Unlike some years, it’s clear that the Fayetteville-Manlius basketball teams occupy two vastly different levels in the 2016-17 season.
The girls Hornets are a solid Section III Class AA title contender, proving how well it can play defense again last Tuesday night as it shut down Cicero-North Syracuse and prevailed by a 47-28 margin to improve to 11-5, clinching a winning record for this campaign.
These teams had first met four weeks earlier, on Jan. 3, and F-M claimed that game 52-28. The rematch didn’t prove too different, except in the stingy way the Hornets defended the Northstars from the outset.
A combination of pressure sequences worked as C-NS rarely earned baskets and, by the end of the third quarter, F-M enjoyed a 34-14 lead, far too much for the Northstars to overcome, even when its offense found a late rhythm.
On F-M’s side, nine different players notched at least one field goal as Alexis Schneider led with 10 points. Alexandra Vinci had seven points, while Reilly Baker got six points. Elizabeth Hall, Carly Assimon and Abbey Harris had five points apiece. Aniah Ingram, with 14 points, accounted for half the Northstars’ production, as Brani Freeney added eight points.
At home on Friday night, the Hornets faced Nottingham and won again, 54-32. Over the course of the second and third periods, F-M outscored the Bulldogs 32-13 to account for most of that margin.
Hall would pace the attack, earning 14 points. Schneider again earned 10 points as, close behind them, Vinci and Assimon gained seven points apiece. Also, Harris and Baker both finished with six points.
Things have stayed rough for the F-M boys basketball team, as evidenced again last Tuesday when Cicero-North Syracuse visited the “Hornets Nest” and left possessing a 67-59 victory. It was less lopsided than the 70-51 result on Jan. 3, but for the Hornets, that provided little consolation.
Amid an active first half, C-NS moved out in front, taking a 35-29 lead to intermission. Throughout the second half, the Hornets, led by Tim Zapisek (21 points) and Jawaan Crouch (19 points), attempted to rally, only to have those attempts swatted away.
C-NS held on because it had more depth as 10 different players got on the scoresheet. Alex Gray, with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals, led the way, while Lukas Merluzzi had 14 points and three rebounds. Jaysaun Gunn had 10 points as Eric Bowen got eight points. Omar Mere had six points, six rebounds, three steals and three assists.
On Thursday night, F-M visited Rome Free Academy, who entered the game with a 13-2 record attained, in large part, by possessing a high-scoring attack that has topped 100 points on five different occasions this winter.
The Hornets didn’t let that happen, but it still lost, 95-84, to the Black Knights despite a strong overall effort. F-M matched RFA’s large point totals in the first and third quarters and only trailed, 63-59, with one quarter left.
Gradually, the Hornets saw the Black Knights get away despite having four players score in double figures. Ryan Salzberg had 20 points, with Crouch adding 19 points and Zapisek 17 points as most of Nick Goodfellow’s 11 points came from three 3-pointers.
On RFA’s side, five players reached double figures, led by Ethan Powell, who poured in 28 points, but got lots of support. Gavin Mosher had 18 points, with T.J. Behlin getting 14 points. Zach Wilbert had 12 points and Tristan Hunzinger finished with 11 points.
F-M’s third game in four night came Friday, at Nottingham, but it finally broke through, beating the Bulldogs 59-54. A close first half saw F-M inch in front, and then it held Nottingham to seven points in the third quarter to gain a 42-32 lead.
That proved enough to withstand the Bulldogs’ late charge as Salzberg gained 16 points and Zapisek added 14 points, while Goodfellow, Henry Josephson and Brad Procita had seven points apiece.
