Zooming to the midway point of its regular-season schedule, the Hamilton boys basketball team is finding all kinds of different ways to win. Just after Derrick Cenicola put up 70 combined points in wins over Waterville and New York Mills, the Emerald Knights featured its defense in last Monday’s game at Oriskany, leaning on it to beat the Redskins 47-42. With an 8-3 record, and playing at home, Oriskany offered up a real challenge to Hamilton, and the game would turn into a tight affair where neither side could make any kind of run in the first half. The Emerald Knights trailed, 24-23, at halftime, but didn’t get rattled. Instead, it used a three-pronged attack to seize a 41-37 edge by the end of the third quarter. Though the focus of much of the Redskins’ defensive attention, Cenicola still had 20 points, including three 3-pointers. Matt Broedel got open enough times to put in 12 points, while Josh Haswell stepped up in a big way, earning 11 points. Despite all this, Hamilton struggled for baskets in the fourth quarter. What saved the game, though, was a defense that proved just as stingy, holding Oriskany to just five points. For the game, just one Redskin player, Mike Gaglianese (13 points), hit double figures. With the win, Hamilton improved to 7-2 on the season, and will be home Thursday to face Rome Catholic.