Though bigger tests still lay ahead of them, the East Syracuse Minoa boys basketball team is taking the necessary steps in the season’s early stages to make its case as a Class A title contender.
The Spartans won its third game in a row last Tuesday night, when it hosted Fulton and, again led by Devin Mascato-Buffaloe, defeated the Red Raiders 63-54.
All through the first half, ESM’s defense frustrated Fulton, which allowed the Spartans to establish a 30-21 margin that would hold up quite well even as the pace picked up late.
Mascato-Buffaloe would finish with 21 points, with Nick Peterson working inside to earn 15 points. Jimmy Ferns finished with nine points and Naiche Cook got eight points as Matt Burchill-Wright had six points.
Off the rest of the week, ESM watched as Fayetteville-Manlius, whom it will face this Saturday afternoon, got its second win of the season last Friday, topping Chittenango 50-40.
Held to three points by the Bears in the first quarter, the Hornets sprang to life and led 21-18 by halftime, spending the rest of the game adding to that margin.
Luke Davidson finished with 12 points, just ahead of Charlie Gadsden, who earned 11 points. Ethan Page finished with seven points.
Following its own 1-1 start, Jamesville-DeWitt took on Cortland in Friday’s SCAC Empire division opener and jumped all over the Purple Tigers on the way to a 69-36 victory.
It was the Red Rams’ defense that settled matters, holding Cortland to just 13 points in the first half as it built a comfortable margin.
Payton Shumpert, with 18 points, and Preston Shumpert, with12 points, led J-D’s attack. Matt Cieplicki got eight points, with Nurw’ily Neal and Gunther Schnorr earning six points apiece.
Back on Tuesday night, Christian Brothers Academy hosted Cicero-North Syracuse and held on to defeat the Northstars 69-66 for its first victory of the season.
Both teams had started 0-2 with narrow defeats – CBA to Jamesville-DeWitt and Fayettteville-Manlius, C-NS to Rome Free Academy and Liverpool.
Playing in its home opener, the Brothers steadily built a 33-25 halftime lead and maintained that margin until the fourth quarter, when the Northstars made a furious charge.
To hang on, CBA needed Sam Haas to earn most of his 23 points from five 3-pointers, helped by Dan Anderson, who had 16 points, and Colin Kelly, who got 11 points. For C-NS, Brian Bonin worked his way to 18 points as Luke Paragon got 14 points and Grant Sennett had 13 points.
Manlius-Pebble Hill lost Friday to Weedsport 79-49, the Warriors going on a 26-9 run to build a 47-21 halftime edge. The Trojans still got 14 points from Isiah Clarry, 13 points from James Kelly and 11 points from Alex Abrams.
