ONONDAGA COUNTY – To everyone involved with the Baldwinsville boys basketball team, its game with Corcoran last Tuesday bore little resemblance to the 2020 sectional Class AA final where the Cougars denied the Bees the top prize.
Both sides had seen so much of their talent depart through graduations or transfers (J.J. Starling for B’ville, D.J. Haynes for Corcoran), but this game, like the sectional final, would go in the Cougars’ favor.
Ultimately, the 66-56 loss could be pinned on a first quarter where B’ville got outscored 27-9. Patiently, the Bees erased most of that deficit in the game’s middle stages, pulling within 48-42 heading to the fourth quarter.
Corcoran had the last surge, though, as Amir Reeves (23 points) paced the Cougars. Dean Welch led B’ville with 19 points, with Colin Doyle getting eight points and Austin McClintic earning seven points.
When the Bees traveled to Liverpool on Friday, it nearly upended the Warriors, only to fall by a score of 51-47.
Liverpool, who had started the season 8-0, had lost its first game of the season to West Genesee earlier in the week and was still without its star freshman forward, Andreo Ash.
So despite its 1-6 record and the memory of a 68-45 defeat to the Warriors in the Feb. 9 season opener fresh in its minds, the Bees had confidence it could do better in the rematch, which was not misplaced.
B’ville matched the Warriors basket for basket in a first half that ended tied, 29-29. And it stayed that close the rest of the way as B’ville’s defense made Liverpool work for every opportunity.
Jacob Works ended up carrying Liverpool with 31 points, including the clinching free throws in the final seconds. For B’ville, Ben Bifulco had 13 points, with Willie Strong adding 12 points. Welch and Nick Huhtala each had eight points.
The Bees’ season concludes this week with games against Fayetteville-Manlius and Nottingham.
