Salamanca returning to regionals after winning Class B title in boys basketball

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Championship mettle forged from past Section VI boys basketball playoff runs has brought the Salamanca Warriors back to Far West Regionals.

Salamanca answered every run from upstart Falconer in a 55-45 victory Tuesday night at Buffalo State Sports Arena to win its second Class B overall title in three seasons after snapping a 53-year championship drought.

“As the playoffs go along, the competition gets harder and harder. We know that,” said Salamanca star Lucus Brown, who led the way with 20 points. “We overcame some adversity and we fought back to win the game.”

Ranked No. 6 in the state in Class B, the Warriors (19-5) will play either Avon or Mynderse Academy from Section V back at Buff State on Saturday, seeking a return to the state semifinals after the school’s first trip to Glens Falls in 2022.

Falconer, having won Class B-2 for its first sectional title since 1982 four years after a winless season, didn’t go down without a fight.

Roger Markham made a foul line jumper to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter, then sank a 3-pointer that gave the Golden Falcons a brief lead at the start of the second.

Salamanca regained the lead quickly and went up by 11 points in the second quarter, but Falconer was able to get it to 33-32 in the third quarter. Brown keyed an 11-2 run to close the third. Falconer would get within a point in the fourth, as Salamanca didn’t score for five minutes, but Brown’s jumper 9-point spurt that provided the final cushion.

“These guys have always been at their best when they face adversity. We hadn’t faced any yet in the playoffs,” Salamanca coach Adam Bennett said. “To have a 10-point lead, get cut to one and then really buckle down defensively, then have timely buckets offensively, that’s what good teams do. I’m proud of these guys for the way they finished.”

Salamanca got 11 points from Jacob Herrick, and leading rebounder Avery Brown also reached double figures with 10 points.

Falconer (15-9) was led by Markham (11 points), Mathis Baehr (9), Bradyn Fuller (8) and Nathan Bailey (8).

“Give a ton of credit to Falconer. That’s a really good team. Coach Goold has done an amazing job,” Bennett said. “They were not intimidated, being their first time here. … It reminds me a lot of our team two years ago.”

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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here .