Some losses hurt more than others.
That truth would especially apply to the Marcellus boys basketball team, who had last Tuesday’s game against Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central in hand – only to squander it and take a 70-68 defeat to the Eagles.
From the time it nearly doubled up ITC 19-10 in the first quarter, the Mustangs maintained control. The Eagles closed within 37-32 by halftime, but it appeared Marcellus was on its way when it stretched the lead to 60-48 by the time they reached the fourth quarter.
Then it all went wrong. Applying all-out pressure, ITC forced the Mustangs into a rash of turnovers, and with a series of baskets made up the entire deficit, sneaking out in front during the closing seconds, much to the home team’s dismay.
This came despite four Marcellus players scoring deep into double figures. Wyatt Stehle led with 17 points, with Jordan Bandera getting 16 points. Mike Dillon and Mike Hastings each had 14 points. For ITC, Rensey Chandler had 19 points, while Algernon Torrence (17 points) and James Walker (15 points) lay close behind.
And after all this, the Mustangs had to go up against defending Class B champion Westhill on Friday night, this after the Warriors’ game with Altmar-Parish-Williamstown on Wednesday night was postponed due to the massive snows that struck the APW area.
Staying undefeated, the Warriors beat Marcellus 75-50, breaking the game open in the second quarter when it outscored the Mustangs 26-7 to build a 43-19 halftime lead, after which it essentially cruised the rest of the way without falling into any real danger.
Jordan Roland stepped up again, earning 27 points to lead both sides. Tyler Reynolds had 17 points, while Brian Daily managed a career-best 14 points and Ryan Roland got six points. For Marcellus, Bandera again had 16 points, with Hastings contributing 15 points.
This followed, for the Warriors, a 64-49 victory over Community Health Academy on Dec. 7 in a game where Westhill head coach Kevin King matched wits with his own son, Michael, in a game that raised money for the family of Chris Collins, a 2000 Westhill graduate who passed away last year.
After a 20-8 first quarter, the Warriors maintained a steady margin on CHA the rest of the way while getting long minutes from its reserves. Jordan Roland still managed 18 points as Reynolds and Ryan Roland each had seven points. Chase Gedney, Mike Burton and Dan O’Connell got six points apiece.
Westhill didn’t have the only big victory on Friday night. Solvay, struggling with an 0-2 record, and snowed out of Wednesday’s game with Hannibal, managed to rise up from those struggles and knock off 5-0 Bishop Grimes 56-50 in overtime to break into the win column.
The Bearcats trailed, 20-17, at halftime, when it used a 15-9 push through the third quarter to move out in front. Though the Cobras rallied to tie it, 45-45, and force OT, Solvay regained control in the extra period and used a series of free throws to put it away.
Davis Kippen, with 17 points, led Solvay’s effort, with Cody Pucello close behind as he got 15 points. Tyler Cardinell added 11 points as, for Grimes, Tom Steinberg (12 points), Joe Arrigo (11 points) and Johnny Wike (10 points) hit double figures.
Jordan-Elbridge had just one game last week, when it went to Phoenix last Monday night and could not get much going in a 63-40 defeat to the Firebirds.
The Eagles kept up in the first quarter, only trailing 16-14. But Phoenix soon proved why its 2-0 start wasn’t a fluke, more than doubling J-E’s output, 35-16, over the course of the next two periods to pull clear.
Kyle Matousek finished with 11 points, while Brandon Macvicz, Ryan Cooper and Zach Wagner put up seven points apiece. Phoenix’s Dylan Doupe led both sides with 18 points. J-E was scheduled to play at APW on Friday night, but that, like Westhill’s game with the Rebels, was snowed out.
