ONONDAGA COUNTY – While it was already clear that the Baldwinsville boys basketball team’s degree of success would hinge on how well it played on defense, opponents might not have realized just how much this was the case.
Fayetteville-Manlius would discover it, though, in a memorable first half last Tuesday night where, on F-M’s own home court, the Bees put on an early defensive clinic that set the entire template for a 48-35 victory.
Still upset at allowing 75 points to Fulton in a lopsided defeat on Dec. 8, B’ville responded with a comprehensive shutdown that lingered throughout the first half.
All F-M managed was three points in the first quarter, and it wasn’t much better the rest of the half too, as the Bees, despite its own modest production, still produced a 23-11 halftime advantage.
And even when baskets started to fall for the Hornets in the second half, B’ville answered them, mostly in the form of a three-pronged attack.
Tyler Nilsen earned most of his 15 points from four 3-pointers. TeiShawn Wade and Matt Young both converted twice beyond the arc and each finished with 12 points as F-M didn’t get much aside from Chris Shanguhyia’s 20 points.
B’ville would look for a similar result Friday night when it hosted Rome Free Academy, but a second-quarter slump proved too much to overcome as the Black Knights prevailed 59-42.
All seemed fine early, the Bees leading 12-9 through one period, but then the shots stopped falling and B’ville was held to just two points the rest of the half.
RFA took full advantage, grabbing a 26-14 lead by halftime, and it nursed a double-digit margin most of the rest of the way, led by Deandre Neal’s 24 points and Uzziah Grimes’ 12 points.
Only Nick Hollingshead, with 11 points, hit double figures for B’ville, Wade adding eight points as Nilsen got seven points. Young and Ben Leaton earned six points apiece.
Having fallen to 2-2 on the season, the Bees host Central Square Tuesday before a Thursday-night trip to Oswego.
