ONONDAGA COUNTY – With plenty of memorable showdowns in their recent past, the Jordan-Elbridge and Solvay boys basketball teams looked forward to clashing with each other last Friday night.
From a standpoint of excitement, this version did not match some of the others, but the Eagles didn’t mind as it rolled past the Bearcats 60-38 to climb back to the .500 mark (4-4) after a pair of early-week defeats.
The game’s middle stages decided matters. Solvay led, 15-10, going into the second quarter, but J-E caught fire from the field, forced some turnovers and grabbed a 35-23 advantage at the break.
This surge continued into the third period, Solvay going cold from the field. All told, the Eagles went on a 42-12 run through the second and third quarters.
All along, Jacob Lawless led that charge, draining six 3-pointers on his way to a career-best 25 points. Help came from Mitch Holt and Wade Brunelle, who earned 10 points apiece.
Earlier in the week, J-E dropped a 56-40 decision to reigning sectional Class C champion Weedsport last Tuesday night, held to six points in the first quarter and finding itself in catch-up mode the rest of the way.
Holt paced the Eagles with 11 points, with Owen Barrigar adding eight points. Tyler Waldron (seven points) and Jeremy Meili (six points) were close behind as Josh O’Connor led Weedsport with 19 points.
J-E lost again on Wednesday to Cazenovia 71-45, a lopsided result that gave no indication as to how it would turn things around against solvay.
Solvay got its most lopsided victory of the season last Tuesday when it ripped Mexico 62-24, holding the Tigers without a field goal in the first quarter on the way to a 17-1 advantage and then pulling further away.
Eleven different players got on the scoresheet for the Bearcats as Tommy Venturini set a career mark with 16 points, including three 3-pointers, while Antonio Gonzalez got 14 points.
Marcellus got away late for a 56-47 victory over Chittenango last Tuesday night, outscoring the Bears 18-10 in the fourth quarter after the Mustangs nearly saw a 28-16 halftime lead vanish.
To thwart Chittenango, the Mustangs needed Matt Kershaw to produce 19 points and Cory Cangemi to earn 17 points. Tyrus Kelly (17 points) and James Miller (14 points) paced the Bears.
Then the Mustangs won again Thursday, handling Homer 69-38 as it jumped out 28-6 in the first quarter and built up a 43-10 advantage by halftime.
Twelve different players had at least one field goal, none more than Kershaw’s 13 points. Ryan Sammon, Pat Lauer and Will Burnett got eight points apiece as Kershaw had seven points and Michael Ossit earned six points.
In a tough battle Saturday at Cazenovia, the Lakers pushed the game to overtime, but led by Kershaw and Cangemi, the Mustangs pulled it out 54-50 to improve its record to 3-4.
With 21 points, Kershaw led all scorers, Cangemi contributing 14 points as Will Burnett had seven points. Alex Moesch set the pace for Cazenovia with 18 points.
