In a single memorable Tuesday evening of Section III Class AA quarterfinal action, the Baldwinsville boys basketball team not only inched closer to a first-ever sectional title, it saw one of the biggest obstacles in its path get cast aside.
The no. 4 seed Bees first had to do its own part against visiting no. 5 seed Auburn, and with sophomore sensation J.J. Starling again proving too difficult to contain, B’ville pulled away to defeat the Maroons 78-44.
Auburn was a Class AA school that chose, during the regular season, to compete against Class A sides in the Salt City Athletic Conference Empire division, and had gone 13-7. And the Maroons did enough during the early stages to worry B’ville, staying within range and only trailing 16-12 after one period.
But whatever Auburn tried against Starling did not work. Mostly working against a freshman in Auburn guard DeSean Strachan, Starling kept taking shots – and kept making them, not letting up until he had converted nine 3-pointers for the evening.
Steadily, the game got away, B’ville in front 35-19 at halftime and then, after a relatively even third quarter, closing with a 27-11 push where Starling worked his total to 38 points, with ample help from Chase Trombley, who had 12 points, and Bo Nicholson, who got 11 points.
Jay Baranick (23 points) and Troy Churney (14 points) accounted for most of Auburn’s production as the Bees held the rest of the Maroons to just a single 3-point shot from Strachan.
After it was done, B’ville made its way to Camillus, where it watched top seed and defending state champion West Genesee get knocked off 70-56 by no. 9 seed Rome Free Academy.
So instead of a showdown with the Wildcats, it’s B’ville against the Black Knights in Sunday’s AA semifinal at SRC Arena, the Bees eager to avenge a 63-61, last-second defeat to RFA on Jan. 20 and advance to the title game March 7 against Corcoran or Bishop Ludden.
