Already secure with its place in the Section III Class B playoffs, the Marcellus boys basketball team had a chance to make sure some of its neighbors didn’t get the same warm welcome.
The Mustangs hosted Jordan-Elbridge last Tuesday night. The Eagles entered the game 6-10, two wins away from a post-season berth, but Marcellus wouldn’t let them get closer here, prevailing in a tough 66-59 decision.
A high-scoring first quarter saw the Mustangs inch in front, and it maintained a slim 34-30 lead going into halftime. The third period proved pivotal as J-E scored plenty, but Marcellus still outdid them 22-15, creating a margin that proved too much for the Eagles to overcome.
Tom Fiacchi had his best performance in weeks for the Mustangs, hitting five 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 19 points. Nate Kellar connected four times beyond the arc on his way to 18 points, while Jerrod Gates got 13 points. Nick Femano had nine points and Ben Fedorenko earned seven points.
On J-E’s side, Dale Wagner and Mason Barrigar led a well-balanced attack, earning 14 points apiece. Close behind them, Austin Cassick earned six of his 12 points at the free-throw line as Dominic Walborn had nine points and Colin Barrigar earned six points from a pair of 3-pointers.
Though its playoff hopes had dimmed, Solvay would gain a big highlight last Tuesday night when it traveled to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown last Tuesday night and dominated from start to finish in a 72-35 romp of the Rebels.
Hot shooting in the first quarter created a 24-7 edge for the Bearcats, and it kept growing from there, ultimately to a 60-24 lead through three periods. All 10 Solvay players that saw action got at least one point.
At the forefront, Shawn Edwards and Alex Britton had 14 points apiece. Just behind them, Brady Preble earned 13 points, while Jake Dippold, usually the leading scorer, settled for 12 points this time around.
This was the first of four games in five days for Solvay. Against Hannibal on Wednesday, the Bearcats prevailed again, 53-49, in a tight contest where neither side could make any sort of sustained run.
During the third quarter, Solvay went in front, and then held on thanks to another big night from Dippold, whose 24 points included three 3-pointers and a breakaway dunk. Help came from Preble, who had eight points, and Edwards, who had seven points. For Hannibal, Andrew Wheeler led with 16 points.
Snowed out of Friday’s game at Phoenix, Solvay would face Pulaski on Saturday and take a 57-42 defeat to the Blue Devils, who seized the lead in the second quarter and never got caught.
Only Dippold, with 14 points, hit double figures for Solvay as Edwards added seven points. For Pulaski, Lucas Denny and Jacob Mosher had 15 points apiece as Chris Kozlowski got 14 points and Noah Smith had 10 points.
J-E played later that night at South Jefferson, falling 60-52 in a game decided when South Jefferson outscored the Eagles 20-9 in the third quarter to build a 43-30 lead that the visitors could not overcome.
Wagner had 18 points, with Sam Feeney adding eight points as Aidan Carpenter and Mason Barrigar had seven points apiece. Jake Hess, with 18 points, and Andrew Estal, with 17 points, led the Spartans.
That loss meant the Eagles, at 6-12 (3-6 league), would need to beat both Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and Pulaski in order to secure a playoff spot.
