Just like its female counterparts, the Cazenovia boys basketball team garnered a no. 5 seed for the Section III Class B playoffs, earned the right to host an opening-round game at Buckley Gym and would win that sectional opener.
And that’s where the similarities ended.
Unlike the girls side, the boys Lakers did not have to wait until the final seconds to pull out its victory, controlling matters most of the way in a 61-49 victory over no. 12 seed Canastota.
Also different was the fact that this win, as it turned out, would earn Cazenovia the right to play at home once more in Tuesday’s sectional quarterfinals, a Lakers duel set up when no. 4 seed Sherburne-Earlville fell to no. 13 seed Skaneateles 62-47.
Canastota entered the sectional tournament with a 10-10 record, and didn’t do much to make Cazenovia worry during the first quarter, the Raiders held to three points in a first quarter plagued by fouls and lots of physical play.
The early Canastota drought gave Cazenovia time to settle down – which it did, erupting for 24 points in the second quarter to withstand the Raiders’ own awakening and take a 33-19 lead to halftime.
Early in the second half, the margin grew to 39-22, but Canastota didn’t give up, whittling away until it got within eight on two different occasions during the fourth quarter, with Jeff Marsh (19 points) and Zarin Martin (15 points) leading those efforts.
However, Cazenovia would not get caught, paced by Thomas Bragg as his game-high 24 points included five 3-pointers. No other Laker hit double figures, but Kevin Stalder finished with eight points as Austin Enders got seven points. Dan Kent and Chris Becker had six points apiece.
Cazenovia, who improved its record to 14-7, now looks ahead toward Skaneateles, a team it beat 69-61 on Jan. 13 in their lone regular-season encounter. The winner gets top seed Westhill or no. 8 seed Institute of Technology Central in Saturday’s semifinal at 5 p.m. at Le Moyne College.
Chittenango, the no. 2 seed in the sectional Class B bracket, also moved ahead following last Friday’s 62-39 opening-round romp over no. 15 seed Pulaski.
Any concerns that the Bears may have faced quickly dissipated in the team’s fine all-around effort in the first half against the same Blue Devils side it struggled to beat 64-56 just nine days earlier.
Defensively, Chittenango was sharp from the outset, holding the Blue Devils to seven points in the first quarter and establishing a comfortable early lead.
That margin grew to 35-21 by halftime, and though the Bears would endure its own third-quarter struggles and get held to five points, the defense again came through, not letting Pulaski eat into that margin.
Getting away late with a 22-12 fourth-quarter push, the Bears saw Zach Falkenburg pick up 27 points, adding four rebounds. Dylan Voutsinas had 12 points and six assists, while Sam Hill had eight points and Brendan Voustinas six points. Hunter Hendrix notched six assists as he and Matt Lanphear got five rebounds apiece.
In Tuesday night’s Class B quarterfinal, Chittenango takes on no. 10 seed Oneida, who prevailed 66-59 at no. 7 seed Clinton in its opening-round game. The winner would join the Cazenovia-Skaneateles winner at Le Moyne on Saturday for the 7 p.m. semifinal against no. 3 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill or no. 6 seed Marcellus.
