Two games, within a 24-hour span, would either put the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team closer to a post-season berth, or leave it scrambling through the early portion of February with plenty of tough opponents standing in the way.
All of this started last Thursday night, when the Northstars met Rome Free Academy for the second time this winter. Just like the first occasion, it turned into a wild, run-and-gun affair that bled into overtime, and again C-NS was on the wrong side of it, falling to the Black Knights 100-90.
When these teams had first played Dec. 2, RFA prevailed 95-87 in OT, a game the Northstars gave away late by missing a month’s worth of free throws. Here, C-NS again would lead early and again not hold on to it.
Both side ran up and down throughout the first half, and C-NS steadily built a 47-42 lead. Try as it could, though, the Northstars could not keep the Black Knights from finding its way back, ultimately tying it, 87-87, at the end of regulation.
The fact that it was going to OT a second time may have discouraged C-NS a bit, as it only managed three points in those extra four minutes while RFA got clear.
C-NS lost despite putting six players in double figures. Alex Gray led with 23 points, with Omar Mere’s 13 points mostly stemming from three 3-pointers. Jaysaun Gunn earned seven of his 11 points at the foul line as Lukas Merluzzi also earned 11 points. Close behind, Riley Hogan and Eric Bowen each got 10 points.
Though RFA only had five players reach double figures, it got more from its top scorers as Tristan Hunzinger hit five 3-pointers on his way to 25 points overall, while Ethan Powell gained 20 points and Dante Cummings hit four 3-poitners on his way to 19 points. Zach Wilbert and Noah Rodriguez each had 10 points.
A night later, C-NS would confront state Class AA no. 9-ranked West Genesee, who had started 12-0 before taking its first defeat of the season at Liverpool earlier in the week without top 3-point threat Jack Bova due to an injured ankle.
Having fallen 82-64 to WG on Dec. 23 when Bova hit four 3-pointers, the Northstars craved a chance to get even, but caught the Wildcats just when Bova came back and, despite a stronger defensive effort than it showed the night before against RFA, took a 57-49 defeat.
C-NS started on a strong note and led 13-9 through one period, but the Wildcats made that up and then bolted to a 25-19 halftime lead.. Then WG doubled up the Northstars in a decisive 22-11 third quarter.
No C-NS player got to double figures, though Gray still had eight points and 11 rebounds. Mere earned seven points and seven rebounds, with Kyle Cody earning six points and six assists as Merluzzi and Jordan Garnett each got six points and five rebounds.
Bova went back to his specialty, hitting four 3-pointers and finishing with 14 points overall. Malik Zachery tied Bova’s total of 14 points, while Lucas Sutherland chimed in with 10 points. Marcus Hudgins, normally a defensive specialist, earned eight points.
With a 5-10 overall record and 3-6 mark in the CNY Counties League, C-NS needs to go 3-2 in its last five games in order to get into the sectional tournament, and this week it goes to Fayetteville-Manlius Tuesday before visiting Liverpool Friday night.
As the follow-up to beating West Genesee, the Warriors romped past Nottingham 70-38 on Friday night, building a 53-24 lead through three periods as Charles Pride, NahjeirJohnson and Nick Windhausen led with 11 points apiece. Alan Willmes had eight points, while Jonah Harder gained six points.
