Even on its home court and in its own Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, the Chittenango boys basketball team could not find much refuge, settling for a third-place finish.
That stemmed from last Monday night’s opening round, when the Bears’ offense again struggled to get moving in a 43-40 loss to Waterloo, from the Section V ranks.
Chittenango’s strong defense in the first half helped produce a 19-11 edge. However, Waterloo adjusted and moved out in front by the late stages, then held on to win.
Cavanaugh Chaires finished with 13 points, as Andy Moth had 10 points and Chris Greene finished with seven points.
In the other opening-round game, Bishop Grimes held Canastota to just seven points in the entire second half and beat the Raiders 61-30.
Thus, the Bears would face Canastota in Tuesday’s consolation game, and would get third place — though it would need overtime to get past the Raiders 55-47.
Solid defense allowed Chittenango to grab a 24-14 halftime edge, but Canastota came all the way back in the second half behind Pat Micaroni, who hit five 3-pointers on his way to 16 points, and Nick Marji, who added 15 points.
Tied 42-42 at the end of regulation, the Bears recovered long enough to dominate the OT session, outscoring the Raiders 13-5.
Brendan Galek and Mike Major both stepped up for Chittenango, as they earned 16 points apiece. Chaires added seven points, with Mike Moon getting six points.
Bishop Grimes routed Waterloo 73-44 in the title game. The Cobras’ Mike Stone earned tournament MVP honors, with Major, Marji and Grimes’ Steve Dillmore gaining spots on the All-Tournament team. The Bears (3-5) are set to meet Fabius-Pompey on Saturday, weather permitting.
