Heading into the opening month of the schedule, Carlos Bradberry’s plan was to have Niagara Falls finish at .500 and build upward.
Even before a 56-51 win against Section V’s Victor on Dec. 1, the Wolverines experienced a different lay of the land than in recent seasons. For the first time since the 2005-06 season, Niagara Falls returned to independent status, which brought a different wrinkle.
By gaining approval to opt out of the Niagara Frontier League and still remain part of Section VI in May, the Wolverines could expand to face teams across Western New York and out of state. The new schedule, ultimately, was created with the end goal of preparing for the sectional Class AAA game and, hopefully, beyond in March.
With more on the horizon, the Wolverines have momentum.
Following Thursday’s 38-35 loss in a home matchup against reigning Maryland state champion Edmondson Westside, Niagara Falls is off to a 6-2 start, having won four of its last six contests. The latest win came in a 54-38 finish against Health Sciences Wednesday, a rematch of last season’s Class AA semifinal.
“We’re ahead of where I thought we would be and I think we can get a lot better,” said Bradberry on the first month. “But I think, defensively, we’re just really good right now. And I don’t think there’s too many teams in Western New York that hang their hat on defense like we do. We’re better than most defensively right now. We’re still a work in progress offensively, but, I think, our defense is what’s carrying us right now.”
An 81-51 loss at Bishop Timon on Dec. 9 in Buffalo sparked the change for the Wolverines as a whole. Just six days later, Niagara Falls responded with a 75-72 victory at Nichols, with junior guard Nick Estell scoring a career-high 33 points.
The win against the Vikings then led into Niagara Falls’ first road trip of the season in the BAM Winter Classic on Dec. 21-22 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Against Olympic, the Wolverines turned a 13-2 first-quarter deficit into a 65-53 win. One night later, against West Charlotte, the Wolverines had to erase a seven-point deficit with four minutes left with sophomore Tre Gayle drilling the game-winner 3-pointer for a 46-45 win in the final seconds.
Bradberry said the four-game road trip, especially the two in Charlotte, helped the team persevere through tight game situations and facing a “really physical brand” of basketball. Against West Charlotte, Bradberry said the Wolverines’ finish was another example of having a “bunch of guys who don’t want to lose.”
“It’s given us an early edge and we’re learning how to win games,” said Bradberry, whose Wolverines entered Thursday 4-0 in games decided by 10 or fewer points. “We learned, I think, how to come together and win in that second half (against Health Sciences). A big part of it is us facing some adversity down there.”
Estell said losing to Timon, where he scored a season-low six points, showed the entire Wolverines team where they were lacking on the floor. From the loss, Estell said the Wolverines now knew how to “play better” against aggressive teams like Health Sciences and while in Charlotte.
Estell, who scored a game-high 19 points against Health Sciences, described competing against the teams in Charlotte as a “dog fight.” Estell said the experience gained from defeating West Charlotte, who won the Class 3A state championship in 2022, and Olympic, who won the Class 4A crown in 2013, has increased the Wolverines’ confidence toward chasing their own postseason hardware.
“When we won, it showed our heart and we can play anywhere,” Estell said. “It doesn’t matter who stepped on the court, we’re always going to play hard, even if our shots aren’t falling. We’re going to play defense, guard up 90 feet, and just play our game.”
Following the contest against Edmondson Westside, Niagara Falls returns to action at 7:30 p.m. at McQuaid before competing in the 40th Burger King Classic on Jan. 5-6 at the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie, Pa.