As the days and weeks passed, the Liverpool boys basketball team noticed the attention West Genesee was getting for running to a 12-0 start and climbing to no. 9 in the state Class AA rankings, even though both sides remained undefeated within the CNY Counties League.
So when the Warriors finally got a chance to face the Wildcats Tuesday night, it was eager to show its own quality to a larger audience – and did so, leading every inch of the way in a 78-54 victory that knocked WG from the undefeated ranks.
“We knew we were good,” said junior guard Charles Pride, who finished with 22 points. “All we had to do was execute, and that’s what we did. Once we brought our intensity, they (West Genesee) couldn’t match it.”
A lot of it was due to Liverpool’s superb all-around effort, but it had some help from the other side. WG was without its second-leading scorer, Jack Bova, who has averaged 19.5 points per game, but sprained his ankle in last Friday’s win at Fayetteville-Manlius.
Without Bova and his lethal 3-point shooting to worry about, the Warriors could focus its defense on Malik Zachery. And it proved quite effective, with Zachery held to 12 points, not even half his average of better than 25 points per game, and not getting a field goal until the last minute of the first half.
Liverpool head coach Ryan Blackwell said the key to that defense was forcing Zachery outside and not letting him drive to the basket through the lane. Sent outside, Zachery was not as effective, unable to make a single 3-pointer.
On the other end, the Warriors netted the game’s first 11 points, six of them by Pride, and when WG tried to inch closer, Liverpool got a 3-pointer from Kyle Butler-Gaffney and a basket from Charles Meile to lead 20-9 after one period.
Not letting up, the Warriors stretched its margin to 41-14 late in the second quarter. Gradually, the Wildcats tried to battle back, and in the third period cut the deficit to 48-34 with ample time to make up the rest of the ground.
Naz Johnson made sure that did not happen. Johnson had started the Warriors’ previous 13 games, but Blackwell said that Johnson asked to come off the bench on this night, and promptly delivered his best performance of the season.
Six points by Johnson in the waning minutes of the third quarter restored Liverpool’s lead to 55-36, and he kept it going in the final period with a string of outside shots that raised his total to a season-best 23 points.
Contributions were also made by Devan Mederios, who had 10 points, along with Kyle Butler, who had six points as Cooper Chaffee got five points. On WG’s side, Lucas Sutherland had 10 points as Owen Cross got nine points, with Will Amica (who started in place of Bova) and Liam Barry each adding eight points.
Liverpool will still have to face West Genesee again, in Camillus on Feb. 7, two weeks after the first meeting, and likely with Bova back on the court to worry about, but Pride said he is confident in his team.
“We know we can beat them,” said Pride.
