CENTRAL NEW YORK – Eight days before Christmas, there was plenty of reason for basketball fans in Chittenango to feel holiday cheer – and more reasons to follow.
On the same night, the boys Bears solidified its status as a Class B title contender with a tough 53-49 win over visiting Westhill, while the girls, who were 1-3 on the season, went on the road and routed previously unbeaten Christian Brothers Academy 46-24
The boys game was, by far, Chittenango’s toughest test so far, and with consistent defense in the first half the Bears worked its way to a 33-23 edge by intermission.
But then it went cold, managing just five points in the third quarter. Westhill chipped away at the deficit and, midway through the fourth quarter, took its first lead of the night at 45-44.
Five lead changes followed as the sides went back and forth, but it was the defense that would save the Bears as it blanked the Warriors for nearly three minutes at game’s end.
Ryan Moesch tied it, 49-49, with a free throw before a defensive stop and then, with less than a minute left, Tyrus Kelly drove in for what proved to be the winning basket.
A last-second Warriors shot went off the rim and Ryan Moesch, with two free throws with 3.9 seconds left, clinched the victory. Alex Moesch led with 18 points as Kelly got 13 points and Bryce Bishop added 11 points.
As this went on, the Chitenango girls were expected to struggle against a CBA side that had sprinted to a 4-0 start, and once again its offense had plenty of first-half struggles.
Yet at the same time, the Brothers could not take full advantage, only leading 18-11 at halftime, and then in the third period it got just three points as the Bears worked its way in front.
What followed, in the final period, was a shooting barrage by Chittenango that produced a 24-3 run, and it was spread around several players, though Hailee Foran led with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Helping Foran out, Allison Soulier hit twice beyond the arc and got eight points, with Megan Kingsley and Maryanna Garcia also making 3-pointers and finishing with seven points apiece.
With a visit from Bishop Ludden pending on Wednesday, the Chittenango boys did not look ahead to it, romping past Homer 85-23 last Monday as Ryan Moesch gained 20 points, with Kelly (14 points), Alex Moesch (12 points) and Zane Bender (11 points) also hitting double figures.
Ludden, even having lost three in a row, appeared to be a major hurdle – but it was not as Chittenango ran over the Gaelic Kngihts from start to finish and roared to a 93-63 victory.
Helped by torrid outside shooting, the Bears amassed 34 points in the first quarter, led 58-37 by halftime and had an 81-48 margin through three quarters before the starters rested.
Three different players had 20-point outings. Kelly’s 25 points included five 3-pointers as Ryan and Alex Moesch both connected four times beyond the arc on their way to 22 points apiece. Bender added 10 points.
After it beat CBA, the Chittenango girls challenged undefeated Phoenix last Monday and put up quite a fight in a 49-42 defeat to the Firebirds. Foran had 18 points, with Avery Salce adding 11 points as Phoenix’s Ava Kuropatwinski also got 18 points, but had Sara Ruetsch and Alaynna Dashnaw help with 11 points apiece.
At Jordan-Elbridge two nights later, the Bears prevailed 47-34, using its depth quite well as 10 different players got at least one field goal and none had more than Alazayah Smith’s total of 10 points. Foran had eight points, with Salce getting seven points and Soulier six points.
