With nearly a full week to recover from its Dec. 16 defeat at Cicero-North Syracuse, the Christian Brothers Academy boys basketball team was in no mood to see things get worse before hosting its annual Bottar-Leone Holiday Classic.

So in its lone game last week, the Brothers ventured to Mexico and, aided by a fast start, earned a 59-46 victory over the Tigers.

Before the first quarter was done, CBA led 21-11, which allowed protection from a mid-game slump. Mexico moved within five, 27-22, by halftime, but the Brothers’ attack picked up again in the third quarter and restored the double-digit margin.

A well-balanced CBA attack featured four players in double figures. Kevin Underwood led with 15 points, but Clay Jarvis (13 points) was close behind as Dan Damico got 11 points and freshman Peyton Shumpert got 10 points. Zeff Edenfield, with eight points, was close behind. Dakota Deasy led Mexico with 15 points.

Contrasting this was what happened to East Syracuse Minoa against Auburn, with the Spartans poised for a much-needed victory until it was snatched from them in an 80-79, overtime defeat.

Trailing 50-44 after three quarters, the Spartans scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, and then traded baskets until it was 69-69 and time was winding down in regulation.  David Dabrowski’s half-court shot at the horn clanged off the rim.

In the four-minute OT period, ESM fought its way in front, 78-76, and one more defensive stop would win it – but Auburn’s Kaleb Cook drained  3-pointer with eight seconds left, putting the Maroons ahead by one, and the Spartans could not answer it.

Gabe Hollloman led ESM most of the way, pouring in a season-best 26 points, while Dabrowski set his own season mark with 18 points and Kevin Richardson added 16 points. Dennis Benjack had nine points and Devin Spencer added seven points.  Cook paced Auburn with 29 points, 18 of them in the second half, as Scott Minnoe contributed 21 points.

Back on Tuesday night, Fayetteville-Manlius fell to West Genesee 78-50 and ESM lost to Bishop Ludden 101-44.

F-M found out that West Genesee, 4-0 going into the week, was not rusty despite an 11-day layoff. The Wildcats traded baskets with the Hornets until the second quarter, when WG started to make everything and outscored the Hornets 26-10 in that frame to create a 40-23 halftime lead.

Just to be sure, WG closed the game on a 23-11 run. F-M, in defeat, got 15 points from Jawaan Crouch and 14 points from Tim Zapisek, with Ryan Salzberg adding six points. The Wildcats’ Malik Zachery proved difficult to handle, earning 30 points, and three other Wildcats scored in double figures as Jack Bova’s 15 points included three 3-pointers, while Lucas Sutherland got 11 points and Marcus Hudgins added 10 points.

ESM was overmatched by defending Section III Class A champion Bishop Ludden from the outset, but it got out of hand in the third quarter when the Gaelic Knights, already up 45-24, outscored the Spartans 32-3 in that frame and pushed hard to reach the 100-point mark, which it did in the final minutes.

Holloman managed to scored 12 points for ESM, while Benjack had nine points and Dabrowski added six points. All 12 Ludden players that saw action got at least one field goal, with Mika Adams-Woods (14 points) just ahead of Sh’ikem Lee, Mazi Jackson (13 points each) and Jai Smith (10 points).

Manlius-Pebble Hill lost last Tuesday to Fabius-Pompey 57-43, the Falcons gaining a 15-8 lead through one period and pulling further away despite the Trojans’ Fares Awa earning 10 points and teammates Jayson Staiger and Saad Burkhari adding eight points.  F-P saw Adrian Vilardi pour in 23 points and Chris Wagner add 15 points.