Battle-tested Tigers take down Will-East

It’s fair to call any team that starts two freshmen, a sophomore and no seniors young.

But to call the Amherst Tigers girls’ basketball team inexperienced would be foolish.

The Tigers (11-5, 8-1 ECIC II) are battle-tested with having played one the toughest non-league schedules in the section this season.

“Yes, we are ready for the playoffs,” said freshman Ella Wanzer, after Amherst’s 66-44 win over Williamsville East Monday night. “We are a team that has a lot potential. We have to do what we do best and keep practices intense and I think we will be successful.”

Amherst started the season by giving Monsignor Martin powerhouse O’Hara a scare losing by only six points to a team that hasn’t been defeated by a team based in WNY since 2013. They then gave a tough game to Section V big dog Our Lady of Mercy back in mid-December.

Over the break, the Lady Tigers went to Syracuse going 1-1 in a two-game set where they blew out Whitesboro and lost an eight-point game to Bishop Ludden.

The Tigers also have convincing wins over Class AA schools, Williamsville North and Clarence this season.

Last Thursday, Amherst finished off their non-league schedule with a 70-56 loss to Bishop Kearney.

The Tigers hope the tough games will help them in the post-season but there is still more preparation they need to do before the Class A2 playoffs begin in two weeks.

“I think we have to start playing quality basketball to get ready for playoffs,” Amherst coach Mike Chatelle said. “Tough games are all well and good but we need to make sure we clean our game up.”

The Tigers overwhelmed Will East with their full-court press, forcing multiple turnovers throughout the game, picking up their eighth league win of the season.

The Flames had worked their way into the game and took a one-point lead with 5:20 to go in the second quarter. But Amherst became aggressive getting to the line three straight times and made all six free throws. The foul shots played a major part in the

Tigers’ 13-2 run that lasted almost three minutes, putting them ahead 32-22 before East called a timeout.

Wanzer started the run with two made shots from the charity stripe and then ended it with a layup followed by a quick 3-pointer which came off a steal from Paige Stelley.

Stelly’s older sister, Emma got a layup and made a shot from downtown in Amherst’s quick 9-2 run in the third that helped extend their lead to 51-31 heading into the final stanza.

Wanzer led the way with 24 points. Emma Stelly tailed 14 points.

Williamsville East falls into the middle of the pack in both the Class A1 and ECIC II standings with a 9-8 overall and 4-5 league record.

“We’re in a little bit of a rut right now. We’re struggling to score,” said Williamsville East coach Ryan DiVita, as the Flames have now lost five of their last six games. “The next three games are all very winnable for us. We’re looking to finish out the season strong.”

Junior Rachel Romanowski led the Flames with 15 points.

Amherst has a chance to avenge their only league loss of the year when they face Williamsville South Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at South.

“South will be the big test for us,” Chatelle said.