Leading off today: Down by five with 1:07 to go in overtime, Olean preserved its perfect boys basketball season and No. 1 state ranking in Class B with a 64-62 victory over Fredonia on Friday.
The crazy sequence began with Olean's Monty Shoemaker being called for travel and a technical foul with 1:21 left in OT. Hillbillies senior Pat Moore made both free throws to put Fredonia up 61-56.
Olean senior Derek Schmidt made a steal leading to two Elijah Ramadhan free throws. Schmidt forced another turnover that led to a Elijah Ramadhan (21 points, 10 rebounds) tap-in rebound to cut the deficit to 61-60.
Two free throws by Olean's Ben Eckstrom tied the game at 62 with :07.3 left in OT. On the ensuing inbound play, Jake Cavana (12 points, four steals) stripped the ball from Moore, who then was called for goaltending when he pinned Cavana's layup attempt against the backboard. Fredonia's subsequent inbounds pass sailed out of bounds, and Olean dribbled out the final 1.7 seconds.
Olean had won its previous 17 games by an average of 29 points.
"We needed a close game like this to bring us back down to reality right before playoffs and help us get on a run," Olean coach Jeff Anastasia told the Times-Herald.
A night earlier, Olean's girls fell to Fredonia 61-55 for their first loss of the season.
More boys basketball: The state's top-ranked Class C team responded to an upset loss earlier in the week with a win over the state's No. 3 Class B squad. Chavez Gaines finished with 13 points and Keith Butler added 11 as East Rochester edged North Rose-Wolcott 54-48.
Meanwhile, Cooperstown freshman Jack Lambert tied the school record with 10 3-pointers and scored 33 points as Cooperstown defeated Clinton 74-57. Tyler Bertram, who made 10 treys in a game last season, added 24 points.
Clinton won 80-60 when the teams met last week.
Milestone win: Bainbridge-Guilford girls basketball coach Bob Conway earned his 500th career victory with a 47-33 win vs. Greene in the Midstate Athletic Conference semifinals.
It was the former Mount Upton coach's 401st win at B-G.
U.S. class record set: Rush-Henrietta junior Sammy Watson set the U.S. junior class record in the 1,000 meters Friday in the Armory Track Invitational. Her 2:45.32 ranks as the No. 2 scholastic performance ever at that distance.
She broke the meet record of 2:45.76 by Chanelle Price of Easton, Pa., in 2008 and the state scholastic record of 2:47.29 in 2012 by Mary Cain, who would go on to post superiors times while running unattached later as a high school student.
The fastest U.S. high school 1,000 meters was a 2:43.40 by Sarah Bowman of Warrenton (Va.) Farquier in 2005.
Saratoga's Aidan Tooker won Friday's boys 1,000 in 2:27.80, fighting off a last-lap kick by Connecticut competitor Randy Neish (2:27.83).
Lacrosse venues update: The NYSPHSAA boys and girls lacrosse committees met Friday to select locations for the state tournament semifinals and finals in 2017-19.
Their recommendations go to the Executive Committee for approval May 6.
