When the Fayetteville-Manlius boys basketball team ventured west for last Friday’s game at Rush-Henrietta, it did so protecting a six-game win streak.
By the time the Hornets returned home, though, that streak was over, the Royal Comets thwarting a fierce rally in the final minutes to prevail 66-64.
All the way to the end, F-M fought hard, and John Schurman had an open 3-point look to win it as time ran out – but it bounced off the rim, and R-H had held on.
For a while, it looked like the win streak would continue. A fast-paced first half saw the two sides trade baskets. The Hornets handled the hostile atmosphere well, and by halftime F-M had slid into a 31-29 lead.
At one point in the third period, the Hornets led by eight, but a combination of the Royal Comets’ rebounding advantage and poor free-throw shooting helped R-H rally. For the night, F-M only went four-for-13 from the line, and watched Royal Comets forward Emett Peters pile up a game-high 28 points, plus 14 rebounds.
Trailing R-H by seven in the fourth quarter, the Hornets nearly made it back as it got late 3-pointers from Schurman, who finished with 24 points, and Louis Avellino, to pull within a basket.
Now it was the Royal Comets’ turn to miss a free throw, with seven seconds to play, and F-M worked the open look for Schurman, but it wouldn’t fall.
Other than Schurman, no Hornet player scored in double figures. Avellino and point guard Jake Wittig each had nine points, with Wittig dishing out 11 assists, while T.J. Wheatley had eight points and seven rebounds. Tomer Nesher also had eight points.
As the boys Hornets’ win streak ended, F-M’s girls returned from a two-week hiatus in a big way, rolling past visiting Utica Proctor 68-47 to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Unlike many teams that battle rust after a long layoff, the Hornets were sharp and focused from the start, dominating the first half on both ends and steadily building a 31-15 edge.
The rest of the game was spent nursing and building that comfortable lead, and mostly it was a two-player effort on the offensive end. Madison Beck picked up 19 points, while Lauren Getman finished with 18 points. Rachel Miller, with nine points, offered solid support as Erica Assimon and D’Jahi Patterson-Hicks managed six points apiece.
Both of the F-M sides would play a pair of city foes this week, taking on Corcoran Tuesday and Nottingham on Friday night.
