In back-to-back games, the Cazenovia boys basketball team went on the road and ran up against undefeated foes.
And while the Lakers couldn’t topple Chittenango on Dec. 9, it did far better when it ventured to Marcellus on Tuesday night, rallying from a six-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Mustangs 69-63.
Marcellus arrived at this game having started 5-0, and created match-up problems thanks to big forwards Nick Femano and Jerrod Gates. Cazenovia knew it had to find success on the perimeter – which it did, right away.
Thomas Bragg and Dan Kent found their range thanks to six 3-pointers in the first half. This more than negated the Mustangs’ advantage in the paint, and allowed the visitors to lead for most of the half, Bragg’s 3-pointer extending the margin to 33-28 at the break.
At the start of the third quarter, though, the Mustangs pounded it inside even more, sparking a 19-8 run. Gates benefited most from this plan on his way to a 19-point night, while Nate Kellar did so from the outside on his way to 20 points.
Cazenovia didn’t mind all this because its defense would, for most of the night, frustrate the Mustangs’ leading scorer this season, Tom Fiacchi, holding him to seven points.
More importantly, the Lakers, trailing 47-41, scored the last five points of the third quarter, and that momentum carried over deep into the final period, the defense peaking as the shots started falling again from everywhere during a decisive 19-4 spurt.
Bragg led all scorers with 24 points, finishing with five successful 3-pointers. Kent’s three 3-pointers accounted for half of his 18 points as Hunter Kowaleski hit several late free throws to finish with 12 points.
Now the question was how the Lakers would follow up a big win as it returned to Buckley Gym Friday night to face Institute of Technology Central. It nearly did so, but a series of late-game heroics by the Eagles led to two overtimes and, eventually, Cazenovia taking a 58-56 defeat.
Up 11-7 after one period, Cazenovia matched points with ITC through the next two quarters and dictated the tempo, but the Eagles stayed patient and, down two as time ran down in the fourth quarter, tied it, 41-41, on Amir Holmes’ floater, forcing the game into overtime.
During the first extra period, the Lakers went back in front, and again was seconds from victory until ITC’s Tr’Von Balaam hit a 3-pointer to knot things again, 51-51, and a second OT was required.
Flush with momentum from Balaam’s big basket, the Eagles scored the first six points in the second OT. Cazenovia countered with a 5-0 run, and after some Balaam free throws, the Lakers had multiple chances to further prolong the game in the waning seconds, only to see them fly off target.
Balaam led ITC with 23 points, with Iqual Dancil adding 18 points. With the defeat, the Lakers fell to 3-3 as it looked at non-league games next week at home against Oswego on Tuesday and at Sherburne-Earlville Thursday prior to the holiday break.
