Nothing appears to have changed for the Christian Brothers Academy boys basketball team in the 11-plus months since it tore to the Section III Class A championship.
Still in top form, the Brothers retained the upper hand in the “Holy War” against Bishop Ludden last Thursday afternoon, battling its way to a 62-53 victory over the Gaelic Knights.
A fast start would play a crucial role in the outcome, CBA nearly doubling Ludden’s total while building a 19-10 advantage.
All through the game’s middle stages, the Gaelic Knights stayed within range, seeing Jarin Beauford (15 points), Woi Aman (13 points) and Grant Baker (11 points) all put up solid efforts.
Yet CBA maintained its lead, led again by Dan Anderson, who poured in 22 points. Sam Haas and Cody Miller each had 10 points as Amarri Pitts contributed seven points.
Of the area’s high school boys basketball teams, no one had to wait longer than Jamesville-DeWitt to see game action.
The Red Rams, who fell to CBA in last March’s sectional Class A final, would have to wait until Saturday to finally see game action – and as it turned out, CBA was the opposition.
And like so many of their battles through the years, it was close, tense and very much in doubt until the final horn, with CBA able to squeeze it out 56-55 over J-D.
Eager to be on the court, the Rams stunned the Brothers by sprinting out to a 23-11 advantage, only to see that margin vanish by halftime, CBA hitting a series of shots to be up 34-32 at the break.
Then both teams went cold, part of it due to poor shooting, but much of it a byproduct of the defense on each side that kept either side from feeling safe.
To hang on, the Brothers needed Anderson and Mike Schaefer to each get 14 points, with Haas getting nine points and Miller adding seven points.
Carrying much of J-D’s attack, Preston Shumpert led all scorers with 27 points as he, along with John Withers, hit four 3-pointers apiece, Withers gaining 15 points overall.
Two days earlier, CBA hosted East Syracuse Minoa, where a surge just before halftime broke things open and ultimately helped the Brothers tame the Spartans 71-57.
Off its first win of the season over Cortland Feb. 13, ESM only trailed by two, 16-14, when CBA put everything together in a 23-9 second-quarter spurt.
Cruising from there, the Brothers saw Miller and Anderson each hit three 3-pointers, Miller getting 17 points and Anderson 15 points as Mike Schaefer (nine points) and Braeden Burns (seven points) helped out.
ESM still had a trio of players hit double figures, led by Devin Mascato-Buffaloe, who had 16 points, mostly from four 3-pointers. Stephen Graham had a career-best 15 points and Nick Brown added 11 points.
Then the Spartans won again on Thursday, shutting down Auburn 59-41 in large part due to a defense that held the Maroons to a handful of baskets in the first half.
Then, having established a 31-16 lead by intermission, ESM stayed in control thanks to Mascato-Buffaloe, who mixed in a trio of 3-pointers with eight successful free throws on his way to 21 points overall. Brown and Gavin Houghtaling each had nine points, with Graham and Jimmy Ferns both getting six points.
Challenging undefeated West Genesee last Saturday afternoon, ESM got off to a terrific start, leading 17-11 through one period and still up 27-25 going into halftime.
But the Wildcats dominated the second half, topping the Spartans 67-45 behind Adam Dudzinski’s 24 points and help from James Tully (15 points) and Jack Dalgety (13 points). Brown paced ESM with 14 points, with Mascato-Buffaloe held to eight points, which Houghtaling matched.
