Much more than the typical hoopla associated with a rivalry was present when Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool squared off in boys basketball last Friday night, especially from the Northstars’ perspective.
C-NS was still one victory short of a Section III Class AA playoff berth, and with a tough February stretch ahead, the Northstars were eager to see if it could stun the favored Warriors to take care of that problem.
Also, C-NS was one of three finalists in the “Battle of the Fans” competition established by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, and wanted to make an impression on the judges, so a large crowd of students, from both schools, was on hand.
They were treated to a fine game, full of runs on both sides and all-out effort, but in the end Liverpool had a bit too much for the host Northstars, prevailing by a 63-56 margin.
It was, from C-NS’s standpoint, far closer than the first encounter on Dec. 4, where Liverpool, at home, won 72-51. Both sides played at a quick pace in the first half, with he Warriors finding success, but the Northstars offering plenty of answers.
Thus, at halftime, C-NS only trailed by 34-30, but the third quarter proved important as the Warriors more than doubled that margin and got a 52-43 lead, Then it used its defense to protect that margin in the closing minutes.
Tyler Sullivan earned five 3-pointers and led the Warriors with 22 points. Naz Johnson earned 15 points, with Will Cutler connecting three times beyond the arc on his way to 13 points and Nate Cutler adding nine points. C-NS got 19 points from A.J. Nesci and 17 points from Brendan Gacek, while Eric Bowen had seven points and Jon Petrin six points.
The Warriors needed to get back on track following an 81-72 defeat to Corcoran two nights earlier, a major turnaround from their first meeting on Dec. 18, where Liverpool had blown out the Cougars 86-57.
Corcoran was a much better team now, though, and in Marquis Gilbert it had a star player who could take over whenever it was needed. He did so in the second half against Liverpool, responding after the visitors outscored the Cougars 21-10 in the second quarter to gain a 34-24 halftime lead.
All through the second half, Liverpool’s defense found itself run over, largely by Gilbert, who earned most of his 38 points in the last two periods as Corcoran outscored the Warriors 57-39, catching up by the fourth quarter and then moving ahead for good.
Gilbert got help from Jahaad Henry (16 points) and Tim Tatum (11 points), and they overcame a solid Warriors offense where Nate Cutler gained most of his 19 points through four 3-pointers and Will Cutler added 14 points. Johnson had 13 points and Sullivan 12 points as Devan Mederios got nine points.
C-NS could have taken care of the playoff dilemma by winning at West Genesee last Tuesday night, but its defense fell victim to too many sustained runs from the Wildcats in a 71-48 defeat.
The Northstars, who lost 54-45 to WG back on Dec. 11, started fast, but that quickly dissipated when the Wildcats scored 11 unanswered points in the first quarter. Though C-NS pulled back within three, 23-20, it saw WG reclaim control late in the half with an 11-2 push.
Much the same thing happened in the third quarter, with the Northstars clamping down on defense and, through a 15-4 spurt, moving back within range. But trailing t he Wildcats 45-41 late in the period, the Northstars gave up the last seven points of that period and never fully recovered, outscored 26-7 the rest of the way.
Only Nesci, with 10 points, reached double figures, adding six assists. Petrin and Alex Gray each had nine points, with Gray adding eight rebounds as Gacek managed just eight points and Keegan Wright got seven points and seven rebounds. Nate Phillips came off the bench to lead WG with 15 points as Troy Temara added 14 points and Malik Zachery got 12 points.
Even with the defeat to Liverpool, C-NS could still get to the sectional tournament if it beat Nottingham Tuesday before it took on Corcoran and Fayetteville-Manlius. With Liverpool, its playoff seeding would largely hinge on its battles with Henninger Friday and West Genesee next Tuesday after it hosted F-M.
