Myles Town, like most of the other members of the Jordan-Elbridge boys basketball team, spent this season lingering in the shadow of Jeremiah Sparks – until the season was on the line.
Town’s open lay-up just before time expired gave the no. 10 seed Eagles a 53-51 victory over no. 7 seed Solvay in Friday night’s Section III Class B playoff game.
It marked sweet payback for J-E after losing twice to the Bearcats in the regular season, including a 67-63 defeat two nights earlier where the Eagles surrendered a fourth-quarter lead after Sparks recorded his 1,000th career point.
The playoff battle proved the most important – and most dramatic – of all.
Solvay had tied it, 51-51, on Robby Clark’s driving layup with 10 seconds left. Right after, J-E called a time-out, with everyone on both sides figuring that the ball would be in Sparks’ hands.
Indeed, Sparks, who had 23 points, received the inbounds pass. Solvay’s defense surrounded him just after he crossed midcourt, three Bearcats trapping him near the sideline.
But then Sparks spotted Town underneath the basket, all by himself, passed it to the sophomore reserve – and saw Town convert one of the biggest baskets in J-E history.
Town had already proven his poise by hitting two free throws with 33.6 seconds to play that broke a 49-49 tie. Prior to that, both teams had squandered numerous chances to go out in front down the stretch.
Solvay opened on an 11-2 run, only to have J-E shut them out for more than seven minutes, stretching into the second quarter, before Deacon Hill’s 3-pointer right before halftime put the Eagles in front 25-24.
J-E led by as much as nine in the third quarter, but the Bearcats fought back with another 11-0 run, setting up the tense finish – and ultimaely, Town’s big moment.
Town finished with eight points as Dakota Holbrook earned 11 points. Justin Scott paced Solvay with 20 points as Brock Bagozzi got nine points right after he had scored 26 to propel the comeback win over J-E two nights earlier. Elijah Wright also had nine points.
And this was far from the only exciting game involving a local team in the sectional Class B tournament. Marcellus, holding the no. 12 seed, traveled to no. 5 seed Holland Patent and survived two overtimes to knock off the Golden Knights 77-72.
It was the Mustangs’ defense that stood up during the second quarter, holding HP to seven points as the visitors erased an early 18-13 deficit. From there, the rest of regulation was tense and close, but Marcellus built a six-point advantage late in the fourth quarter.
Somehow, the Golden Knights rallied to tie it, 63-63, as regulation ended. With all the momentum on its side, though, HP could not capitalize in the first four-minute extra period, which ended 68-68.
Finally, the Mustangs regained the lead in the second OT, and made the free throws necessary to pull it out, helped in the end by the depth and balance in its attack.
Luke Ingianni finished with 19 points, while Matt Kersahw had 17 points. Jared Sammon got 15 points and Tristan Jarvi contributed 13 points. For HP, Nate Healey had 18 points, just ahead of Josh Ernst (17 points), D.J. Harter (16 points) and Jeff Sobel (14 points).
After all this, Westhill had a comparatively quiet playoff opener, but the no. 4 seed and reigning two-time sectional champion Warriors had plenty of its own stress before getting away late on Saturday to beat no. 20 seed Institute of Technology Central 70-54.
All through the first half, ITC kept pace with the Warriors, and that lingered deep into the third quarter, too, before Westhill finally asserted some control with four players scoring in double figures.
Dan Washburn led with 19 points, just ahead of Ryan Gilmartin, whose 16 points was his best total this season. Zach Brown added 15 points and Charlie Bolesh gained 12 points.
So this means Westhill goes up against Marcellus in Tuesday night’s sectional Class B quarterfinal, barely a week after the Warriors shut down the Mustangs 48-28. The winner of the rematch meets Lowville or Chittenango in Saturday’s semifinal at SRC Arena.
Then, on Wednesday night, it’s J-E against no. 2 seed Skaneateles in another sectional quarterfinal. Twice in as many weeks in January, the Eagles lost narrow decisions to the Lakers, and the third encounter determines who faces General Brown or Sherburne-Earlville in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, West Genesee, on its way to the no. 2 seed in the sectional Class AA bracket and an eventual quarterfinal against no. 7 seed Baldwinsville (who knocked off the Wildcats earlier this month), survived yet another close call last Monday at Utica Proctor, prevailing 64-62, its third straight win by four points or less.
All game long, the two sides exchanged runs and rarely could gain separation. And they were still tied, 62-62, when Will Amica got fouled with 13 seconds to play in regulation.
Amica withstood the pressure to sink both free throws, and the Wildcats’ defense made one more stop to end it. Lucas Sutherland had 22 points, with Amica and Adam Dudzinski each getting nine points as Kam Jones and Jack McLane had seven points apiece.
Bishop Ludden, meanwhile, held the no. 6 seed in Class AA, and a chance to meet WG in the semifinals Sunday at SRC Arena if it beats no. 3 seed Rome Academy.
