A lot of people that follow Genesee Region League basketball had Pembroke, Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame is a category all their own - top three teams in the league.
Well, you can throw Attica into the mix after the Blue Devils won a thriller at Pembroke, 52-48, proving that the team can move on from the Derek Wolfley era and be one of the better teams in the league.
Pembroke's Andrew Wright and Attica's Shawn Dupuis had six points apiece in the opening frame with the visiting squad holding a 14-9 lead after the first eight minutes of play.
But by halftime, Attica opened up a 10-point advantage because of some sloppy play by the Dragons. The score was 14-10 before Bryan Thompson scored two consecutive buckets to open things up a bit. This happened when Pembroke big men Andrew Wright and Ken Babcock were trying to avoid serious foul trouble.
The lead got as big as 12 points because Matt Sheffield and Tate Westermeier had back-to-back baskets.
Had Matt Phelps not gotten a steal and basket in the final seconds of the half, the Blue Devils would have been up 12 at the break.
With Sheffield in foul trouble in the third quarter, Pembroke got back in the game.
Wright had seven points in the third quarter and Babcock pitched in six, giving the Dragons a 38-37 lead by the end of the period.
Babcock scored in the first minute of the fourth to give Pembroke its biggest lead, 42-39.
Westermeier had consecutive baskets a few minutes later and the game wound up seeing Attica take a 45-43 lead. Babcock tied the game at 45 with a pair of free throws with 1 1/2 minutes left.
There was a confusing call just after that when it appeared Sheffield was called for a blocking call, and then it was overturned and the Blue Devils got the ball back.
Attica converted after getting another shot with the ball.
Shawn Dupuis was waving his hands in the air right in front of the Attica bench and he got the ball, knocking in a 3-pointer with just 48 seconds to go.
Pembroke missed a shot, then Attica turned the ball over on an over-and-back call.
When the Dragons tried to get the ball in the basket for a two--pointer, Dupuis came through again with a blocked shot. He was immediately fouled and hit a pair of free throws, giving Attica a 50-45 lead.
Pembroke's Matt Seward hit a running 3-pointer with just over two seconds on the clock, but Westermeier hit both foul shots at the other end to ice the victory.
Westermeier led all scorers with 20 points, with Thompson getting 16 and Dupuis adding 11 for the Blue Devils (2-2).
Babcock scored 17 points with Wright pitching in 14 for the Dragons.
