“It was a complete team win. I thought we had great energy (and) our effort was there,” Saranac Lake head coach Daryl Crist said. “This team has bought into each other. They had a goal all year to get the one seed and to get back to the championship game.

“The biggest thing with this team is that they’ve stuck with each other,” he added. “They care for each other, they play hard for each other. It’s really a complete team. The boys have worked hard every single day that we’ve asked them to.”

The Red Storm wasted no time going to work in this contest, jumping out to a 16-5 lead in the opening quarter. Saranac Lake was never really threatened the remainder of the way, as the team outscored Patriots in every single quarter.

The Red Storm’s Zack McCarthy led all scorers with 15 points, while his teammate, Mik Denkenberger, scored 14 points — most of which came from beyond the 3-point line.

Saranac Lake’s Mik Denkenberger looks to make a play during Monday’s Section VII, Class B semifinal game against AuSable Valley. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Caleb Akey, who leads the Red Storm in scoring this season, was held to just eight points, due to AuSable Valley playing what Crist described as a “junk defense,” in which a Patriots defender honed in on Akey to prevent him from scoring. The senior guard played more of play-making role in Monday’s contest.

“Our team is built on all 14 of us, so one guy doesn’t carry the responsibility of the team and Caleb did an excellent job of recognizing what was going on,” Crist said. “He didn’t force the issue and he made his teammates better. On a team, when you have teammates that give of themselves that’s what championships are made of.”

Brady Owens and Melvin Cirikovic added eight points each for the Red Storm. Cedar Rivers had six points, Dillon Wilson and Zack Goetz had four each and Sam Clark had two.

Hayden Bombard was the lone Patriots player in double figures. Bombard scored 11 points for AuSable Valley, which ended its season with a 2-19 record.

Saranac Lake, which is looking for its first boys basketball sectional title since 1998, will take on the Northeastern Clinton Cougars at the Clinton Community College Gymnasium at 11 a.m. Saturday. It’s the second straight season the Red Storm reached the Class B sectional title contest.

Saranac Lake’s Connor Gillis looks to make a play during Monday’s Section VII, Class B semifinal game against AuSable Valley. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

“(The boys are) very excited. They valued working hard and they valued what our team goals are all year,” Crist said. “They are just super excited and I’m super proud of them. Overcoming obstacles all year and I’m really looking forward to having these boys have another chance in the championship game.”

The Cougars advanced to the sectional championship with a 72-38 win over Saranac Central on Monday. In the lone match between the Red Storm and Northeastern Clinton this season, Saranac Lake defeated the Cougars 58-45.

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Saranac Lake 69, AuSable Valley 28

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Red Storm 16 12 26 15 — 69

Patriots 5 3 11 9 — 28

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Saranac Lake (69)

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McCarthy 5-5-15, Akey 2-3-8, Denkenberger 4-2-14, Cirikovic 4-0-8, Owens 4-0-8, Clark 1-0-2, Wilson 1-2-4, Goetz 2-0-4, Rivers 2-0-6, Lewis 0-0-0, Crist 0-0-0, Gillis 0-0-0, Martelle 0-0-0. Totals: 29-12-69.

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AuSable Valley (28)

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H. Bombard 4-0-11, Egglefield 1-0-3, Dupuis 2-0-4, Brown 1-0-2, Sucharzewski 1-0-3, Layer 1-0-3, Blaile 1-0-3, Amato 0-0-0, D. Bombard 0-0-0, Mcilwain 0-0-0, I. Bombard 0-0-0, Goodman 0-0-0-, Haywood 0-0-0. Totals: 11-0-28.

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3-point goals: Saranac Lake (7) Denkenberger 4, Rivers 2, Akey. AuSable Valley (6): H. Bombard 3, Egglefield, Lawyer, Blaile.