What a way to start the year.

In a game that featured buzzer-beating shots in the final moments of the second, third and fourth quarters, the third of which pushed the game into overtime, the Marauders sent their student section storming onto the court to celebrate a 56-52 victory in a nonleague boys basketball game at Dunkirk High School on Thursday night.

“It feels good. We worked hard all summer, in and out of the gym at 4 a.m., weight lifting at 8 a.m., it’s been one hell of a ride,” Dunkirk leading scorer Greg Orcutt Jr. said.

The two teams met twice last season, to open the season in Silver Creek, then again in Dunkirk during the final week of the regular season. The home team won each contest, and that result held nine months later.

OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Silver Creek’s Ray Cortes (52) brings the ball up court against Dunkirk in a nonleague boys basketball game at Dunkirk High School on Thursday night.

“It’s a tough place to play. Four of the last five years we’ve played Dunkirk, the home team has always won. We were hoping, obviously, to start a different trend tonight,” Silver Creek head coach Ralph Jackson said. “It was a loud crowd, a nice atmosphere, but unfortunately, it’s not how we want to start the season.”

Just as he did the last time the two teams met, Silver Creek’s Ray Cortes was the game’s dominant player, with another 35-point night in Dunkirk, just as he had a year ago. Of those 35 points, none were bigger than a put-back layup in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime at 47-all.

“Going into overtime, we liked where we were, getting that buzzer-beater in the final second to tie it up,” Jackson said.

But the game wasn’t just tight at the end of regulation, it was that way from the very beginning. A packed crowd that filled the bleachers throughout the Dunkirk gym was treated to a show from the opening tip.

“It feels good, because our guys worked so hard,” said Dunkirk head coach Sixto Rosario. “… The community, too, the Dunkirk community stepped in to help the program. It just feels good … It’s been a long time waiting.”

Orcutt said he threw up before the game because of his nerves, but you never would’ve known he had any bit of trepidation once the game began. Orcutt scored Chautauqua County’s first varsity boys basketball points of the season on a 3-pointer in the game’s first minute.

Silver Creek (0-1) scored 9 of the next 12 points for a 9-6 advantage, then pulled ahead 14-8 as Simon White banked in a 3-pointer for the largest advantage of the first half. Dunkirk (1-0) closed the period with five straight points to trail by a point after the opening frame.

Orcutt put the Marauders ahead in the second quarter with the first four points of the period, but the Black Knights responded as Cortes hit a pair of layups for a 19-17 lead. From there, the lead bounced back and forth with each bucket until Silver Creek separated itself with five straight for a 28-23 lead on a fast-break 3-pointer by Brady Eick. Dunkirk cut the lead back down to one possession, 28-26, on a 3-pointer by Jareese Gaines in the final seconds of the half.

Orcutt tied the score early in the third quarter, but Silver Creek didn’t trail in the period until the final two seconds ticked off the clock. After a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by K’Vion Tell, the Marauders carried a 37-36 lead into the final frame.

Then in the fourth quarter, it came down to the final seconds again.

After Orcutt hit a pair of free throws for a one-point lead, Tell split a pair to put Dunkirk ahead 47-45, with the shot clock turned off. Silver Creek got an open 3-pointer from Eick in the final seconds, but the shot missed. Cortes came to the rescue, however, as he later grabbed a rebound and put it back up and in for the equalizer with one second left on the clock. A Dunkirk timeout was not granted and the game advanced to overtime.

But after an early deadlock, the Marauders pulled away in the final minutes of the extra period.

Orcutt gave Dunkirk the lead in overtime with a shot over Cortes, then Tell extended the lead to 53-49 with a fast-break layup with 1:35 to go in overtime. After Sincere Sellers split a pair of free-throws, Malik McCall then sunk a pair, and Dunkirk began to celebrate. Cortes hit three of four free-throws in the final seconds, but Dunkirk held on to send a group of fans pouring onto the court to celebrate around Orcutt, as a large cutout photo of his face was held high above the joyous crowd.

“I love them. We’ve got one of the best student sections in the section,” Orcutt said. He noted the performance and the reaction from the fans “skyrocketed” his confidence moving forward.

“I’m just thankful to be here with the guys. I look forward to working with them … and hopefully we can put on another show for our fans here in Dunkirk,” Rosario said.

Dunkirk was led by Orcutt with 22 points, while Tell added 17 points. Gaines, McCall, and Sellers all added 5 points apiece, while varsity basketball newcomer Zachary Zentz, who was often tasked with guarding Cortes, added 2 points on a third-quarter jump shot.

“My teammates, I can’t do it without them,” Orcutt said. “… They come out here and they work. That’s what leads me to score. It was a great team win today and I can’t wait to continue the season with them.”

Cortes added 14 rebounds to go along with his game-high 35 points.

“Ray (Cortes) is big and he’s strong, and when he’s at the rim, he’s able to finish,” Jackson said.

White added 8 points and 12 rebounds for the Black Knights. The only other players to score for Silver Creek were Eick, with 5 points, and Jose Pratts, with 4 points.

NOTES: Dunkirk also won the junior varsity contest in another thrilling contest, 35-32, as Silver Creek had possession in the final seconds with a chance to tie the game on a last-second heave from beyond half-court. … Silver Creek plays Sherman on Tuesday in Silver Creek. … Dunkirk and Silver Creek will meet again next Friday, Dec. 8, in Silver Creek.

SILVER CREEK (52)

Galfo 0 0 0, League 0 0 0, Steinwachs 0 0 0, White 3 1 8, Eick 2 0 5, Pratts 2 0 4, Cortes 13 9 35.

DUNKIRK (56)

Tell 5 5 17, Gaines 2 0 5, McCall 1 3 5, Sellers 2 1 5, Orcutt 9 3 22, Krystofiak 0 0 0, Zentz 1 0 2. Totals 20 12 56.

3-point goals–White, Eick, Tell 2, Gaines, Orcutt.

Silver Creek 14 14 8 14 2 — 52

Dunkirk 13 13 11 10 9 — 56