The more it kept winning against strangers and rivals alike, the more the Bishop Ludden boys basketball team could stake a legitimate claim to a top seed once the Section III Class AA playoffs rolled around.
Those prospects remained alive after a wild weekend where it knocked off one of its big private-school rivals, but lost to the other, each game undecided until the final seconds.
First, there was last Friday night’s epic battle between Ludden and Bishop Grimes, where the Gaelic Knights rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off the Cobras 68-65.
Nine consecutive points in the second quarter erased Grimes’ 26-17 lead and forged a 28-28 halftime tie. Then the Cobras built a 41-33 advantage in the third period and, after Ludden pushed back, regained an eight-point lead, 58-50, with four minutes left.
Then, in the span of less than two minutes, Mykell Kaigler turned it around, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. Monte Johnson followed with a basket, foul and free throw, and then Kaigler converted again from deep, and with that 12-0 spurt the Gaelic Knights led 62-58.
Now it was Grimes’ turn to rally, with Jack Gutchess, who finished with 27 points, twice getting layups off steals, the latter of them pushing the Cobras in front 65-64 with less than a minute left.
Fouled with 20.1 seconds to play, Kaigler hit both free throws. Down 66-65, Grimes still had a chance to win it, and A.J. Burnett had a mid-range jumper in the final seconds bounce in and out of the rim.
Johnson, with 17 points, and Jarin Beauford, with 11 points, supported Kaigler, while Burnett and Joe Wike both had 13 points for the Cobras.
Somehow after all this, Ludden had to regroup for the renewal of the “Holy War” with Christian Brothers Academy on Sunday in the Pathfinder Bank Zebra Classic at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall.
Again, the Gaelic Knights trailed late and again it caught up – but this time lost in the final seconds, 52-50, to the Brothers.
CBA tore out in front late in the first quarter with a 10-0 run and would maintain the lead for much of the rest of the game, even went it went more than seven minutes without a point in the third quarter.
Ludden chipped away at a 47-41 deficit down the stretch until Kaigler hit a driving lay-up with 32 seconds left to tie it 50-50, but CBA’s Colin Kelly converted on his own drive to the basket with 2.6 seconds left.
Johnson saw a game-winning half-court shot bounce off the rim at the buzzer, having put in 16 points to Kaigler’s 19 points. Sam Haas led the Brothers with 10 points as Kelly, Dan Anderson and Jason Boule had 10 points apiece.
Back on Monday night, Ludden handled Cicero-North Syracuse 64-48. Grant Baker hit five 3-pointers and set a career mark with 18 points overall. Kaigler had 15 points, with Johnson getting 11 points.
Just 24 hours later, Ludden had to confront its neighbors from Westhill, not only facing a Warriors team riding a four-game win streak, but doing so without an ailing Kaigler in the lineup.
The Gaelic Knights still flourished, though, beating the Warriors 65-53 as it began with terrific defense, holding Westhill to just seven points in the first quarter.
Up 34-22 at halftime, Ludden nearly saw that lead vanish as Westhill outscored them 21-11 in the third quarter, ultimately seeing Zach Brown (18 points), James Kelley (15 points) and Luke Gilmartin (11 points) hit double figures.
Absorbing this, the Gaelic Knights rebuilt its margin late, and again demonstrated the diversity of its own attack, even as Johnson led them with 23 points, including eight free throws.
Kinsey and Evan Haberek did the most to make up for Kaigler’s lost production, each of them earning 12 points, while Beauford finished with 10 points.
Westhill would, on Saturday, beat New York City’s Community Health Academy 83-70, with Brown earning 22 points, including five 3-pointers. Kelley and Sam Aversa had 15 points apiece as Gilmartin added 13 points.
