes in the second half, so we were able to get others a lot of playing time, and get a better idea of what certain guys can help us with,” noted Judson.

“Overall, it was a very good team win for us,” he added.

Waverly, now 2-1, returns to action Thursday at Trumansburg.