If ever a week where a team had four defeats could emerge with some confidence intact, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys basketball team had it.
In each of those four contests last week, culminating with a 62-54 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy (see related story), the Hornets were competitive most of the way, only to struggle down the stretch.
It all started when F-M got two opportunities to upend undefeated Liverpool in a 24-hour span, starting last Tuesday on the road where it was close most of the way before the Hornets fell to the Warriors 62-54.
Liverpool was out in front, yet F-M didn’t let them getting away, rallying several times and forging a 40-40 tie by the end of the third quarter.
Yet the Warriors had one final surge that the Hornets could not answer. Jack Nucerino still had 17 points, with Luke Davidson adding 15 points and James Madill getting 10 points as Jacob Works (17 points) led Liverpool.
When back home a night later, F-M lost again to Liverpool 65-49, and the game took on a similar pattern, with the Hornets inching to a 33-31 lead by halftime and, again, finding itself tied after three periods.
This time, the 41-41 deadlock was broken by a Warriors surge led by Andreo Ash, who finished with 18 points as Works got 15 points. Davidson still led all scorers with 19 points, while Nucerino finished with 12 points and Madill earned six points.
Up against another unbeaten team on Friday, F-M fell 56-43 to West Genesee, who did not get caught looking ahead to its own showdown with Liverpool early this week.
Here, the decisive move came early, the Wildcats outscoring the Hornets 19-9 in the first quarter and leaning on its stout defense to never let F-M get comfortable.
Only Davidson, with 10 points, reached double figures, with Josh Michel and Trevor Roe each getting seven points, not even half the 21 points put up by WG standout Jack Dalgety as Christian Amica added 12 points.
When it returned to action last Saturday, Manlius-Pebble Hill paid heavily for a mid-game slump in a 65-51 loss to Faith Heritage.
The Trojans were ahead, 17-11, thanks to some hot early shooting, only to get outscored 23-5 in the second quarter by the Saints.
Aiden Retzos, Faith’s all-time leading scorer, had 34 points overall, something no MPH player could match, though Isiah Clarry had 12 points, Alex Abrams got 10 points and Johnny Gruninger had nine points.
