Baldwinsville’s boys basketball team hit the midway point of the regular season in vastly improved form, which means that a run at the post-season is quite realistic.
When it staged a fourth-quarter comeback and beat Corcoran, 69-63, in overtime Friday night, it was B’ville’s third consecutive victory, rising to the .500 mark (4-4) in the process.
Both sides were productive until the Bees hit a slump in the second quarter, allowing the Cougars to slip into a 30-25 halftime lead, something it maintained in the third period even as the pace picked up again.
But B’ville saved its best work for the fourth quarter. Showing more offensive balance than in recent game, the Bees outscored Corcoran 20-13 and forged a 58-58 tie.
Then, in the four-minute overtime period, B’ville moved ahead and stay there, again getting many different contributions.
Tim Marshall led with 19 points, one of four Bees in double figures. Kevin Drain and Ben Diorio each had 14 points, while Jayson Brower managed 12 points. Combined, Drain, Deorio and Brower made 23 free throws to aid in the victory as Mike Aiello finished with eight points.
The Bees hosted Rome Free Academy last Wednesday night, and broke open a close contest with a huge mid-game surge that led to a 75-44 romp over the Black Knights.
Neither side was productive until the second quarter. Then B’ville took off on a 22-8 the rest of the half as its defensive pressure led to Black Knights turnovers and easy baskets on the other end.
A wild third quarter saw RFA generate plenty of offense, but not do anything about the Bees’ 57-38 lead, which only grew larger in the homestretch.
Drain’s hot streak continued as he dominated in the paint, scoring 28 points. Marshall, with 10 points, led a supporting cast where Devyn McLeod earned eight points and Brower contributed seven points.
Each of the 10 B’ville players that saw action recorded at least one field goal. RFA, in defeat, got 19 points from Jeff Cooke and 16 points from Randy Pearson.
B’ville will get a chance to knock off a big-name foe Tuesday, when it hosts Cicero-North Syracuse prior to a Friday road trip to Utica Proctor.
