Few boys basketball teams in Section III have enjoyed a bigger turnaround than Chittenango, who had a chance to lock up a post-season berth long before the calendar turned to 2016.
Already 6-1 when it hosted Central Square last Friday night, the Bears continued to make believers out of previous skeptics when it overcame a second-half slump to bear down in overtime and beat the Redhawks 46-43.
Through a close first half, Chittenango steadily built a 24-20 lead. Starting in the third quarter, though, the Bears went cold, unable to break out of it for the rest of regulation and giving Central Square ample opportunities to win it.
Yet the Redhawks couldn’t take advantage, leaving the two sides tied, 37-37, when four quarters were done. In the four minutes of OT that followed, action picked up, and Chittenango, outscoring Central Square 9-6, reclaimed the lead and held on.
Eli Kim and Matt Milliman (whose 21 points, including four 3-pointers, had beat Canastota 51-43 exactly one week earlier) led the Bears with 12 points apiece. Zach Falkenburg, with 10 points, and Hunter Hendrix, with seven points, accounted for much of the rest of the production as Jake Kulakowski led Central Square with 16 points and Mike Tolone added 11 points.
Now, if Chittenango could beat Oswego Tuesday night, it would have that playoff-clinching eighth win, but it never got close, falling to the Buccaneers 70-54.
Oswego didn’t waste time seizing control, leading 19-8 through one period. Eventually, the deficit grew to 62-40 before the Bears made some late inroads, led by Kim, who hit four 3-pointers to account for most of his 17 points.
Zach Falkenburg had 14 points, with Matt Lamphear earning 11 points as Milliman and Nate Falkenburg had six points apiece. On the Bucs’ side, six players had seven or more points, though Trey Clark, whose 22 points included five 3-pointers, led the charge.
In girls basketball, Chittenango fought hard against Central Square last Friday, but lost, 62-47, to the Redhawks. The game was played on even terms in the last three periods, but only after the Bears fell behind, 21-5, in that decisive opening quarter.
Megan Pierce, with 16 points, led Chittenango’s efforts. Trisha Whaley had nine points, with Morgan Shoemaker adding eight points. Central Square had four players in double figures, including Breanna Ransom (13 points), Kalie Schumaker (11 points), Lizzy Straub and Maddy Besaw (10 points each).
During Tuesday’s 45-31 defeat to Oswego, the Bears were shut out by the Buccaneers in the first quarter and fell behind 19-0, not doing much better in the second period as the deficit grew to 26-3 before Pierce got something going in the third quarter.
Again, Pierce was responsible for a good chunk of Chittenango’s production, hitting on five 3-pointers and getting 19 points overall. No one else had more than four points, though, as Kelly Skinner, with 15 points, and Claire Richardson, with 10 points, paced Oswego.
Chittenango’s team host “More Than A Game” tournaments to benefit Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital next week. The boys go first, taking on Tully as Whitesboro meets Solvay on Monday night, leading up to Tuesday’s finals.
The girls Bears, meanwhile, meet Cortland next Wednesday night after Fulton takes on Homer, with the consolation and championship games on New Year’s Eve, starting at noon.
