Prevented from a head-to-head showdown by the first big winter storm of the season, the Cazenovia and Chittenango boys basketball teams resumed action later in the week – and both proved successful.
The Lakers and Bears were supposed to meet last Tuesday at Buckley Gym. When that got snowed out, the teams had to move on to other OHSL Liberty division foes.
In Cazenovia’s case, that meant a trip last Friday night to Mexico, where again its offense would hit some lulls, but the defense made up for it until a late surge produced a 48-38 victory over the Tigers.
Though the Lakers held Mexico to six points in the first quarter, it still saw the Tigers tie it 21-21 by halftime. And Cazenovia stayed cold early in the second half, saved only by a defense that made sure Mexico didn’t build any sort of lead.
Then, in the final period, some shots started to fall and the Lakers closed on a 21-9 run. Kevin Stalder and Drew Johnson both hit on key free throws and finished with 15 points apiece as Matt Regan chimed in with 11 points.
Back home, Chittenango was facing Phoenix, and a strong first half, plus a hot hand from guard Dylan Voutsinas, was all the Bears needed to put away the Firebirds 65-45.
Like so many of Chittenango’s other foes, Phoenix was bent on containing Zach Falkenburg, but even that didn’t work too well as Falkenburg produced 16 points.
The real story was how Voutsinas kept getting open – and kept hitting, to the tune of a career-best six 3-pointers that accounted for most of his team-high 19 points.
Most of those were in the early stages as the Bears bolted to a 21-7 lead through one quarter and extended that margin to 40-17 by halftime. Helping Voutsinas and Falkenburg, Paul Wood chimed in with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
And this sets up Chittenango’s biggest test of all – namely, Tuesday’s rematch of last March’s Section III Class B final with reigning state champion Westhill, who has started 6-0 this winter and is no. 2 in the state rankings.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia (3-3) would meet Canastota Wednesday in a non-league game before a Laker showdown with Skaneateles on Friday night.
