CAMILLUS – A few bounces here and there, and the West Genesee boys basketball team would have total control of its growing rivalry with Liverpool and, by chance, also sit clearly on top of the Section III Class AA ranks.
Instead, the Wildcats are pondering what has gone wrong late in big games against the Warriors, a pattern that surfaced again last Friday night at home in a 64-59 overtime defeat.
WG was in control, up by 12 late late in the fourth quarter, but Liverpool wrested away that control, a result that, for many Wildcats fans on hand, harkened back to the Warriors’ rally from nine points down to snatch the Section III Class AA final 11 months ago.
What made it more painful was that the Warriors were not at full strength. Bruce Wingate was out, Liverpool missing its second-leading scorer and rebounder behind Andreo Ash.
And though WG did not have one of its key players, Gary McLane, in the lineup, either, it still had plenty on hand and threatened to blow out the Warriors early, going on a 19-2 run that bridged the first and second quarters.
Without a basket for nearly seven minutes, the Warriors maintained its patience and, in the third quarter, staged its first rally, an 18-5 push mostly led by Jah’Deuir Reese, who had eight points in that surge.
When Ash rebounded a missed free throw home early in the final period, Liverpool was within one, 41-40, only to see WG counter with an 11-0 run, eight straight points from Christian Amica followed by a Christian Cain 3-pointer.
Then, as he did in their Jan. 13 meeting (which also went to OT), Ash took charge, his six straight points cutting the Warriors’ 52-40 deficit in half in the span of less than a minute.
Gaining confidence, the Warriors smothered the Wildcats’ attack and, with baskets from Reese and Jeff Manuel, moved within two, 52-50, heading into the final minute of regulation.
Sincere Smith made it 54-50, only to have Manuel and Reese hit free throws. Then, down 54-52, instead of fouling the Warriors went for a steal – and Reese got it, converting a driving layup with nine seconds left to tie the game.
When Christian Cain’s 3-pointer went off the rim at the horn, the two sides were looking at OT again – but not only did Liverpool have all the momentum, both Amica and Jordan Cain had fouled out for the Wildcats.
Without them, and missing McLane, WG could only watch as Ash gave Liverpool its first lead of the night and Jason Lawler hit a big 3-pointer to make it 59-54. The Wildcats never got closer than three the rest of the way.
Christian Cain finished with 23 points, while Amica had 16 points before he fouled out and Smith had 10 points. Reese led Liverpool with 25 points as Ash got 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and OT.
Before all this, WG was challenged again by Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday night and, again, was able to withstand it, holding off the Hornets 62-54.
They were tied, 18-18, through one quarter, but the Wildcats held F-M to nine points in the second period to move out in front and then stayed there, even though Hornets star Trevor Roe burned them for 32 points.
Mostly, WG leaned on a three-pronged attack. Jordan Cain had 18 points, with Amica getting most of his 16 points through three 3-pointers and McLane adding 15 points.
Games early this week against Henninger and Nottingham give WG a chance to recover from the Liverpool loss and reassert its status before the start of the sectional playoffs.
