For a while this season, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys basketball team did not have a full schedule. Only 17 slots were filled, and an 18th was needed.
A few weeks ago, that last game was found – and it was far from an easy mark.
The Red Rams, undefeated and atop the state Class A rankings, would meet Nichols, a powerhouse from the Buffalo area that featured 6-9 center Will Regan, who will be going to the University of Virginia.
Yet this challenge, like so many others in J-D’s dynastic run, would be met as the Red Rams, with a multi-pronged attack, beat the Vikings 71-66 Friday night at Onondaga Community College.
All the attention before the game centered on the match-up in the paint between Regan and J-D’s highly-touted sophomore center, DaJuan Coleman. Without Ray Canestro (broken finger) in the lineup, Regan had to do more.
Neither side did much in the game’s opening stages until J-D guard Demetrius Mitchell caught fire, getting nine points as the Rams, who would never trail, went on a 12-2 run to end the first quarter and go up 16-5.
As Regan got comfortable, Nichols picked up its offense in a big way during the second quarter, closing within 32-26 by the time they went to the break.
That margin remained steady until the early part of the fourth quarter, when J-D used a 10-2 spurt to push its margin to 57-42. Still, the Vikings would not back off, pulling within five, 61-56, with three minutes left, plenty of time.
Sure enough, Nichols hung close, pulled within three at 69-66, and had a 3-point shot to tie it in the final seconds, only to see Stan Wier (who had 14 points) miss.
Quickly fouled, Tyler Cavanaugh missed the front end of a one-and-one – but Mitchell got the rebound and was himself fouled. Mitchell hit both foul shots and clinched J-D’s latest big victory.
In that head-to-head duel inside, Coleman did not get overwhelmed, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds as Regan (25 points, 19 rebounds) proved superb.
With Nichols determined to keep Lamar Kearse (11 points) contained on the perimeter, Mitchell flourished, as he matched Coleman with 17 points as Cavanaugh put up 14 points. For the Vikings, Wier had 14 points, just ahead of Conner Vandergrief (13 points) and Andrew MacKinnon (12 points).
Before all this, the J-D girls team, donning pink socks to honor Coaches vs. Cancer, beat Fulton 54-33 to improve its record to 12-2 and stay at the top of the OHSL Freedom division.
It wasn’t that easy, though. The Red Raiders played the Red Rams to a 14-14 first-quarter tie, but as J-D’s defense tightened, it took charge. All Fulton managed was nine points in the second half.
Alyssa Gratien again led J-D’s effort, earning 19 points, including nine free throws and a pair of 3-pointers. Jessica Kramer contributed 13 points, while Theresa Hernandez put up 10 points.
When the boys Red Rams met Fulton Saturday night in yet another game at OCC, it proved scary for a while before J-D beat the Red Raiders 67-57.
Determined to slow the Rams down, Fulton claimed an 11-9 lead. That seemed to alert J-D, who seized the lead in the second quarter and outscored the Red Raiders 42-28 in those middle two periods.
Far from smooth, the Rams still had Coleman finish with 23 points as he controlled the paint. Kearse improved to 14 points, while Cavanaugh had 11 points. Mitchell had seven points and Jailaan Kinsey picked up six points. For Fulton, Max Ambuske had 15 points and Andrew Kush added 14 points.
Both teams play just once next week – the girls against Homer, the boys against Bishop Ludden.
