One more rush of basketball games for Oneida and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill marked the days leading up to the holiday break.
They all played Tuesday night – but only the boys Indians came out on top, needing to work hard to beat back the Clinton Warriors 71-60.
Other than an early 5-4 deficit, Oneida never trailed, battling its way to a 20-15 lead by the end of the first quarter and remaining steady until it went to the break ahead 35-29.
Oneida then outscored Clinton (who is leaving the Tri-Valley League at the end of the spring season) 20-9 in the third period to assume full control.
Kyle Peck’s hot start continued as he led with 18 points. Benn DeRocker had 13 points, while Keith Johnson poured in 12 points and Mitch DuBois earned eight points. Sean Butler had six points. Luke Tantillo led Clinton with 15 points.
As the Indians improved to 3-1, Vernon-Verona Sherrill fell to 1-2, the result of a 75-60 defeat to the Whitesboro Warriors where the Red Devils started great, but could not keep it up.
Against the bigger and stronger Whitesboro squad, VVS played at a fast pace in the first half – and it worked, the lead growing until, at the half, the Red Devils could savor a 40-33 advantage.
Unfazed, Whitesboro started pounding inside to Ryan Watson (who had 21 points) and, when VVS closed in, kicked it out to Bradee Holtslag, whose 19 points included four 3-pointers. All told, the Warriors outscored the Red Devils 41-20 the rest of the way.
In defeat, Joe Spinella led VVS with 17 points, while Isaac Pitman got 11 points. Andrew Kane (nine points), Brett Field (eight points) and Matt Silker (seven points) all came close to double figures.
The VVS girls, fresh from withstanding the 48-point barrage of Camden’s Lindsay Jones for its first win on Dec. 17, never got close against Whitesboro as the Warriors, by a 68-35 margin, improved to 5-0 on the season.
Held to four points in the second quarter, the Red Devils watched as Whitesboro drew clear, led by the inside domination of Allie Cady (19 points) and Francesca Cotrupe (18 points). Codie Bayeur, with 10 points, led VVS as Sharon St. Louis added six points.
Oneida, meanwhile, fell to Clinton 59-46. For a half, the Indians stayed within sight, only trailing 27-24 at the break, but the host Warriors held Oneida to eight points in the third quarter and began to get away.
Jenna Didio accounted for nearly half the Indians’ offense, earning 20 points, while Abby McNichol finished with 10 points and Jaclyn Cavanaugh added six points. Clinton featured Samantha Ziemba, with 19 points, and Kate Thompson, who threw in 15 points.
