Lucus Brown made sure that his senior teammate and friend would not leave without a victory.

The slick-shooting junior guard poured in 35 points, including 20 in the second quarter, as the Warriors held off rival Randolph 59-48 on “Beat Cystic Fibrosis Night.”

The win — in the final regular-season game for both teams — improved Salamanca, the 12th-ranked Class B team in the state, to 18-2. The Cardinals, No. 16 in Class C, dropped to 16-4.

Unlike their first meeting on Dec. 16, which Randolph won with a big second-half rally, the Warriors held the lead virtually the entire game.

Randolph’s Drew Hind (3) defends Salamanca’s Lucus Brown (23) during Wednesday’s nonleague game in Salamanca. Photo by Levi Sponeybarger

Brown made sure of that.

After a slow start, the 6-foot-1 junior couldn’t miss in the second quarter as he drilled five 3-pointers, helping the hosts transform a 12-11 lead after one period into a 36-25 advantage at the break.

“He’s a 40-percent 3-point shooter, and he works harder than anybody. He’s in the gym two hours a day just working on his shot,” Salamanca coach Adam Bennett said. “We talk a lot about when he misses shots he has to have that shooter’s mentality that’s owed a bunch, and when the first three (3-pointers) went in and out, he just kind of had a look in his eyes like, ‘I’m going to go get it,’ and he did.”

In the second half — a defensive battle — the Cardinals closed to within 50-45 midway through the fourth quarter, but Brown’s 3-pointer from the corner — his sixth of the game with 1:45 remaining — pushed the lead back to 10 points, 57-47, and Randolph got no closer than nine the rest of the way.

“I think (Randolph) is a really good team, they’re well-coached and they’re an outstanding program,” Bennett said. “It’s hard to play against a team like that and it’s a rivalry game. For us, with all the emotion that went into tonight, for us to walk in and play the way we did, especially down the stretch defensively, I couldn’t be more proud.”

Salamanca’s Andy Herrick, right defends Randolph’s Drew Hind during Wednesday’s nonleague game in Salamanca. Photo by Levi Sponeybarger

In addition to Brown’s 35 points, Herrick scored 9 and Maddox Isaac chipped in 6 for the Warriors.

Drew Hind and Carson Conley led the Cardinals with 14 points apiece, Owen Nelson had 8 and Jaiden Huntington chipped in 6.

But beyond the game’s outcome, there was more to the matchup of Cattaraugus County neighbors than the final score.

With most of the crowd wearing purple T-shirts in support of cystic fibrosis awareness — Herrick has had the disease since birth — more than $1,000 was raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in his name, bringing the total the last five years to more than $10,000.

“We’re so appreciative,” Bennett said during a pregame ceremony. “Your money has made a difference. In that five years alone they have developed new medication that has allowed cystic fibrosis patients, like Andy, to live a more healthy and productive life, and this community has been so great every step of the way. It’s a big factor on why he’s been able to be so successful.”

Calling Herrick “quite simply the best human being I’ve ever met,” Bennett paid tribute to the 6-4 guard by announcing the retirement of the No. 30 jersey.

“I’ve known him almost 10 years and I’ve never heard him once complain,” Bennett added. “He’s the most coachable kid, he has worked so hard every day (despite) breathing treatments 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes at night, (plus) all the pills he takes to be with his teammates to put ourselves in a position to win.”

Herrick thanked the crowd for its “overwhelming support.”

“The future is bright for us, and as I look over the sea of purple, I’m beyond thankful for all of you and all of your support.”

RANDOLPH (48)

ONelson 2 2 8, Kelly 2 0 5, DHind 4 4 14, GNelson 0 1 1, Conley 5 3 14, Huntington 2 1 6. Totals 15 11 48.

SALAMANCA (59)

Ross 1 0 2, Isaac 2 2 6, ABrown 0 0 0, Galante 2 2 6, LBrown 11 7 35, Halleran 0 0 0, AHerrick 4 1 9. Totals 20 13 59.

3-point goals–ONelson 2, Kelly, DHind 2, Conley, Huntington, LBrown 6.

Randolph 11 14 8 15 — 48

Salamanca 12 24 11 12 — 59