When would the breakthrough for the Baldwinsville boys basketball team take place?

Coming off a narrow defeat to West Genesee in its Dec. 4 home opener, the Bees ventured to Cicero-North Syracuse last Tuesday night and led deep into the fourth quarter, only to see the Northstars rally and prevail, 62-58, in overtime.

B’ville was a far fresher team, since C-NS had played the night before, a long road trip to Rome Free Academy (where it won), and when the Bees outscored the Northstars 17-10 in the second quarter to take a 29-25 lead, things looked good.

Going to the final period, that margin remained the same, but C-NS wasn’t done. Down 42-37, it outscored the Bees 16-11 in those last eight minutes, getting it to OT, where it maintained that momentum and pulled it out.

B’ville lost despite 22 points from Jordan Fragale and 15 points and eight rebounds from Adam Seguin. No other player had more than Ryan Gell’s total of six points.

A.J. Nesci had much to do with the C-NS comeback getting 19 points, but also earning three rebounds, three steals and three assists, while Alex Gray piled up 14 rebounds to go with six points. Eric Bowen got 12 points, while Brendan Gacek had eight points and nine rebounds and Lorenzo Thompson added six points and nine rebounds.

Still seeking that elusive first win, B’ville hosted Auburn Friday night, with the Maroons coming off a lopsided defeat to Liverpool. Yet that didn’t help the Bees much as one disastrous quarter made the difference in a 65-50 defeat.

Throughout the first half, the two sides stayed close, and B’ville did grab a 27-25 edge going into intermission. But the third period turned it all around, Auburn getting hot from the field just as the Bees went into a prolonged slump.

By the time it was done, the run was 23-4, and the Maroons had a 48-31 lead that easily held up as Derek Taylor (20 points), Scott Minnoe (16 points) and Nasir Smith (10 points) led the visitors.

Fragale again led B’ville’s efforts, earning 13 points, five assists, three steals and four rebounds, while Seguin had nine points, six rebounds and four assists. Matt Dickman and Dominic Samoraj earned six points apiece.

Again, B’ville would seek that first victory this week with home games against Rome Free Academy Tuesday and Nottingham Friday before a Dec. 22 visit to Corcoran.