In the biggest home game of the season for the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team, Zach Coleman made absolutely sure that undefeated West Genesee did not stay that way.
Coleman tormented the Wildcats all through Friday night’s game, putting up 34 points, plus six rebounds and six blocks, in leading the Northstars to a 76-61 victory that put a halt to WG’s season-opening 11-game win streak.
“That was his best game,” said CNS head coach John Haas. “He’s been steady all season. But what he did tonight on a big stage was very impressive.”
For his part, Coleman said that, once some early shots fell, he just kept going. “Early on I felt like I could get open,” he said. “I was feeling it a little bit, and I just wanted to put on a show for the crowd.”
Indeed, the crowd nearly packed the bleachers at the CNS gymnasium, fans from both sides and loud, active student sections that traded playful banter all night in a game that, at the start of the season, did not appear to have that much appeal.
But then WG, under first-year head coach Fred Kent, had surprised everyone in Central New York with its 11-0 start, based mostly on the work of forward Eric Spencer, who was averaging 23.5 points per game.
To deal with him, CNS put in a 3-2 zone defense, constantly making sure that one or two defenders covered him everywhere he went in the paint. It eventually worked, as Spencer had six points in the first quarter, but none the rest of the half.
Meanwhile, Coleman steadily built his total – nine in the first period, eight more in the second period as the Northstars worked its way to a 36-28 halftime lead. Just as importantly, it was pushing the tempo and not letting the Wildcats get comfortable.
“Our trademark is half-court defense and rebounding, and we didn’t do that tonight,” said Kent. “We got outplayed, plain and simple.”
All through the second half, as CNS switched to man-to-man defense and caused even more trouble, Coleman continued to dominate, hitting on everything from outside shots to drives to the basket. He capped this masterful effort with a 3-pointer, just as the shot clock ran out, that made it 63-50 early in the fourth quarter and all but settled matters.
Part of Coleman’s effectiveness was that he didn’t have to work alone, even if CNS’s depth was hurt by an injury that sidelined key reserve Andrew Johnson. Elliott Boyce chimed in with 17 points, while Vaughndell Brantley earned 10 points. Spencer had to work hard for 14 points that he earned as Wildcat teammates Nick Wood (11 points) and Matt Naton (10 points) also hit double figures.
Now CNS heads for an even bigger game Tuesday night at Utica Proctor, who since losing 69-65 to the Northstars Dec. 17 in the Peppino’s Invitational has won 11 games in a row, including Friday night’s 66-48 romp over Henninger. The winner here might have the inside track to the top seed for the Section III Class AA playoffs, less than a month away.
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