Were it simply a five-on-five affair, Tuesday night’s boys basketball showdown between undefeated Chittenango and once-beaten Westhill was conducted on fairly even terms
Add in the bench, though, and it was clear that the state Class B no. 5-ranked Warriors got the better of the state no. 14-ranked Bears, prevailing by a 63-43 margin.
Zach Falkenburg had a tremendous night, producing 27 points, seven rebounds and four steals, but other than him and Matt Lamphear (11 points), Chittenango managed just two total field goals, both by Hunter Hendrix, who did finish with 13 rebounds.
Chittenango faced several challenges against Westhill. First, there was dealing with the Warriors’ intense man-to-man defensive pressure, which turned every possession into an ordeal.
Even when the Bears did have open looks, those shots would not fall, either on the perimeter or in the paint, and Westhill would lead from the middle of the first quarter onward.
Another issue was the production of Westhill’s top two scorers, Sean Dadey and Kameren Jackson. Dadey sparked a 10-0 first-quarter run with a 3-pointer, followed by a steal and lay-up. Of his 14 points, 10 of them came in the first half, when the Warriors built a 39-26 lead. Dadey also had six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Jackson was comparatively quiet until the third quarter, when he thwarted Chittenango’s attempts to catch up, notching 10 points on everything from inside baskets to 3-pointers, ultimately finishing the night with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, plus five assists.
Even with that, though, the one thing Chittenango could not overcome was Westhill’s potent group of reserves. Zechariah Brown set a season mark with nine points, all of them earned in the first half, as he, along with Owen Matukas and John Geer, combined for 17 bench points, while the Bears’ bench was shut out.
With little time to recuperate, Chittenango would have to go to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown on Thursday night. But the hurt of the team’s first defeat motivated the Bears, and it took out that hurt on the Rebels, roaring to a 75-42 victory.
Already in front, Chittenango used a 26-7 second-quarter surge to seize full control. What’s more, it didn’t need to get much from Falkenburg, though he still had 11 points, six assists, three steals and three rebounds.
Instead, it was Dylan Voutsinas, quiet in the Westhill game, leading the attack with 15 points, while Lamphear continued to improve with 14 points, most of it from four 3-pointers, plus four rebounds and three assists. Hendrix had 10 rebounds, seven points, four steals and three assists as Andrew Larsson contributed eight points.
And this led to another key home game on Tuesday when Chittenango faced Marcellus, with the Bears visiting Phoenix on Friday.
Cazenovia returned to action on Friday night, at Pulaski, Having not played in 10 days, the Lakers proved refreshed, not rusty, as the first quarter all but decided a 59-43 victory over the Blue Devils.
Hitting lots of shots, Cazenovia built a 22-6 lead on Pulaski in those opening eight minutes. For the rest of the game, the Blue Devils offered a futile chase, but a solid Lakers defense maintained that double-digit margin.
Thomas Bragg led with 18 points, half of it from three 3-pointers. Kevin Stalder chimed in with 11 points, while Dan Kent had eight points, just ahead of Hunter Kowaleski (seven points) and Austin Enders (six points).
Enders found out this week that he was a second-team All-State Class B selection for leading the Cazenovia football team to another Section III Class B title. Ben Nichols joined him on the All-State second team, with Cody Thorp a fourth-team selection and Anthony Vecchiarelli gaining honorable mention status.
Back on the basketball court, Cazenovia, who improved to 7-4 with that win at Pulaski, would host Hannibal and Skaneateles this week before taking on Oneida Saturday afternoon.
