Waterford’s Weston Fairchild (10) pump-fakes as Fort Frye’s Kainan Bradford (24) defends during Tuesday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

WATERFORD – Junior Reese Lang tossed in 34 points Tuesday night to lead the Waterford Wildcats to a 63-42 win over the Fort Frye Cadets at the Harry W. Cooper Annex.

Lang knocked down seven three-pointers in the game as the Wildcats built a double-digit first quarter lead and never looked back as they secured the season sweep over their arch rivals for the first time since the 2021-2022 campaign.

After a slow start to the season the Wildcats have now won six of their last seven games and seem to be peaking at just the right time with the tournament only a couple of weeks away.

“These guys just keep coming in and working hard and grinding everyday and the results are showing,” said Waterford head coach D.J. Cunningham. “I wish I could take more credit for it but it’s the guys out on the court who are working extremely hard and doing their jobs day in and day out.”

Lang’s big night started early as he scored eight points in the first quarter as the Wildcats built a 17-6 lead.

Fort Frye’s Grady Hesson (22) attacks the basket as Waterford’s Avery Pottmeyer defends during Tuesday’s game at the Harry Cooper Annex. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

The Wildcats finished the first quarter on a 7-0 run and extended that to 10 when Lang knocked down a three-pointer to open the second quarter.

Grady Hesson put an end to the Wildcat run by knocking down a triple but Waterford responded with a 7-0 run sparked by a three-pointer from junior Gavin Heiner.

Fort Frye managed to cut the lead back to 15 on a triple by Caden Henniger but Lang brought the large crowd of Wildcat faithful to their feet by canning two more three-pointers in the closing minutes of the half to give the Wildcats a 33-12 lead at the break.

Lang finished the first half with 19 points including four from behind the arc.

“Reese (Lang) is determined and super-focused and really locked in for us right now,” said Cunningham. “He’s been a huge part of our success not only tonight but over these last several games.”

The Cadets were unable to cut into the Wildcat lead in the third quarter as the two teams both scored 13 points and Waterford maintained their 21-point cushion heading to the final quarter.

Fort Frye made a mini-run to begin the fourth quarter as buckets by Henniger and Grady Hesson cut the lead to 16 with just under six minutes to play in the game.

Weston Fairchild converted a pair of free throws before Henniger scored two more after grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back up and in.

Lang pretty much put an end to any hopes the Cadets had of a miracle comeback as he drilled his sixth and seventh triples of the game and the Wildcats cruised the rest of the way to improve their record to 8-9 after beginning the season 2-8.

Heiner joined Lang in double-figures for Waterford by finishing the game with a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Cunningham was pleased with the effort the 6-foot-5 inch Heiner has given his team of late.

“Gavin (Heiner) is one of those guys where just being on the floor he changes the dynamics of the game,” said Cunningham. “He’s able to score, he’s able to alter shots, he’s able to block shots, he’s able to rebound-he just does a little bit of everything and a lot of the things he does doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but without him out there we would be in trouble.”

Fairchild added eight points for the Wildcats who will remain home Wednesday when they host Eastern.

It’s the goal of every basketball team to be playing it’s best basketball late in the season and Cunningham feels like his team is doing just that.

“Last year at this time in the season we kind of hit a downhill track going into tournament time so I’m super proud of how the guys have responded after the rough start we had to the season,” said Cunningham. “They have just kept grinding and are really going after it and that’s exactly what we are wanting to see this time of year.”

The loss dropped the Cadets season mark to 8-9 in a season that has been riddled by injury after they got off to a 6-0 start.

Henniger led the way for the Fort with 17 points, including 14 in the second half while Hesson added 12.

Kainan Bradford added eight points and a team-high nine boards for Fort Frye who will host Ridgewood on Friday night.