Game by game, and week by week, the East Syracuse Minoa boys basketball team further establishes its legitmacy amid a crowded field of Class A contenders.
The Spartans were 3-0, but without even a mention in the state Class A rankings, when it traveled west to take on 4-1 Auburn last Thursday night. And it was ESM’s defense that made most of the difference in a 55-44 victory over the Maroons.
During the first half, the Spartans steadily produced baskets and nearly doubled Auburn’s output, building a 34-18 margin that it would protect the rest of the way.
Even when it slumped in the third quarter, ESM made key stops, and then regrouped late as Devin Mascato-Buffaloe led the attack, his 24 points half a result from four 3-pointers.
Sevem other Spartans earned field goals, though no one had more than Joe Kopp’s total of six points. On Auburn’s side, only Andrew Bishuk, with 11 points, hit double figures.
Two days later, it was ESM in a neighborhood clash against Fayetteville-Manlius, and it went the Spartans’ way as, once again, it shut down an opponent on the way to a 60-45 victory.
During a dominant first half, ESM amassed a 37-14 lead on the Hornets, and quite unlike the Auburn game, the production was spread around.
Mascato-Buffaloe was held to eight points, but Nick Brown led with 12 points and Jimmy Ferns got 11 points, with Naiche Cook and Matt Burchill-Wright each getting eight points, too, and Peterson earning seven points.
Josh Michel led F-M with 12 points, but in many ways, despite a late surge, the Hornets found itself unable to recover not just from the way the Spartans jumped all over them, but the way the previous night’s game with Liverpool ended.
With a chance to knock off the Warriors at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall and a lead in the final minutes, F-M still suffered a tough 57-55 defeat.
Solid early production had the Hornets out in front, 18-13, through one period, and for a majority of the game it kept that margin as Ethan Page, with 16 points, and Jack Nucerino, with 13 points, led the way.
Yet it could not put away Liverpool and, clinging to a 55-54 lead as time wound down, the Hornets fouled Jack Pento. Though Pento missed the free throw, Jacob Works got the rebound, converted, was fouled – and converted the three-point play with six seconds left.
F-M was unable to answer it, and the Warriors escaped, mostly leaning on Works, whose 22 points topped all scorers.
Elsewhere that night, Jamesville-DeWitt breezed to a 75-53 win over Fulton where it was close until the second quarter, when the Red Rams outscored the Red Raiders 23-10.
Bishop Grimes hosted Syracuse Academy of Science and kept rolling with a 70-63 victory over the Atoms, where Jack Gutchess poured in 21 points as Ian Denton and Joe Wike had 18 points apiece. Sylvester Seton finished with 11 points.
Manlius-Pebble Hill hosted Cato-Meridian and lost, 75-42, to the Blue Devils. Alex Abrams had 21 points, half the Trojans’ output, while James Kelly had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
In Saturday’s action, Christian Brothers Academy had yet another close call, this time against its affiliated school in Albany, who edged the Brothers 69-68 in overtime.
Down 50-45 through three quarters, CBA rallied to tie it, 61-61, and get it to OT, yet fell just short as Dan Anderson got 26 points, with Sam Haas adding 13 points and Colin Kelly earning 10 points.
