Rochester squanders an early 18-point lead, but comes back to notch its 10th win of the season.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Fans at the Blue Cross Arena saw a real thriller on Thursday night as the Rochester RazorSharks topped the Ohio Bootleggers, 107-103, in the final minute of regulation.
It was a real team effort for the Sharks, with veterans and young guns both stepping up at key points in the game. It felt as if the Bootleggers might give up early, but they hung in there after facing an 18-point deficit in the first quarter. Rochester got out to a 10-point lead in the first minutes of the game. Dele Coker dominated the boards, pulling down 5 rebounds in the period. Corey Allmond put on a scoring clinic, leading the quarter with 11 points.
In the second stanza, reserve Deverell Biggs took control as he scored 7 points, dished out 3 assists, and recorded 3 steals in 10 minutes.
Rochester moved the ball around quite a bit, allowing 11 of the 12 players to score at least once for the Sharks. Despite outscoring the RazorSharks in the quarter, Ohio trailed 58-46 at intermission.
Brett McKnight absolutely owned the third for the Bootleggers, adding 19 points to his 11-point first half. He finished the night as the game’s leading scorer with 34. McKnight brought Ohio right back into the game with a 16-3 run right out of the half. They took a 6-point lead after that, but gave it back once McKnight started to cool down.
Rochester was able to get the bleeding to stop, and held only a 3-point lead heading into the final 12 minutes, 84-81.
The fourth period was very back-and-forth, as the Bootleggers grabbed a narrow lead. They held it until the 4:30 mark when Allmond hit a huge, momentum swinging trey to take a 95-94 lead. This was followed by a big defensive stop, two Jerice Crouch free throws, and a 3-pointer from Melvin Council.
However, Ohio still did not give up. The visitors narrowed the margin to 6 points and with 5 seconds left. Shawn Dyer hit a deep 3-pointer to bring it to a one-possession game.
Allmond got to the line for Rochester and stuck the dagger in them with 2 game-clinching free throws.
Allmond led the Sharks with 27 points and was the John Betlem Heating and Cooling Player of the Game. Jordan Railey followed with 15 points, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Crouch added 14 points and led the team with 5 assists and 5 steals. Biggs finished with 11 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals, as Coker pulled down 11 rebounds.
McKnight’s 34 points led the Bootleggers, followed by Shawn Dyer’s 20. Cody Ballard had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Sharks play again on Friday night in Dubois, PA. against the Pennsylvania Dream. They return to Rochester next Thursday, March 9, for their final home game of the regular season.
Local boxing star Willie “El Mongoose” Monroe Jr. will be at the arena signing autographs and meeting fans that night. Monroe is the fifth ranked middleweight boxer in the world according to the World Boxing Association. Tickets for the game are on sale now. Stay tuned for special VIP packages to meet the champ. Call 585-232-9190, or stop by the Blue Cross Arena box office to reserve your tickets.