Truly in danger for the first time after seven straight double-digit victories to start the year, Coach Nick Bertrando called a timeout for his team to regroup. His team needed to fight to earn an eighth straight victory.

Senior point guard R.J. Koopman got the message.

On a Tuesday night during winter break, a day after a winter storm kept most of the region shuttered away inside their homes, SUNY Fredonia’s Dods Hall became the stage for an instant classic. Koopman led the Hillbillies back, including 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, as Fredonia defeated the Huskies 73-67 in a nonleague boys basketball contest.

“I love the energy. I flip a switch and just feel it,” Koopman said of his comfort level in the big moments of a game. “I feel the moment and it just comes out of me.”

Fredonia’s Graham Putney looks to make a move along the baseline while being guarded by a Harbor Creek (Pa.) defender during Tuesday’s nonleague boys basketball game at Fredonia State University’s Dods Hall. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

Koopman wasted no time getting his team back into it after the timeout. Despite being tightly guarded all game, with a mix of face guarding and double teams, Koopman took it upon himself to go straight through the defense for a layup, and picked up the foul to boot. The three-point play cut Fredonia’s deficit in half.

“Their defense is probably one of the best we’ll see all year,” Koopman said. “Bertrando brought up a play that we’ve been working on the whole time I’ve been in this program. I just decided to take it on myself and get downhill.”

After a 3-pointer from Harbor Creek extended the lead back to six points, Colin Luce hit a 3 of his own to answer. Later down by five, Koopman went right back to what worked out of the timeout — fearlessly attacking the defense for a layup. He made the first layup, then got fouled and split a pair of free throws on the next possession. Still, Fredonia (8-0) trailed by two points with a minute to go.

Then, it was Donovan Dowdy who stepped up in crunch time, knocking down a pair of free throws to even the score at 59-all with 24 seconds left to play.

Harbor Creek (7-4) had a chance to take the final shot, but Ryan Kelly’s help defense on a drive into the lane forced a missed layup. It was then Fredonia that had a final opportunity to win the game in regulation, but after a timeout with 3 seconds left followed by a foul to give, Graham Putney’s jump shot with 2 seconds left was too strong, and the game went to overtime.

In the extra period, Fredonia was dominant from the line. On what felt like every possession — as pointed out by Harbor Creek’s coaches — Fredonia drew a foul by going right at the Huskies defense. The Hillbillies scored 14 points in the extra period, including a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line. Half of those free throws came from Koopman, who also had the team’s only bucket from the field in overtime, coincidentally on a jumper from the free throw line. Four different Hillbillies went perfect from the line in the extra period — Koopman, Dowdy, Luce and Putney.

That same group of four players combined for 71 of Fredonia’s 73 points in the victory. Kelly had the other 2 points, but it was the two points he did not allow thanks to his defense on Harbor Creek’s final possession of regulation that stood out most.

“For these guys to be able to step up — not only in this type of environment, but against a really good team in a pretty good nonleague matchup here — was pretty impressive,” Bertrando said.

Koopman finished with 19 points and 10 assists in the win. Dowdy led the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds, and he also had five assists. Luce had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Putney had 12 points, including two 3-pointers.

“Having to battle a team that plays an extremely tough district in PA … and to gut out an overtime win, I’m extremely happy for these guys,” Bertrando said.

Up next for the Hillbillies is a showdown with the rival Dunkirk Marauders on Monday at Dunkirk High School. This year, the rivalry that Fredonia has dominated for the better part of the past decade is suddenly a must-see matchup for more than just the community ties. While Fredonia enters the game undefeated, Dunkirk has just one loss to its name entering the new year.

“I recognize everything associated with the specialness of this rivalry, but at the end of the day, we cannot approach it any differently than what we have and what we do for any other team in the league,” Bertrando said. “… You don’t want to ever leave a stone unturned. You don’t want to ever look back and say we didn’t prepare or handle it well, because of the caliber of the athletes and coaches in Division 1.”

Bertrando clearly got his message across to his team in more than just the timeout Tuesday, as his point guard is taking the same approach into Monday’s game.

“Our record doesn’t change anything,” Koopman said. “Every game we have the same mindset. It doesn’t matter if they are our rival, we’ll go in there with the same mindset we have all year.”

HARBOR CREEK (67)

Herman 2 2 8, Mozdy 8 0 21, Dameroll 2 0 4, Mudry 1 0 3, Bradley 1 1 3, Wagner 7 2 16, Delsandro 5 0 12. Totals 26 5 67.

FREDONIA (73)

Luce 6 3 17, Kelly 1 0 2, Dowdy 9 4 23, Putney 4 2 12, Koopman 5 9 19, Phillips 0 0 0, Cuthbert 0 0 0. Totals 25 18 73.

3-point goals–Herman 2, Mozdy 5, Mudry, Delsandro 2, Luce 2, Dowdy, Putney 2.

Harbor Creek 12 16 15 16 8 — 67

Fredonia 17 8 21 13 14 — 73