While the Baldwinsville boys basketball team took an 81-70 home defeat to West Genesee Thursday night at the Baker High School gym, the game result was far from the most important aspect of this event.
Both B’ville and West Genesee teamed up for “Hoops For the Hospital”, a fund-raiser benefiting the Golisano Children’s Hospital. It was done in honor of Parker Hysick, the son of B’ville 8/9 modified Ron Hysick and a cousin to varsity player Devyn McLeod.
A second-grade student at Palmer Elementary, Parker was diagnosed with leukemia, but thanks to extensive treatments, he’s currently in remission, and joined his sister, Madison, at courtside for the game.
Each of the Bees and Wildcat varsity and JV players wore orange T-shirts during warm-ups, and the crowd that attended the game was encourages to wear orange, too.
Overall, more than $3,000 was raised for Golisano Children’s Hospital, and the great cause was accompanied by an entertaining game where B’ville was trying to halt its own skid and, at the same time, slow down a WG side off to a 3-0 start.
Inspired in the first quarter, B’ville made everything and roared to a 22-11 lead. Yet it could not sustain that pace, and the Wildcats made up the entire deficit during the second period, so the teams went to halftime in a 35-35 tie.
The third quarter proved pivotal, as WG continued to sift through the Bees’ defenses, steadily making its way to a 58-49 lead. And it would keep that margin down the stretch, despite some fine B’ville individual efforts.
Kevin Drain finished with 23 points, including four successful free throws. Jayson Brower and Tim Marshall each added 16 points.
WG put four players in double figures, though, as Mike Henry matched Drain’s 23 points and got ample support from Trevor Smith, who finished with 21 points. Shane Temara chimed in with 13 points as Phil Allen got 11 points.
