When they got together on Tuesday night for the first of two regular-season showdowns, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball teams could commiserate on opportunities both of them missed in the week leading up to this game.
In the Warriors’ case, it had a chance to overcome its 0-3 start with a win at Baldwinsville last Tuesday, but saw that chance painfully get away late in a 69-66 loss to the Bees.
What made it all worse was that the offensive struggles Liverpool had gone through in defeats to Niagara Falls, Corcoran and Utica-Notre Dame were gone for much of the game against a young, talented B’ville side.
Steadily, the Warriors controlled the first half, and built a 37-22 lead. Even when the Bees, playing without Jake Marshall in the lineup, started to make some strides in the third quarter, Liverpool did enough to maintain a 51-41 edge with one period left.
Those last eight minutes turned it all around, though. Try as it could, the Warriors were unable to contain B’ville or make key baskets to answer the furious charge from the hosts.
And this happened despite Kyle Butler’s new career mark of 29 points, gained from five 3-pointers, with help from Nick Klein, who got 12 points. Matt Senecal, Jacob Works and Kyle Caves had six points apiece.
Two players carried B’ville down the stretch, as J.J. Starling finished with 23 points and Cam Weatherley had 18 points. Eric Casey (nine points) and Max Dec (eight points) offered help.
C-NS didn’t go through the extremes that Liverpool did at B’ville, but it had a chance in the final seconds to knock off unbeaten, state Class AA no. 22-ranked Liverpool and also fell just short in a 50-49 defeat to the Wildcats.
Terrific on defense early, the Northstars held WG to five points in the first quarter, yet could not take full advantage of this, which allowed the Wildcats to recover and tie it, 20-20, by halftime.
Gradually, the pace picked up in the second half. As the third quarter wound down, the Wildcats, down one, zoomed in front on Will Amica’s long-range 3-pointer, and the duel continued all the way to the final seconds.
Despite 25 points by C-NS’s Anthony Tricarico, WG pulled it out as Amica finished with 18 points, and production was otherwise spread around. Adam Dudzinski had nine points, with John Benson (eight points), Lucas Sutherland (seven points) and Jack McLane (six points) close behind.
Tricarico did not get as much help. Kyle Haas had eight points and five rebounds, with Justin Delvecchio amassing 10 rebounds, but held to six points. Conner Hayes had seven points, with Nick Demonte earning seven rebounds and five assists, but held scoreless.
Now Liverpool took its turn against West Genesee on Friday night, and this time it never got any lead as it fell 74-48 to the Wildcats, Butler held to two points as only Jalen Works, with 11 points, reached double figures.
Outscoring the Warriors in each quarter, WG had Sutherland gain 19 points and Amica finish with 16 points as Benson gained nine points.
C-NS, meanwhile, tried to knock off unbeaten, state Class AA no. 25-ranked Corcoran, and again, despite a superb defensive effort, the Northstars fell just as the Cougars held on to beat them 57-53.
Up 27-22 at halftime, C-NS got blitzed by Corcoran’s 27-7 third-quarter breakout. Suddenly, the Northstars were down 49-34, but it nearly made it all the way back.
Delvecchio (13 points) and Demonte (12 points, 11 rebounds) led the rally, Tircarico adding seven points, but Corcoran did enough to maintain its lead as Dejour Reaves had 14 points and Daimarr Miller got 13 points, with D.J. Haynes and Branden Denham adding 10 points apiece.
