Now the Oneida boys basketball team can rightfully boast of itself as Tri-Valley League West regular-season champions.
The Indians clinched that mark on Friday night, in front of the home folks, when it flew past New Hartford 69-56 and improved to 11-2 in league play (15-4 overall), all behind one of its most balanced efforts of the season.
Perhaps unsettled by some early nerves, Oneida trailed 17-15 after the first quarter, only to turn it around by outscoring the Spartans 20-9 the rest of the half to move in front for good.
This fun continued in the third quarter. Overall, the Indians beat the Spartans 43-22 in those middle two periods, and did so without leaning on any single player.
Wade Kline still led the way, earning a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Joe McCormick had 10 points, while David Cieri earned nine points. This allowed Ryan Kramer (eight points) to relax a bit, as Brandon Miles stepped up for seven points. Trevor Callahan led New Hartford with 16 points.