In fact, the Bears played one of their worst games of the season.

But it was good enough to advance to the championship game of the Frewsburg Holiday Tournament.

Freshman Jadyn Trocki scored a game-high 19 points, including Frewsburg’s first 11 of the game, as the Bears beat Westfield 54-30 in a matchup of state-ranked Class C teams at Frewsburg Middle/High School.

The victory sent the hosts into a championship tilt with Lockport at 6 p.m. today. The Lions beat Salamanca 43-41 in the first game of the tournament.

Westfield’s Tanleigh Bestine drives past Frewsburg’s Taytum Jimerson during the opening round of the Frewsburg Holiday Tournament on Thursday at Frewsburg Middle/High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Frewsburg, ranked No. 3 by the New York State Sportswriters Association, jumped ahead of Westfield 11-2 midway through the first quarter and led 13-5 at the end of the period.

The Wolverines, ranked No. 19 in the state, went just 1 of 8 from the field and turned the ball over 10 times in the opening eight minutes.

The Bears maintained a 29-17 lead at halftime and methodically pulled away in the second half, despite not playing their best ball of the season.

Frewsburg led 43-28 after three quarters before Westfield sophomore Olivia Wolfe scored the opening bucket of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, that was the Wolverines’ final field goal as they went 1 for 11 from the floor and turned the ball over six times in the final eight minutes.

For the game, Westfield turned the ball over 29 times, which led to 18 points for the Bears.

Trocki had eight steals, six assists and four rebounds to go along with her 19 points, while junior Ava Jimerson had 8 points, nine rebounds and three steals; and senior Paige Whippo had 8 points and six rebounds for the Bears. Junior Taytum Jimerson chipped in five assists and four steals.

Senior Tanleigh Bestine led the Wolverines with 16 points and six rebounds.

Lockport never trailed in the opening game, but Salamanca stayed close throughout.

Junior Azriel Hall scored 12 of the Lions’ 14 points in the first quarter as they led by nine after eight minutes. Four players scored for the Warriors in the second quarter as they kept it a five-point game at halftime.

In the third quarter, Lockport’s lead grew to its largest of the game when sophomore Emma Buzak hit her second 3-pointer of the period to make it 30-18.

But Salamanca rallied in the fourth quarter. Hall scored early to make it 34-22, but Warriors sophomore Leilene McComber scored back-to-back baskets around a bucket from Buzak to keep it an eight-point game. Salamanca sophomore Makenzie Crouse followed with a pair of free throws and Karina Crouse added a free throw of her own before another Buzak basket made it 38-29.

Warriors senior Lezly McComber then converted a three-point play to make it 38-32 with 3:34 remaining, junior Skyla Dowdy made it 38-34 with 2:37 left and Makenzie Crouse made it 38-36 with 1:32 remaining.

Hall stopped the run with a basket, but Makenzie Crouse added a three-point play of her own to make it a one-point game with 1:03 left, but Salamanca turned it over on its next three possessions and Hall put the game away with three free throws for the Lions.

Hall finished with a game-high 23 points, while Buzak added 13 for Lockport.

Makenzie Crouse finished with a team-high 15 points for Salamanca, which was ranked No. 20 in Class B at the start of the week.

NOTES: Frewsburg shot 25 of 61 (41%) from the field, including 3 of 17 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 16 times. … Westfield shot 11 of 39 (28.2%) from the field, including 1 of 13 from 3-point range. … Lockport shot 15 of 36 (41.7%) from the field, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 24 times. … Salamanca shot 16 of 58 (27.6%) from the field, including 0 of 16 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 18 times. … Westfield beat Frewsburg 26-21 in their jayvee game as Arielle Corbett scored 9 points for the Wolverines and Jaden Jimerson scored 13 points for the Bears. … Salamanca beat Lockport 53-44 in their jayvee game as Maliyah Foster scored 23 points for the Warriors.

GAME 1

LOCKPORT (43)

Buzak 4 3 13, Velia 1 0 2, Myles 0 1 1, Lee 2 0 4, Bidek 0 0 0, Hall 8 7 23, Anterline 0 0 0. Totals 15 11 43.

SALAMANCA (41)

KCrouse 1 1 3, MCrouse 5 5 15, Dowdy 2 0 4, LeiMcComber 3 0 6, Wolfe 1 1 3, Lafferty 1 1 3, LezMcComber 1 1 3, John 2 0 4, Ross 0 0 0. Totals 16 9 41.

3-point goals–Buzak 2.

Lockport 14 8 10 11 — 43

Salamanca 5 12 5 19 — 41

Jayvees: Salamanca won 53-44.

GAME 2

WESTFIELD (30)

SWolfe 0 0 0, Hotchkiss 1 0 2, Bestine 4 7 16, OWolfe 2 0 4, Ottey 1 0 2, Schumaker 2 0 4, Gnadzinski 1 0 2, Nollinger 0 0 0. Totals 11 7 30.

FREWSBURG (54)

JTrocki 8 1 19, TTrocki 3 0 7, Conlan 3 0 6, TJimerson 1 0 2, Golab 0 0 0, Harvey 2 0 4, AJimerson 4 0 8, Whippo 4 0 8. Totals 25 1 54.

3-point goals–Bestine, JTrocki 2, TTrocki.

Westfield 5 12 11 2 — 30

Frewsburg 13 16 14 11 — 54

Jayvees: Westfield won 26-21.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News
• Obituaries

Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

• Yes
• No