Bartlett knocks off E. Aurora in UEC stunner

The Bartlett boys basketball team doesn't want to help out Neuqua Valley all too often, considering the Hawks' 27-point loss to the Wildcats earlier in the season.

But Friday night was an exception for the Hawks as they held off a fierce fourth quarter comeback to defeat the East Aurora Tomcats, the only team to have beaten Neuqua this season, 83-74 in Upstate Eight Conference action at Bartlett.

With 4:46 left in the game, Luke Labedzki drew a technical foul after nailing a 3-pointer and completed a 6-point play from the foul line to put the Hawks (15-7, 4-3) up by 21 at 79-58.

"That was a momentum changer for us," Labedzki said. "We were able to capitalize on that and hold them off."

However, from there the Tomcats (16-6, 6-1) went on a 14-0 run keyed by 6 points and 3 steals from Tramell Weathersby to pull within 79-72 with 1:27 remaining.

"We didn't start doing any gambling on pressing until the second half and we were able to create some turnovers when we did," said Tomcats coach Wendell Jeffries. "We got enough turnovers to get back into the game but they hit some free throws down the stretch."

The Hawks held the Tomcats to only one more basket from there and went 7 of 9 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Labedzki finished off a 24-point performance with 11 in the final period.

Greg Partyka led the Hawks with 7 points during a 19-10 second quarter as they took a 38-29 lead into halftime.

Marc Little tallied 10 of his game-high 30 points in the third quarter to send his team into the fourth with a 62-49 lead.

"When Marc is in his element he is as good a player as anyone else in the conference," said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith. "This was definitely his type of game - up-tempo."

Kevin Gates finished with 13 points and Partyka 9 in the Hawks' fifth straight win. William Brown led the Tomcats with 25 points, Jamar Shepard added 17 and Weathersby 12.