When last week’s action got underway, the Baldwinsville boys basketball team still was in control of how the Salt City Atheltic Conference Metro division race would turn out.
If the Bees won each of its last three regular-season games, it could do no worse than tie West Genesee for first place, but it could not afford any setbacks.
Yet that’s what happened Tuesday at Corcoran, B’ville now feeling the other end of a last-second decision in a season full of these kind of outcomes as it lost to the Cougars 66-64.
Having won 73-66 when these teams first met on Jan. 14, the Bees bolted out 24-15 in the rematch, only to have Corcoran make it all up before halftime and go in front 34-33.
From there, it was tight the rest of the way, and the game’s two main stars would have equally good efforts as J.J. Starling put in 28 points, with the Cougars’ DeJour Reaves matching him.
Clinging to a two-point lead, 64-62, B’ville was trying to run the clock down in the final minute when Corcoran’s D.J. Haynes stole it from Nate Ray and converted a layup on the other end to tie it with 23 seconds left.
Starling got the ball on the Bees’ ensuing possession, drove to the basket and had his shot blocked. A scramble ensued and the ball rolled out of bounds off a B’ville player.
Now the Cougars had a chance to win it. Reaves took the ball in the backcourt and initially intended to drive, but instead pulled up from 15 feet and buried a jumper just as the clock ran out.
Chase Trombley, with 13 points, and Bo Nicholson, with 11 points, supported Starling as Ray got seven points. Haynes had 16 points for Corcoran.
Back-to-back games followed, and more was at stake Thursday as B’ville had a chance to deny Fayetteville-Manlius a playoff spot.
It didn’t prove easy, but the Bees held off the Hornets 66-60, a game closer than the 67-55 decision B’ville earned when they had first met on Jan. 24, but with the same successful outcome.
All game long, the Bees’ attempts to draw clear were unsuccessful. On F-M’s side, Josh Michel had 18 points, with James Madill hitting five 3-pointers to account for all of his 15 points.
Up by 10 with five minutes left, the Bees were able to hang on as Starling had 25 points and Nicholson nearly matched him, earning 19 points, while Ben Bifulco hit a trio of 3-pointers for all of his nine points.
Then, against Henninger 24 hours later, it was time to honor B’ville’s seniors – and many of them put up sterling efforts to help the Bees beat the Black Knights 61-52.
Even though it was playing for the third time in four days, B’ville had plenty of energy from the outset and built a 38-28 halftime lead. Then it overcame a quiet third quarter to restore its margin down the stretch.
And it was a senior, Trombley, seizing the spotlight, leading the team for the first time in scoring as he got 23 points, more than half of it from four 3-pointers.
Starling earned seven of his 16 points at the free-throw line, with Nicholson contributing 10 points. Tong Mading and Evan Kelly led Henninger with 13 points apiece.
Having gone 12-3 in league play and 14-6 overall, the Bees would now wait until next Wednesday to find out who it would face in the Section III Class AA playoffs.
