ONONDAGA COUNTY – While a lot of challenges remained, there was no doubting that the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team was on the short list of area Class AA title contenders.
And an early playoff preview was at hand last Tuesday night, when the 5-0 Northstars were challenged by 4-0 West Genesee, who had just rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat Liverpool on Dec. 16 and stay undefeated.
Buoyed by plenty of anticipation and cheered on by a large, loud home crowd, C-NS proved plenty tough, yet could not quite catch up and took a 59-53 defeat to the Wildcats.
All game long, the tempo was just where WG wanted it – moderate, never lulled into a sprint and able, when it was needed, to make defensive stops.
Hanging close, the Northstars saw Terrance Coppock emerge as a threat, his 16 points matching that of Luke Paragon as Reece Congel chimed in with 10 points.
Outside of that trio, though, C-NS managed just four field goals, with Robbie Siechen and Andrew Benedict each limited to a single 3-pointer.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats got a game-high 20 points from Christian Cain and balance elsewhere. Gary McLane had 12 points, with Christian Amica getting nine points as Jordan Cain and James Tully had eight points apiece.
C-NS nearly got to that game with a blemish, surrendering its own fourth-quarter lead at Henninger on Dec. 17 before regrouping in overtime to edge the Black Knights 57-54.
Having steadily worked its way to a 40-30 advantage through three quarters, the Northstars saw Henninger’s rugged defense really take hold in the final period.
With a 16-6 spurt, the Black Knights tied it, 46-46, and pushed the game to OT, where in the four-minute extra period Paragon again showed his ability to play well in a clutch situation.
Seven straight points by Paragon gave him 18 for the night and that, combined with Siechen’s four free throws, secured the win.
Congel had 10 points, with Benedict adding nine points and Michael Gallo getting seven points. Lanair McMurren (12 points) and Ra’Sean Patterson (10 points) paced the Black Knights.
