All season long, the biggest flaw of the Baldwinsville boys basketball team turned out to be its inability to both start and finish well.
And just when it looked like the Bees would get a valuable win against Oswego last Tuesday night, it again got disappointed in the last seconds of a 67-66 loss to the Buccaneers.
What made it even more frustrating was the way B’ville had responded after falling behind 19-9 in the first quarter.
Over the course of the next two periods, the Bees had used its high-octane offense to eat into its deficit. With a 24-14 push through the third quarter, B’ville gained a 55-52 edge.
None of that mattered, though, as Oswego, getting production throughout its starting five, regained the lead in the latter stages and, somehow, held off the Bees in the waning seconds.
Kevin Drain, in defeat, produced 19 points, just ahead of Mike Aiello, who had 18 points, one of his best totals of the season. Jayson Brower got 12 points and Tim Marshall added 11 points, with Ben Diorio managing six points.
Oswego had five players score in double figures. Josh Gillard led the Bucs with 18 points, while Dustin Sands and Dylan Lavner each got 14 points. Zach Gillard and Ryan Lavner had 10 points apiece.
B’ville (5-11) visited struggling West Genesee just two nights later. Again, the Bees went to the fourth quarter and, again, it could not cling to that edge, falling to the Wildcats 69-67.
Marshall really stepped up in this game, earning 28 points, including three 3-pointers. He helped B’ville go in front 21-15 in the first quarter, and little changed through the game’s middle stages, even if the Bees’ scoring pace decreased a bit.
One more time, though, the fourth quarter bit B’ville, WG erupting as it outscored the visitors 26-16, the rally led by Phil Allen and Trevor Smith, who finished with 22 points apiece.
Aside from Marshall, Kevin Drain, with 17 points, had B’ville’s best outing, while Diorio (11 points) also broke into double figures. Brower only managed six points.
