The Jamestown boys basketball team poses for a photo after defeating Niagara Falls in the Section VI Class AAA championship game Saturday at Buffalo State. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

BUFFALO — Jaydian Johnson and Carson Panebianco needed no reminding about the last time Jamestown played Niagara Falls in a Section VI championship basketball game.

Truth be told, they’d been thinking about it for two years.

Saturday night the pair of Jamestown seniors and their teammates got a measure of revenge as the top-seeded Red & Green pulled away in the fourth quarter to post a 63-49 victory over the No. 2 Wolverines in the Class AAA championship game at Buffalo State Sports Arena.

The win, which raised Jamestown’s record to 18-3, advances it into the Far West Regional at 7:45 p.m. this Friday against either Rush-Henrietta or Fairport of Section V at Gates-Chili High School in suburban Rochester. Niagara Falls, which defeated Jamestown by a point in the Class AA title game in 2023, finishes its season 11-9.

Johnson led the way for the hot-shooting Red & Green with 25 points, four rebounds and three steals; junior Elijah Farmer added 16 points, six boards, three blocks, two assists and two steals; and junior Dominic Gonzalez contributed 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Just as important was the poise and efficiency Jamestown displayed on the section’s biggest stage. For the game, the Red & Green shot 60% from the floor and collected 18 assists on 22 made baskets. Furthermore, Panebianco, who has battled injury and illness all season, was at his best despite not being 100%, finishing with 6 points, three rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Niagara Falls, meanwhile, was led by junior John Strong, who scored a game-high 29 points, but no other Wolverine had more than 7. As a team, Niagara Falls shot 42% from the floor.

Jamestown led by as many as eight points in the first half, but settled for a 31-27 advantage at the break, despite Johnson picking up his third foul with just under two minutes remaining.

Niagara Falls didn’t record its first field goal of the second half until the 1:55 mark of the third quarter, which allowed the Red Green to pad its lead to 43-35 by the end of the period. But the Wolverines closed to within four points twice in early stages of the fourth quarter with Johnson on the bench after being assessed his fourth foul.

Immediately after his return to the floor at the 5:24 mark, Johnson hit on a slick bank shot, and three minutes later he drilled a 3-pointer on a nice pass from Gonzalez that pushed Jamestown’s lead to 57-47 with under three minutes left in the game.

From there, the Red & Green were never threatened as Johnson connected on all four of his free throws in the final two minutes.

NOTES: Collectively, Jamestown’s quartet of Johnson, Farmer, Gonzalez and Panebianco shot 21 of 35 from the field. … Since the 1998-99 season, the Red & Green have captured 19 Erie County Interscholastic Conference Division 1 championships and nine sectional crowns, including the last two under head coach Billy Miley, who is 39-8 during that span. … In the March 2023 meeting with Niagara Falls at Buffalo State, Jamestown led 51-43 with five minutes remaining, but the Red & Green managed just one point the rest of the way and fell 53-52 in the Class AA title game, thanks to James Robinson’s free throw with 0.3 seconds remaining.

NIAGARA FALLS (49)

Strong 11 5 29, Shipp 0 0 0, Smith 3 1 7, Ralands 1 0 2, Gayle 1 2 5, Ferrell 0 0 0, Mctyere 0 0 0, Taylor 0 1 1, Porter 2 1 5, Totals 18 10 49.

JAMESTOWN (63)

Farmer 7 1 16, Gonzalez 5 2 12, GJohnson 1 0 2, Thagard 0 0 0, Panebianco 2 2 6, JJohnson 6 11 25, JJackson 1 0 2, Totals 22 16 63.

3-point goals — Strong 2, Gayle, Farmer, JJohnson 2.

Niagara Falls 14 13 8 14 — 49

Jamestown 15 16 12 20 — 63