Already established as an overwhelming favorite to reclaim the Section III Class B championship following a one-year absence, the Westhill boys basketball team saw the sectional tournament bracket fall its way, too.
The highest seed the state no. 2-ranked Warriors had to face in its first three rounds came in last Tuesday’s quarterfinal against no. 9 seed Institute of Technology Central, a game all but decided by a first-quarter stampede on both ends that boosted Westhill to a 77-63 victory over the Eagles.
Though it had beaten ITC twice during the regular season, Westhill did not take the Eagles lightly, especially since it had crushed General Brown 79-30 in the previous round. As such, the first quarter featured the Warriors’ man-to-man defense causing havoc and limiting the visitors to a single field goal.
Meanwhile, plenty of shots fell on the other end, and Westhill, who once trailed 3-2, netted the last 20 points of that quarter. It never got so lopsided again, but the Warriors had the cushion it needed to deal with ITC’s offensive revival that was led by Tr’Von Balaam, who had a game-high 30 points.
Kameren Jackson earned yet another double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds, adding four assists. Antonio Scrimale poured in 17 points, one of his best totals of the season, as Braeden Elmer stepped up, too, with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. John Geer got 10 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals.
As that went on, Skaneateles, the no. 13 seed, went to Buckley Gym and knocked off no. 5 seed Cazenovia 61-49, following up a win over no. 4 seed Sherburne-Earlville. Now the Lakers would seek the biggest upset of all when it met Westhill Saturday night at Le Moyne College in the sectional semifinals.
But the Lakers never came close, undone by a first half where, again, the Warriors proved too good at all phases of the game and settled matters early in a 70-45 victory.
Other than allowing the game’s first basket, the Warriors never trailed, putting together a 10-0 run in the first quarter and, near the end of the frame, initiating a 19-0 run that carried deep into the second quarter.
While the Warriors’ defense held Skaneateles without a point for more than five minutes, the lead grew to 40-10. By halftime, it was 43-15, and Brown had as many points (15) as the entire Lakers roster. He wouldn’t score again, but added nine rebounds and five assists.
Jackson led with 16 points, but Owen Matukas, with 13 points, was close behind. Dadey earned 10 points and six assists, the Warriors getting so far ahead that it could easily afford to get outscored in the second half and still cruise to another sectional final.
Marcellus, the no. 6 seed, nearly got to Le Moyne, too, but was denied that chance by no. 3 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, the Mustangs defeated by a 58-57 margin in a thrilling sectional quarterfinal decided in the final seconds.
During the first half, Marcellus had difficulty establishing its attack, but didn’t’ let the Red Devils get away, either, only trailing 28-22 at the break. Then, with hot outside shooting in the third quarter, the Mustangs doubled its point total and inched into a 42-41 lead with one period left.
From there, it was back and forth the rest of the way. Try as it could, the Mustangs simply couldn’t contain VVS star Davey Moffat, who poured in 29 points, many of them in those closing minutes.
Despite this, as the final seconds ticked down, Marcellus only trailed by one, with a chance to get the winning basket. With 6.4 seconds left, the Mustangs had the ball underneath the Red Devils basket, and worked it to Nate Kellar, who drove from the left side and, inside the paint, took the shot – and Andrew Roden blocked it, the ball squirting loose as the clock hit zero.
VVS went on to lose, 60-52, to no. 2 seed Chittenango in the semifinals, a game where the Bears’ Zach Falkenburg poured in 39 points.
Now Chittenango stands in Westhill’s way as they meet for the sectional Class B title this Sunday at 2:45 at SRC Arena. The Warriors prevailed in their lone regular-season meeting 63-43 on Jan. 3, but here the stakes are higher, with Westhill seeking a fourth sectional title in five years and the Bears going after its first sectional championship since 1977.
