All of a sudden, a rash of inconsistency has permeated the Bishop Grimes boys basketball team as it crossed the midway point of the regular season, the Cobras clicking one night, and then looking totally out of sorts the next.
Hosting Marcellus last Tuesday night, the Cobras leaned to its inside-outside approach, with ample rewards as it defeated the Mustangs 64-55.
Grimes played at a fast tempo in the first half and established its winning margin, steadily building a 41-32 lead. Then it held Marcellus to eight points in the third quarter, extending the edge to 54-40, and had a cushion against the Mustangs’ late push.
Inside, Jon Carnegie had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Tom Steinberg managed 12 points. Outside, Casey Evans, cold for much of the Westhill loss, hit on three 3-pointers, produced a team-high 15 points and dished out 11 assists. Ryan Gosson added six points.
Two nights later, at Skaneateles, the situation completely reversed itself. Grimes slumped badly at the outset and never recovered in a 64-45 loss to the Lakers.
Eager to get a quality win against a big-name opponent, Skaneateles (6-4 entering the contest) had no trouble converting baskets in the first quarter, streaking to a 22-12 lead.
The Lakers’ pace cooled off, but the Cobras could not take full advantage, instead seeing the deficit grow during the game’s middle stages. Cold shooting prevented any sort of comeback, as Grimes made just two 3-pointers, one each from Connor Evans and Casey Evans.
For the night, Steinberg and Connor Evans each got 10 points, with Casey Evans managing nine points and Carnegie earning eight points. Skaneateles, meanwhile, saw Collin Jones post a career-best 19 points, along with 10 rebounds, while Chris Knupp (13 points, 10 rebounds) also earned a double-double.
As this went on, East Syracuse-Minoa, coming off its Jan. 4 defeat to Jamesville-DeWitt, could not rebound last Tuesday night, falling to undefeated, state Class A no. 13-ranked Cortland 56-37.
The timing of the game appeared right, as the Spartans hoped that the 9-0 Purple Tigers were looking ahead to its big showdown with Bishop Ludden later in the week.
But that was not the case. Other than a 17-point outburst in the second quarter, ESM found itself completely baffled by Cortland’s matchup zone defense, the low point coming in a third quarter where it got outscored, 18-2, by the Purple Tigers.
Only Sean Richardson, with 11 points, scored in double figures, with Jeff McDuffie adding nine points. Cortland was well-balanced as Isaiah Prior (13 points), Zach Whelan and Teddy Phillips (11 points each) led their efforts.
This put ESM back at the .500 mark (5-5) as it went to Homer Tuesday before hosting Fulton on Saturday, the day where the school’s 2013 class of Athletic Hall of Fame members are enshrined. Grimes (7-3) would be home Tuesday to face Jordan-Elbridge before a Thursday trip to Cazenovia.
