by Warren Kozireski
Trailing by three points late in the third quarter, Holley scored nine of the next ten baskets to pull away and defeat rival Byron-Bergen 57-45 in the first round of the Section V boys’ basketball tournament.
The two teams traded the lead four times in the third quarter leading to the Hawks run which was sparked by a pair of baskets by Zach Deluca, two lay-ups from Cameron Quaranto, a put-back by Tyles Battaglia and a pair of treys by Kyle Bell.
Leading by eight points with one minute remaining, the Hawks sealed the win by going a combined six-for-eight from the free throw line down the stretch.
Bell led Holley with 16 points; Quaranto had 13 with Will Barnell and Sage Hodge each adding ten.
Byron-Bergen’s Dajvandrick Gardner led all scorers with 19 points and Austin Richardson added 11 for the Bees.
Holley advanced to the quarterfinal round against top-seed East Rochester.
