Having started 3-0 in the comfortable confines of home, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team now traveled, to see if its good play would carry over.
As it turned out, the results would be mixed in its pair of trips, as the Northstars would win on the first try, but not on the second.
To start with, the Northstars faced a big test last Tuesday night, at West Genesee — and passed it, overcoming several offensive droughts to beat the Wildcats 57-52 in overtime.
Wanting to run, CNS instead found itself stuck in a half-court game of WG’s liking. At one point in the first half, the Northstars went more than seven minutes without a field goal.
By the early portion of the third quarter, CNS trailed by eight, 31-23, and needed someone to get hot.
Pat Corbin gladly accepted the burden. He poured in 10 points during that period, helping to make up most of the deficit, and the Northstars got further help when the Wildcats missed more than half their free throws.
The pace slowed again in the fourth quarter, but now it was the Northstars’ turn to play shut-down defense, limiting WG to one field goal for much of that period and going up, 48-45, on back-to-back jumpers by Laquan James.
But with 19 seconds left, Casey Reale, scoreless all night, hit a 3-pointer to tie it, 48-48, and when Sean Moonan’s game-winning 3-point attempt fell short, the two sides went to overtime.
Moonan would foul out, but CNS held serve until, with 1:37 left, Corbin struck again, a 3-pointer from the top of the key to break a 52-52 tie. In the last seconds, Corbin clinched it by making a steal and setting up Steve Jensen’s free throws.
In all, Corbin had 20 points, while Moonan got 11 points and James added 10 points. Chris Cruz (16 points) and Kevin Wadach (13 points) led WG’s attack.
Another steep road test came Sunday, when CNS went to the Glens Falls Civic Center (annual site of the state final four) to face Bishop Maginn, a Section II power from Albany.
Here, the Northstars would get caught and passed, as Maginn would lead most of the way and hand CNS a 70-60 defeat.
Steadily, Maginn built a 58-45 lead through three quarters, exploiting every possible flaw in the CNS defense.
Maginn also did a solid job defending Corbin, holding him to a season-low 12 points. James also finished on that number, with Moonan earning a team-best 15 points and Chad Armstrong adding eight points.
In between these trips, CNS came home on Friday and pummeled Oswego, building a a 70-26 lead through three quarters and breezing past the Buccaneers 84-39.
For the fourth time in five games, Corbin topped the 20-point mark, getting 26 on this night as he converted all four of his team’s successful 3-pointers. Jeff Falvey and Steve Jensen each had 10 points, while Craig Shannon earned eight points off the bench.
CNS took a 5-1 record into Tuesday’s game at Fowler. A bigger show looms on Friday night, when the Northstars host Henninger in an attempt to stop the high-powered frontcourt duo of David Simmons and Ben Cronin.
