CENTRAL NEW YORK – Active in tournament play during the holiday break, the Skaneateles and Solvay boys basketball teams would open 2022 against each other as some of its neighbors and rivals remained sidelined.
The game last Tuesday proved a good one, too, as the Bearcats hung close all the way to the end, but could not quite catch up to the Lakers, who prevailed 54-50 to move to 7-1 on the season.
Not mentioned in the state rankings despite its strong play in December, Skaneateles muddled through a low-scoring first half before outscoring Solvay 18-12 in the third quarter to gain a 42-35 advantage.
Hanging on late, the Lakers saw Colin Gaglione carry the attack, his 25 points accounting for nearly half the team’s output as Colin Sweet added 13 points to make up for the absence of Jude Pascal.
Solvay battled to the end with a well-balanced attack, Tom Venturini getting 11 points and Nick Commisso adding 10 points. Jordan Dippold had eight points, with Jeff Sharpe and Justin Palmisano getting seven points apiece.
Marcellus had not played since a Dec. 18 overtime win at Altmar-Parish-Wiliamstown, so by the time it returned last Friday to face Syracuse Academy of Science, it had gone three weeks without a game.
But the Mustangs shook off all that rust and, in a tough 42-33 win over the Atoms, improved to 7-1 overall. Trailing 13-9 early, Marcellus went in front by halftime and, with the game still close late, shut down SAS in the fourth quarter, holding it to just two points.
Pat Louer had a hard-earned double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, with Liam Goldsworthy also earning key boards as Matt Kershaw picked up nine points and seven rebounds.
Westhill had seen two late-December games with Jordan-Elbridge and Homer postponed, along with a boys-girls doubleheader last Friday against neighbor Bishop Ludden.
But the Warriors would play last Wednesday against visiting Cazenovia and, ending its 19-day break, used a mid-game surge to seize control before hanging on for a 51-46 victory.
Trailing 17-15 in the second quarter, Westhill went on a 14-0 run that stretched deep into the third period, holding Cazneovia without a point for more than eight minutes.
Ultimately, the margin grew to 45-30 before A.J. Rothfeld, who had a game-high 20 points, led a late Cazenovia comeback that fell just short.
On the Warriors’ side, Omar Robinson poured in 19 points and Shawn Mayes added 14 points. Luke Gilmartin got seven points before exiting the game early and James Derrick got six points.
Westhill followed up on Saturday with a 75-38 victory over Homer, an unusual game where the Trojans actually led 19-7 through one period before the Warriors took charge.
Outscoring Homer 48-11 over the course of the second and third periods, Westhill saw Kam Langdon sink five 3-pointers on his way to 27 points overall. Mayes had 14 points, with Robinson and Gilmartin each adding eight points as the Warriors improved its record to 6-2.
