Manlius — So much about the Fayetteville-Manlius boys basketball team is different.

Gone are the superstars, now that John Schurman is at Binghamton University and Jake Wittig has gone to the University of Rochester. Also in the past is the team’s cramped home court in High School House II, the original “Hornets’ Nest” that caused so much trouble for opponents unaccustomed to such close quarters.

The new House I gym is three times as large, and can hold three times as many people – up to 2,100. From a new court with “F-M” painted in the center circle and “Pride” painted out twice on either side, to new baskets, scoreboard and bleachers, the facility is far more attuned to what a large-school program should offer.

What remains the same, though, is head coach Tom Blackford preaching his unique 1-3-1 defense that causes so many turnovers and problems. That was evident in last Tuesday night’s season opener, the first on the new floor for F-M, who rallied from behind in the second half to beat Auburn 64-56.

F-M was hurt in the first half by two different problems. On one end, it could not hit any outside shots, and on the other end the Maroons, who hired long-time Marcellus mentor Jim Marsh as its new head coach, beat the 1-3-1 by getting open 3-point looks in the corner and converting them.

Scott Minnoe hit four of those 3-pointers in the second quarter, some of them in an 11-0 run that helped the Maroons go in front, and the visitors led by as many as nine, 28-19, but four big points late in the half, including a 3-pointer from Nick Goodfellow (his lone points of the night), cut the margin to 28-23 at the break.

That carried over into the third quarter, where F-M used a 23-8 run to take the lead for good. And it held on in the final period, though Auburn did use a barrage of outside shots to cut the gap to 61-56 in the final minute before free throws by Jawaan Crouch and Nick Perry sealed it.

continued — No single player stood out as four different Hornets – Crouch, David Stegemann, Tim Zapisek and Tyler Papa – managed to finish with 12 points apiece. Papa and Zapisek each had five rebounds, with Crouch adding five assists and three steals as Fernando Johnson had nine points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Minnoe, in defeat, led Auburn with 16 points.

F-M would take on East Syracuse Minoa in a non-league game on Friday night, and while the Hornets had more uneven moments, it also moved to 2-0 on the season, pulling away to defeat the Spartans 60-45.

Even as it steadily worked its way to a 38-29 halftime lead, F-M wasn’t safe. ESM remained within single digits before it went cold in the face of the 1-3-1 in the final period, turning it over and managing just three points in those last eight minutes.

Meanwhile, Stegemann gained 16 points and seven rebounds, with Zapisek adding 15 points and six rebounds. Crouch and Papa each got eight points as Nick Goodfellow earned six points off the bench. On ESM’s side, Ty Barkins and Gabe Holloman led with 12 points apiece, with Colton Cwikla adding 10 points and Colin Sloan seven points.

F-M meets a pair of Syracuse city schools this week, visiting Nottingham Tuesday before hosting Corcoran on Friday.