No one who watched the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team square off with Utica Proctor during the “More Than A Game” Holiday Classic last Saturday at SRC Arena would confuse this match-up with the last time those two teams got together.
Back then, it was in the Carrier Dome, with a Section III Class AA championship on the line, and despite a remarkable effort from the Northstars, the Raiders pulled it out to claim the sectional banner.
Now, though, it was just a C-NS squad trying to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat – and unable to do so, the Raiders steady and relentless on its way to beating the Northstars 60-45 in the opening round of the Pool C portion of the tournament.
For a brief while, C-NS hung close, only trailing 13-10 after one period. Then Proctor asserted itself on both ends, outscoring the Northstars 18-7 the rest of the half.
All through the second half, C-NS made the chase, but could not get close, seeing most of its production come from three sources – Steven Theetge and Brendan Gacek, with 12 points apiece, and Anthony Nesci, who added 11 points.
Facing them, the Raiders turned to its big front line to dominate. Tyvon Reed did so, working in the paint to earn 16 points, while Denvil Brown managed 14 points and Jalen Hawkins added 12 points.
Perhaps C-NS could take consolation from the fact that, in Pool C, it would meet, in Sunday night’s consolation round, a Corcoran side tired from dropping an 88-86, double-overtime decision to West Genesee the night before.
But even that didn’t work out, as the Northstars fell, 61-54, to the Cougars. From the time Corcoran took a 19-11 first-quarter lead, C-NS found itself again in catch-up mode, able to put together baskets, but not enough of them to pull back even.
Gacek still had 15 points and five rebounds, with Theetge adding 10 points and three rebounds. Nick Antonello (nine points) and Devin Turrell (eight points) also got to double figures in front of Nesci, who got six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Corcoran’s Marquis Gilbert led all scorers with 20 points.
C-NS now would look to break a six-game skid when the season resumed Tuesday, at Central Square, before it hosted West Genesee on Friday night.
