Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans Showdown live blogging - Kendall/Medina

The Kendall/Medina game is close to starting and this is looking like it should be a great game. Medina looks like a confident team with some good athletes, while Kendall has superstar Josh Laureano. I have seen Laureano play a couple of times and he is the type of player that can take a game over. He might have to in this one. 8:11 p.m. - here we go.

8:26 p.m. - Medina jumped out to a big lead in a hurry, gaining a 9-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the opening frame. Big man Levi Pace stepped out and drained a 3-pointer and four consecutive foul shots by Brad Balcerzak helped the Mustangs take the big lead. But Laureano and the Eagles battled back. Laureano distributed the ball and Matt Driesel scored with an and-1 and Philip Kludt drained a 3-pointer. Colt Tooley hit a basket at the buzzer to cut the Medina lead to 15-11 after a period of play.

8:42 p.m. - Medina has a lot of tall, skinny players and should have a big lead in this game. But the Mustangs are missing easy shots in the paint and the Eagles are taking full advantage and lead 25-24 at halftime. After Tooley hit a trey for Kendall, Medina scored seven straight points, including four straight by Nick Peterson. With a 24-19 lead for Medina, Laureano hit his first basket of the game when he swished a 3-pointer to start a run. Chad Bentley had a put-back basket and Kludt made a steal and scored. Bentley had the last basket of the half to cap a nine point run by Kendall.

9:08 p.m. - Laureano was looking to score in the third quarter and did, getting seven points. But Medina regained the lead, 34-32, as the 6-foot-6 pace scored a basket and hit two free throws, with Nick Peterson also scoring. Medina's height advantage is starting to take a toll on the Eagles, who are no longer winning the battle on the boards like in the first half.

 9:30 p.m. - This game was a classic.

Pace and Laureano went head-to-head for the fourth quarter, with Pace scoring 12 of his 25 points and Laureano scoring 13 of of his game-high 27 points. 

Medina was holding a four point lead for most of the period but expanded it to 48-40 with two minutes left in the game. There was no doubt that Laureano was going to get the ball. He hit a 3-pointer, then a two to cut the deficit to just three points. Laureano then drove with 59 seconds left and drew the defenders. The then kicked the ball out to a wide open Bentley, who hit a 3-pointer to tie the game. Pace then scored at the other end with 35 seconds left. Kendall was blocked at the other end, but caused a turnover with the press and had the ball with 11 seconds left. Laureano worked the clock, but was blocked when he attempted a 3-pointer with two seconds left.

Final score - Medina 50, Kendall 48