That the West Genesee boys basketball team lasted deep into January without taking a defeat in its first 12 games, rising to no. 9 in the state Class AA rankings, was remarkable enough.
But the combination of a hungry, talented and determined opponent and the absence of a vital piece to its own puzzle would lead the Wildcats to its first defeat last Tuesday night as it went to Liverpool and fell, 78-54, to the Warriors, who seized sole possession of first place in the CNY Counties League.
Fortune had a lot to do with how things turned out. These teams were supposed to meet Jan. 10 in Camillus, but weather postponed it and altered the schedule so that, when they finally did play each other, it was on Liverpool’s home court, with the second game set for WG on Feb. 7.
Had they played that first game, Jack Bova, the team’s second-leading scorer with nearly 20 points per game, would have started. But he sprained his ankle Jan. 20 at Fayetteville-Manlius, sidelining him for this game.
Without its most dangerous 3-point shooter, the Wildcats knew that 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.
On the other end, the Warriors netted the game’s first 11 points, six of them by Charles 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.
Nahjeier Johnson made sure that did not happen. Johnson had started the Warriors’ previous 13 games, but 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, one more than Pride’s total of 22 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.
Now WG would find out how it responded to a defeat as it traveled to Cicero-North Syracuse Friday night to face a Northstars side it beat 82-64 on Dec. 23.
With his ankle sufficiently healed, Bova returned for action against C-NS, and helped the Wildcats grind out a 57-49 victory.
Again, it proved a slow start, but it didn’t get away from WG, who was down 13-9 through one period but was ahead, 25-19, by halftime. Then it doubled up the Northstars in a decisive 22-11 third quarter as Bova went back to his specialty, hitting four 3-pointers and finishing with 14 points overall.’
Zachery tied Bova’s total of 14 points, while Sutherland chimed in with 10 points. Marcus Hudgins, normally a defensive specialist, earned eight points as no C-NS player hit double figures, though Alex Gray did earn eight points and 11 rebounds.
Holding a 13-1 record, WG would host Nottingham on Tuesday and Baldwinsville on Friday night, the first parts of a three-game homestand that culminate with the Liverpool rematch.
