Prep Talk

We're live at the Section VI overall Class A championship between McKinley and East.

Olean beat City Honors, 66-51, in the Class B championship. We apologize about not being online with a live blog, but the ONE phone line available at Buffalo State was being used by Olean's radio station. I've only now started to calm down.

7:44 p.m. As usual with Section VI games, they tip off before time.

7:52 p.m. Coach James Daye calls a McKinley timeout with 3:40 left in the first quarter and East leading, 6-5. Damien Goodwin of East has already picked up two fouls.

8:01 p.m. It's the end of the first quarter and East has a 9-6 lead.

8:09 p.m. East coach Starling Bryant calls a timeout with 5:14 left in the first quarter. The game as tied at 9-9 and it's not the prettiest thing in the world, as you might imagine.

8:20 p.m. Whoa. East and 6-2 senior Jamal Webb put on a show to end the half and East has taken a 29-13 lead at halftime. The Panthers won the quarter, 20-7.

After McKinley scored the first three to tie it at 9-9, East went on a 20-4 run. Webb had all three of his three-pointers in the quarter. Webb and 6-2 senior Mario Miller hit back-to-back threes to make it 15-9. Senior big men Goodwin (6-4) and Brandon Hall (6-4) hit back-to-back post shots for a 19-10 lead with 2:30 to play, and the Panthers really went into halftime on a great run in the last two minutes.

Jamal Webb hit one of his casually released, typically deep (NBA range) three-pointers to go up 22-10. Webb hit another one after he let a defender run right by him for a 25-12 lead. After a McKinley free throw, Brandon Hall threw a long pass from beneath his own basket to Webb, who sailed in for a layup; Hall signaled "touchdown" with his arms after the score that made it 27-13. After another McKinley miss, Webb hopped into the lane and hit a floater for the 29-13 lead.

McKinley has struggled bad from the field, hitting just one field goal in each quarter. They can't keep shooting this poorly, can they? East has a history of giving up big leads, but we'll see. They look real good.

8:29 p.m. The second half is underway.

8:36 p.m. East coach Starling Bryant calls a 30-second timeout with a 34-15 lead and 5:16 remaining in the third quarter.

8:42 p.m. McKinley calls a timeout with 2:47 left in the third and East holding a 39-17 lead. Doesn't look like a letdown so far, huh? Webb just hit another NBA three, one possession after he beat a press single-handedly and found an open Mario Miller under the hoop.

8:48 p.m. It's the end of the third quarter and East has a 44-19 lead. McKinley continues to miss shots and East doesn't -- 5-10 senior point guard Michael Mack hit a three with 1:52 left in the quarter.

8:52 p.m. East calls a timeout after a tieup under the McKinley basket with 5:58 left in the game. McKinley is running out of time, big-time. It's 48-23.

8:59 p.m. McKinley calls timeout after Mansa Habeeb hits the Macks' third field goal of the quarter. There's 3:46 left in the game and East has a 51-25 lead.

9:04 p.m. Bryant calls East calls a timeout while one of his players is under pressure. The Panthers have a 51-38 lead with 2:18 left.

9:13 p.m. We have a FINAL SCORE: East 57, McKinley 38.

---Keith McShea