Usually, as January winds down, area high school boys basketball teams are concerned with trying to put things into alignment so that they can be ready once the post-season hits.
Yet in 2017-18 the theme has changed a bit, as the scramble just to be part of the Section III playoffs has taken hold.
Rivals Jamesville-DeWitt and Christian Brothers Academy would square off Saturday night, with the Brothers showing better form of late and the Red Rams needing to recover from back-to-back defeats to Central Square and PSLA-Fowler.
Both sides felt urgency – but it was J-D snapping its skid by prevailing 63-60,the Rams taking charge in the early going as it steadily worked its way to a 28-20 halftime lead.
The pace quickened in the second half, and CBA nearly caught up, led by Avion Othman, who poured in a game-high 25 points as Nick Valenti added 11 points, with Malcolm Jackson and Ryan Mackenzie each getting eight points.
To hang on, J-D needed production from all over its roster, and nine different players scored. Takuya LaClair led with 19 points as Payton Shumpert contributed 12 points, with Max Schulman getting six points.
A night earlier, CBA had lost yet another close decision, falling 60-56 to New York City’s Community Health Academy, who was in town for a weekend series that included a game against Westhill.
The Brothers led, 50-49, going to the fourth quarter, but went cold down the stretch, unable to hang on as Dennis still managed 19 points, with Aaron Clendenin getting 12 points, Malcolm Jackson 10 points and Avion Othman eight points.
Bishop Grimes had a big test on Thursday night when it visited Bishop Ludden, and the two private-school powers would both struggle for baskets most of the way, yet it was the Cobras paying a steeper price for it as it lost to the Gaelic Knights 47-41.
Grimes wilted in the face of Ludden’s defense, led by Jai Smith, who had 18 rebounds and eight blocks. The Cobras were under 10 points in each of the first three quarters and only sprang o life down the stretch, forced to answer as the Gaelic Knights tried to pull away.
David Mo did manage 16 points, with T.J. Bradford adding nine points, but the rest of the Cobras’ roster had just six field goals, two of them 3-pointers by Nick Davis. Nic Button led Ludden with 12 points as Sh’ikem Lee got 10 points.
On Saturday night, Grimes lost again, falling 74-53 to Ithaca at Onondaga Community College as the Little Red held the Cobras to seven points in the first quarter and led from there, Mo getting 17 points as Bradford and Gus O’Connell adding 10 points apiece.
Fayetteville-Manlius faced a crucial game at Baldwinsville last Wednesday night, with both teams sporting 5-8 records. But the Hornets never got out of the gate in a 67-40 defeat to the Bees.
In the first of two games against B’ville in as many weeks, F-M was held to just two field goals in the first quarter. And while the offense improved a bit, it never could put a sustained run together as it trailed 34-16 by halftime and saw the Bees use a12-0 run late in the third quarter to put it away.
None of the Hornets’ starters had more than five points as reserves Alex Bychkov and Chris Perry led with nine points apiece. Meanwhile, B’ville got 19 points from Casey Pluff and 13 points from J.J. Starling as Sunday Joshua added 11 points.
Two nights later, at Nottingham, the Hornets tumbled again in a 73-40 defeat to the Bulldogs. F-M was outscored 39-21 in the second half as Cade Collum and Tyler Schneider led with just six points apiece.
East Syracuse Minoa was 5-6 going into the week, but then took a trip to 9-2 Central Square last Tuesday night and struggled throughout a 70-45 defeat to the Redhawks.
Central Square had beaten J-D the week before. Despite knowing this, the Spartans still got off to a rough start, falling behind 17-3 by the end of the first quarter.
In catch-up mode the rest of the way, ESM pulled within 29-21 by halftime, but was outscored 22-10 in the third period as, in defeat, Dennis Benjack set a career mark with 24 points, including four 3-pointers.
Colton Cwikla added 13 points, but the rest of the Spartans had just two total field goals, one each by Jack Shields and Kevin Richardson. By contrast, nine different Redhawks recorded field goals as Tim Giblin put in 24 points and Brogan Laux added 16 points.
Another road trip followed on Friday, ESM visiting Cortland, and with it another defeat as the Spartans fell 39-35 to the Purple Tigers in overtime, shut out in the four-minute extra period after rallying from an 18-13 halftime deficit.
Despite game-long offensive struggles, ESM still had Holloman earn 10 points as Devin Mascato-Buffaloe had eight points and Richardson got seven points. Jay Atkins had 16 points to lead Cortland.
