Amid a busy final week of the regular season, the Cazenovia boys basketball team had one great chance to improve on its three-win total.
That came in last Tuesday night’s trip to Phoenix, where the Lakers led big in the fourth quarter, only to see the Firebirds rally, force overtime, and eventually prevail 56-53.
Starting fast, Cazenovia bolted to a 15-6 first-quarter advantage. It then spent the next two periods playing solid defense and protecting that margin.
Yet the Lakers couldn’t pull away — and Phoenix caught fire in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cazenovia 23-12, nearly doubling its entire output in that period to tie it, 48-48.
Then, in four minutes of overtime, the Lakers managed just five points to Phoenix’s eight. Jon North keyed the Firebirds’ rally, his 24 points including four 3-pointers.
Amid Cazenovia’s balanced attack, Doyle Judge led with 12 points. Zack Golden had 11 points, with Eric Janovsky adding 10 points. Colin Hill got nine points and Max Kellish earned eight points.
Cazenovia will meet Westhill and Bishop Grimes on Friday and Saturday, respectively, to close out the regular season.
