Now the Liverpool boys basketball team finds itself within the top 10 of the state Class AA rankings, steadily moving up the poll as the wins pile up.
For its first assignment in 2018, the Warriors went to West Genesee, who had given them so many memorable battles in seasons past. And this one was fun, too, though Liverpool proved too much in a 91-73 victory over the Wildcats.
All game long, WG’s Lucas Sutherland was superb, burning the Warriors’ defenses on his way to 37 points, by far the most any single player has scored against Liverpool in recent memory.
Yet all that did was keep things close for a while. Liverpool only led 46-40 at halftime, but led by Charles Pride and Alan Willmes, the Warriors outscored the Wildcats 26-14 in the third quarter to get a comfortable cushion.
Pride had 25 points, with Willmes setting a season mark by earning 21 points. Just behind them, Nas Johnson had 15 points and Kyle Butler got 14 points, with Peter Cerrone getting nine points and Noah Issakainen six points.
No one on WG’s squad got close to Sutherland’s production, though Kam Jones and Jake Wager each hit three 3-pointers on the way to 11 points apiece and Jack McLane got 10 points.
Only the weather seemed able to thwart Liverpool, as Friday’s game with Corcoran was postponed. The Warriors would go to Fayetteville-Manlius Tuesday before returning home this Friday to face Baldwinsville, who would face Cicero-North Syracuse on Tuesday after snow postponed the Northstars’ first game of 2018 against Nottingham.
