Rarely in the annals of the boys basketball rivalry between Jamesville-DeWitt and Christian Brothers Academy has it proved so lopsided like it did during the first half of last Saturday night’s game on the Red Rams’ home floor.
While the game ended up 73-59 in J-D’s favor, it was only a result of the Brothers finding its way back in the second half after a start where the Rams nearly doubled CBA”s total.
Not only was J-D sporting a better record, a state ranking (no. 20 in Class A) and the confidence from having beaten CBA 67-62 on Dec. 29 in the opening round of the Bottar-Leone Holiday Classic, it was also in the midst of a three-game win streak that would keep on growing.
Steadily, the Rams worked its way to an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, but did even better in the second period, nearly doubling CBA’s total and stretching out the margin to 40-23.
The Brothers would do better the rest of the way, but the main damage was rendered. Buddy Boeheim finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Ronald Lewis hit four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points. Marcus Johnson added 11 points as Takuya LeClair had eight points, five assists and three rebounds.
CBA’s Dan Damico led his side, pouring in 21 points. The trio of Damico, Avion Othman (15 points) and Kevin Underwood (10 points) accounted for all but four of the Brothers’ field goals as its record fell to 10-7, while J-D improved to 14-3.
The Red Rams had handled East Syracuse Minoa 74-52 last Tuesday night, a game essentially decided in the first half because the Red Rams roared to a 41-21 advantage, negating the fine work the Spartans did the rest of the way.
Buddy Boeheim again led J-D’s charge, pouring in 27 points, while Matt Carlin hit three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points and Ronald Lewis earned 12 points. Takuya LaClair and Luke Smith had six points apiece. ESM featured Colton Cwikla, who had 21 points as Gabe Holloman added nine points. Devin Spencer and Dave Dabrowski had six points apiece.
While that was going on, CBA was at Central Square, and things didn’t go as well for the Brothers, whose great start was wasted as a comeback that stretched out over much of the game allowed the Redhawks to prevail 65-62.
Hot shooting in the first quarter allowed CBA to blaze to a 25-12 lead. Over the course of the next two periods, though, Central Square chopped away at that margin and ultimately forged a 50-50 tie entering the final period.
The exchange continued until the Redhawks inched in front late in the fourth quarter, though it wasn’t settled until Kevin Underwood’s tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds went off the rim and CBA couldn’t get another attempt.
Underwood finished the night with 17 points, just ahead of Avion Othman, who had a season-best 15 points. Dan Damico got 11 points, with Jack Carpenter and Clay Jarvis earning six points apiece. Dante Rogers paced Central Square with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals as Brogan Laux added 15 points and five rebounds.
Now CBA had to face Auburn Friday night, a mere 24 hours before the J-D clash, but it proved to be one of the Brothers’ best performances of the season as it mauled the Maroons 90-53, taking charge during a 54-23 blitz through the second and third quarters.
It was a rare instance of three players scoring 20 or more points. Underwood and Othman both finished with 21 points, one ahead of Damico’s total of 20 points as Zeff Edenfield added eight points.
J-D also had to play Friday, but doubled up on Fowler 83-41, steadily building a 66-25 lead through three periods. Boeheim and Carlin both had 20 points, with Boeheim adding 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals as Carlin got eight rebounds. Lewis and Darvin Lovetted got 10 points apiece, Lewis adding five rebounds as Terrence Echols notched six assists and five rebounds.
ESM’s struggles continued with a 67-56 defeat to Cortland, the Spartans unable to recover from a quiet first half that included six points in the second quarter.
Trying to rally late, ESM had Holloman pick up 20 points, with Cwikla adding 12 points ahead of Spencer (eight points) and Kevin Richardson (seven points). The Purple Tigers won, though, as Duff Steve got 15 points and 11 rebounds, with Sheridan Crane adding 16 points and seven rebounds and Jay Atkins getting five points.
