Having played at such a high level all year, No. 2 Clymer managed to kick it up another notch against No. 3 North Collins in the Section VI Class D semifinal on Monday.

The Pirates started the game on a 15-0 run and closed the first quarter with a 30-2 lead on their way to a 61-35 semifinal victory over the third-seeded Eagles at the Physical Education Complex at Jamestown Community College.

“If you want to talk about getting out and playing some pretty perfect basketball,” Clymer head coach Irv King said about the Pirates start to the game. “We really made very few mistakes, knocked down a bunch of shots and we were ready to defend. It was about what I would say a perfect quarter in all aspects.”

Clymer (19-3) could do nothing wrong in the first quarter, whether it was its shooting, its rebounding on both ends of the floor or its smothering defense.

Clymer’s Jonathan Massing gets ready to go up for a basket between North Collins defenders Walter Ebersole, left, and Daniel Downes, right, during Monday’s Section VI Class D semifinal at the Physical Education Complex at Jamestown Community College. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“We came out as cold as ice in that first quarter,” North Collins head coach Jan Warren stated. “You saw what the score was. I can’t even remember whatever it was, it was so bad. They’re a good team, they’re not just five guys strong, they are seven guys strong. I don’t think we did a bad job in the second half, but in the first half we couldn’t throw a ball in the ocean.”

In a night where its offense was lights out, the Pirates’ defense was even better. North Collins (11-9) had no answer for the relentless pressure from Clymer as it struggled to even get shots toward the basket.

“That’s what we take pride in,” King said about Clymer’s defense. “I think when you look when we play teams all year, they know they’re in for it that night. We do a good job of matching up and challenging shots. My post players do an excellent job of rebounding. We don’t usually give up too many second chance baskets, but we really are a very good defensive team.”

Five different Pirates had a steal, and then when shots did get up, plenty came down in the hands of a Clymer player. Both Jonathan Massing and Dylan Michael grabbed 11 boards, while Austin White, Blake Kopta and Lucas Dunnewold each had four rebounds.

Like most nights, North Collins was led by its two star players, Matt Sweet and Derek Ebersole. The duo accounted for all but four of North Collins’ points. Sweet finished with 15 points and nine boards and Ebersole led with 16 points, five boards and two steals.

“We’re gonna miss Matt,” Warren said. “He’s a big part of our team and he’s an awesome kid. I hope whatever he does in his life that he gets the best that life has to offer because he’s an awesome kid. But we’ll have Derek back and a lot of them juniors, and our jayvee team was very good too.”

On a night where it had everything going, Clymer had three players reach double figures with Kopta scoring 18, Massing 13 and Kaden Becerink 10.

North Collins fought back to make it a closer game in the second half, but Clymer showed how deep its bench is as more players came on the court and gave the Eagles fits.

“I’ve got players sitting on the end of the bench that don’t get a lot of minutes,” King stated. “But they are excellent teammates, they’re at practice every night. They work just as hard as everybody else, so tonight was a gift. Nothing makes me happier than to get them on the floor.”

Clymer’s victory sets up a date in the finals with No. 4 Panama (15-6) on Friday at Jamestown Community College at 6 p.m. The Panthers advanced to the finals with a 47-36 victory over No. 1 Ellicottville prior to the Clymer and North Collins matchup.

“Well, we know them,” King said about Panama. “We’ve got a lot of work to do this week. We played them three times last year, we’ve seen them twice this year. We know them, they know us inside out.”

NORTH COLLINS (35)

DEbersole 7 1 16, JPagan 1 0 2, Sweet 5 3 15, Downes 0 0 0, Parnitzke 0 0 0, Quiter 0 0 0, WEbersole 0 0 0, Keen 0 0 0. Totals 14 4 35.

CLYMER (61)

Michael 1 4 6, White 3 0 8, MKopta 0 0 0, BKopta 7 1 18, Dunnewold 1 0 2, Beckerink 4 0 10, Massing 6 1 13, Mihalko 1 0 2, Mitchell 0 0 0, Shampoe 0 2 2, Oviatt 0 0 0, Buerk 0 0 0. Totals 23 8 61.

3-point goals–DEbersole, Sweet 2, White 2, BKopta 3, Beckerink 2.

North Collins 2 5 13 15 — 35

Clymer 30 10 9 12 — 61