Sophomore breaks Section V record with incredible 3-point shooting night
The closer Josh Harter came to the Section V 3-point record, the louder Avon's gym became.
Harter hit his record-tying and record-breaking 3s in the corner along Avon's bench. His 14th trey hit nothing but net, causing the Braves' bench to erupt after the sophomore clinched the Section V record and crept closer to the state mark Tuesday night.
"I really didn't know how many I had, though, to be honest, but the last one was the most memorable," Harter said.
Harter dropped 42 points for a new career-high. Avon coach Rob Fries said it may have been the first 40-point performance during his tenure. Witnessing Connor Taylor's quadruple-double in 2018 came to mind, but Harter's 3-point array was different.
"The whole crowd — the way everyone was into the game — was pretty wild," Fries said.
Josh Harter by the numbers
4:13 — time remaining in the fourth quarter when Harter hit his 14th 3-pointer to set a new Section V record.
4.4 — seconds remaining in the third quarter when the ball left Harter's fingers for his 12th 3-pointer.
88-57 — final score of Avon's win over Mount Morris (7-4), which was riding a four-game winning streak.
22 — seconds into the game when Harter made his first 3-pointer. It was the game's opening basket. He hit two 3s in the first minute.
6 — corner 3s made by Harter on his record-setting night. He made six more from the wing and two at the top of the key.
25 — 3-point attempts number of 3s Harter made in the first quarter, and again in the third. He made seven 3s each half.
8 — number of assists Harter dished out in the 31-point win.
20 — Harter's previous career-high in points when he made five 3s in a Dec. 8 win over Livonia.
10-2 — Avon's record through 12 games. The Braves have won six of their last seven games, and are three-time Section V champions.
Scoreboard:Section V boys basketball scores for the 2022-23 season
Family affair
Harter's father and uncle witnessed the milestone from the stands.
Josh Harter Sr., a Mount Morris grad, watched his son's breakout performance against his alma mater. The elder Harter is a coach who runs Competitive Edge Basketball Training in Livingston County. Father and son train together a lot.
"He's a gym rat. He's worked on his shot his whole life. Josh has played forever," Fries said. "He's so consistent with his shot. It's the same shot every time."
During Tuesday's Livingston County contest, Harter made two 3s in the first two possessions, had five through the first quarter, and seven by halftime. Harter's third quarter buzzer beater was his 12th trey of the game. He concluded the fourth with two 3-pointers.
"They weren't really guarding me so I started off hot," Harter said.
Avon has balanced lineup
The 3-point record Harter broke wasn't even 3 years old.
The previous Section V mark was held by Ryan Garwood, who made 13 on Jan. 23, 2020 for Northstar Christian to claim a record his father once owned. Harter was one shy of the state record set by Coleman Catholic's Austin Uhl (Section IX), who made 15 in 2016.
"I've been part of some wild moments and big games, but nothing record-breaking like this," Fries said.
Avon players Hudson Volpe, Michael Rowlands, Lee Hartke and cousin Trevor Stroud all have traded outstanding performances. Tuesday they worked together to get Harter open shots.
"I'm really happy for Josh and I'm proud of him, but a lot of our guys are capable of big moments," Fries said.
Harter soaked in the night celebrating with the team and family, taking phone calls and thanking people for their support. But ever since waking up, Harter and his Braves have moved on to preparing to host LeRoy on Friday.
"We celebrate the big moments like last night, then we shift our focus on how to beat LeRoy on Friday," Fries said.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Avon's Josh Harter sets Section V basketball record for 3s in a game
