Just when it needs to find its top form, the Westhill boys basketball team is doing so, and that could prove troubling for anyone that wants to take the Section III Class B crown from them.
One side quite eager to do so, Solvay, would challenge the Warriors Friday night, and made quite an effort, only to see the Warriors make a strong statement about itself late in the game while beating the Bearcats 74-57.
Early on, it was all Zach Brown as the senior hit on three 3-pointers and amassed 11 points before the game was four minutes old. Despite this, Solvay fought back and pulled within two, 13-11, late in the first quarter.
So set much of the night’s pattern, with Westhill never trailing and able to establish a solid margin, only to have the Bearcats nearly catch up, especially in the third quarter when, twice, it pulled within a single basket, at 33-32 and 43-41.
And it was still a tight game when Brown, who had piled up 28 points, went to the bench early in the fourth quarter after picking up a technical foul. Yet without him, the Warriors put Solvay away, closing on a 21-10 spurt.
Dan Washburn, who finished with 21 points, and reserve Elliot Rouse, who had 13 points, led that late push. Solvay lost despite a terrific night from Elijah Wright, who earned 22 points as Brock Bagozzi got 13 points and Justin Scott had 11 points.
Before this, both teams had impressive wins last Tuesday as Westhill smothered Mexico 60-40 and Solvay, going to Phoenix, earned a 72-57 victory over the Firebirds.
Westhill’s defense told much of the story against Mexico as it held the Tigers to just seven points in the second and third quarters while establishing a 43-24 margin, and this despite Zach Brown getting held to five points.
All 10 Warriors players that saw action got at least one point, with Liam Sanborn leading the way, his 13 points including three 3-pointers. Elliot Rouse had 12 points, with Dan Washburn contributing 10 points.
Solvay, meanwhile, was steady throughout the first half at Phoenix, gaining a 29-23 advantage and then getting it to double digits by the end of the third quarter with five players scoring in double figures.
Robby Clark led with 17 points, but Justin Scott was right behind him, earning 16 points. Wright finished with 14 points as McKyle Sands got 11 points and Bagozzi chimed in with 10 points.
Marcellus had a chance at a playoff-clinching eighth win last Tuesday night when it hosted Bishop Grimes, but struggles in the game’s middle stages proved costly in a 69-51 defeat to the Cobras.
Only down one, 12-11, through one period, the Mustangs allowed Grimes to outscore them 20-14 each of the next two quarters, with T.J. Bradford and David Mo leading the Cobras as Bradford got 22 points and Mo added 18 points.
Battling to the end, Marcellus did get 15 points from Matt Kershaw, with Kyle Brown adding 12 points. Luke Ingianni finished with nien points and Tristan Jarvi had seven points.
So the Mustangs had to wait until Saturday to ttry and lock up a playoff spot – which it did, taking down Watertown 60-39 in an impressive effort where it steadily built a 38-24 halftime lead, then limited the Cyclones to three points in the third quarter.
Even with Jared Sammon producing 17 points, Marcellus spread things around, Ingianni getting 10 points as Kershaw got eight points, Jarvi earned seven points and Will Kimber added six points.
Jordan-Elbridge lost last Tuesday to Syracuse Academy of Science 57-41, the game close and low-scoring until the fourth quarter, when the Atoms outscored the Eagles 23-11 to get away.
Jeremiah Sparks still had 24 points, with Dakota Holbrook adding nine points, but J-E only got three total field goals from the rest of its roster as Dale McMillian led SAS with 20 points, with Zachaeus Smith adding 14 points and 11 rebounds as Anthony Butera got 12 points and nine rebounds.
Going to Cazenovia on Friday, the Eagles lost again, 59-52, outscored in each of the first three periods and unable to make up that ground late against the Lakers.
Sparks finished with 27 points, but Cazenovia contained everyone else, only letting one other J-E player, Alex Pond (who had 11 points), get more than two field goals. Drew Johnson paced Cazenovia with 20 points, while Ryan Romagnoli was close behind, his 16 points including four 3-pointers.
J-E did prevail on Saturday, routing Westmoreland 81-21 as Sparks outscored the Bulldogs by himself, earning 30 points. Tyler Waldron had 11 points, with Deacon Hill, Nate Melfi and Alec Henderson getting six points apiece.
