They showed why on Thursday night.

After the first 3:30 was split evenly 4-4, the Warriors closed the final 4:30 of the first quarter on an 18-2 run to dash past the 12th-seeded Lewis J. Bennett Tigers. Salamanca earned a 74-55 victory in a Section VI Class B2 semifinal playoff game at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.

“It feels amazing,” said Salamanca senior Andy Herrick. “We were in this position last year, and to think that we got back here through all the hard work is really special. I’ve got that sense of desperation where I don’t want to go out without winning another one.”

The reigning Class C champion a year ago, Salamanca (20-2) built its lead on the strength of a 10-0 run over a two-minute stretch, beginning right after a timeout with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

Salamanca’s Avery Brown drives to the basket during Thursday’s Section VI Class B2 semifinal against Bennett at the Buffalo State Sports Arena. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

“Coach called a timeout and basically said ‘Alright, we’ve got a feel for the game, we’re gonna go now.’ … We took that out of the timeout and we were super aggressive, we played to our identity, and it worked out for us,” said Herrick.

By the end of the first quarter, the Warriors led 22-6.

“They’re poised and they’re confident,” Salamanca head coach Adam Bennett said of his team. “I thought that was a moment in the game where we played within ourselves. We were positionally correct, we didn’t get sped up by their athleticism or their press, and it allowed us to get some pretty good looks. We just have to play our game.”

Bennett (14-9) did its best to get back in the game, with a 12-3 run over the first 2:39 of the second quarter to cut the Salamanca lead to single digits, 25-18. But the Warriors answered with a 13-9 advantage the rest of the half to take a 38-27 lead into halftime.

“I’m proud of the way we started. We weren’t perfect, but we played hard and we played together for 32 minutes,” Bennett said.

Although the Tigers began the second quarter with a strong run, lightning did not strike twice.

Salamanca maintained a double-digit advantage for the entire third quarter. The Warriors extended the lead to 20 points, 63-43, just over a minute into the fourth quarter, and maintained a sizable lead for the rest of the contest.

Herrick led Salamanca with 21 points in the victory. Avery Brown and Lucus Brown each added 17 points in the win.

“It feels good because I know I’m helping my team win, but I’m not focused on my stats. As long as we win, I’m good,” Herrick said. “I’m happy I could contribute, but that’s not the most important thing to me.”

Salamanca’s victory on Thursday marks 14 straight wins for the Warriors. They also won three straight games twice prior to their latest streak.

“I’m proud of our kids. They have worked really hard and they deserve it,” Bennett said. “We played a tough schedule all year long and it prepared us for games like these.”

The Warriors now advance to the Class B2 championship game at noon Saturday at Buffalo State against No. 10 Fredonia, which beat No. 3 Newfane 53-49 in Thursday’s second semifinal.

BENNETT (55)

Lewis 5 2 12, Alston 1 0 2, Roseboro 1 2 5, Davis 2 3 8, Land 0 0 0, Wright 0 0 0, Fluker 2 0 4, Tarver 1 0 2, Land 1 1 4, Walker 1 0 2, Lucas 7 2 16, Covington 0 0 0, Oakes 0 0 0. Totals 21 10 55.

SALAMANCA (74)

JHerrick 0 0 0, Ross 2 0 4, Hoag 1 3 5, Isaac 2 1 5, Gilliman 0 0 0, ABrown 8 1 17, Galante 2 0 4, LBrown 6 4 17, Holleran 0 0 0, AHerrick 7 6 21, Austin 0 1 1, Tucker 0 0 0. Totals 28 16 74.

3-point goals–Roseboro, Davis, Land, LBrown, AHerrick.

Bennett 6 21 12 16 — 55

Salamanca 22 16 20 16 — 74