No one, from head coach Tim Solomon to the last guy on the bench, doubts the Baldwinsville boys basketball team’s effort and determination, but the challenge they all face in the 2015-16 season is a significant one.
Much of the cast that led the Bees to back-to-back Section III Class AA quarterfinal appearances has graduated, leaving plenty of newcomers in the lineup when the Bees took to the court for last Tuesday’s opener at Liverpool.
For a brief moment, those new guys were controlling matters, but it all fell apart in the middle stages of a 63-45 defeat to the Warriors, who were glad to atone for losing to B’ville in last year’s opening round of the sectional tournament.
Liverpool did so under a new head coach, former Syracuse University star Ryan Blackwell, who faced the challenge of mixing in players present since the start of practices with those just coming off a long, tough football campaign that ended with a state semifinal defeat to eventual champion Rochester Aquinas.
That didn’t matter much early, with B’ville leading 18-9 after one period, but once Liverpool applied more defensive pressure, the game turned. The Warriors dominated the second and third periods, outscoring the Bees 37-10 in those frames to erase any suspense.
Tyler Sullivan, who didn’t have to worry about football fatigue, put up 27 points, while Will Cutler finished with 11 points. Adam Seguin (11 points) and Jordan Fragale (10 points) led B’ville’s efforts, with Matt Dickman adding nine points and Alex Robinson earning seven points.
B’ville’s home opener brought another test as West Genesee, who routed Nottingham earlier in the week, paid a visit to the Baker High School Gym. This one proved much closer for both sides, with the Bees getting close to breaking through, but not quite pulling it off in a 53-50 defeat to the Wildcats.
Just like with Liverpool, B’ville started well, and led, 13-8, at the end of the first quarter. Unlike with the Warriors, though, the opposition’s comeback did not dissolve into a one-sided run, WG only tying it, 24-24, by halftime.
Still, it was difficult for the Bees to fire up its attack again, held to eight points in the third quarter and then finding that, even when it did find some late success, WG always had an answer.
Seguin’s double-double included 11 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Gell finished with 12 points, while Fragale put together 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Dickman contributed nine points as the defense did a solid job on WG’s George Mason-bound senior, Troy Temara, holding him to 14 points, and eight of those were free throws. Chris LaValle led the Wildcats with 16 points.
B’ville visits Cicero-North Syracuse Tuesday as both sides still look for their first win of the season, with the Bees back home Friday night to face Auburn.
