LIVERPOOL – Even as it rolled to six consecutive victories, the Liverpool boys basketball team carried with it the bitter memory of what took place Dec. 16 at West Genesee, when a 15-point lead late in the third quarter turned into a 73-66 defeat.
So when the chance to avenge that lone blemish arrived Tuesday night, the Warriors again sprinted to the front – and this time, was able to stay there.
Liverpool’s 84-72 victory brought an end to the Wildcats’ 12-game win streak and greatly improved the Warriors’ chances of gaining the top seed in the Section III Class AA playoffs a month from now.
“We had control the whole time,” said sophomore forward Andreo Ash, who led Liverpool with 26 points. “This (win) is a huge confidence boost.”
In order to apply the lesson of that first encounter, the Warriors first had to move out in front, something that Ash and Jacob Works did by scoring the team’s first 14 points.
All game long, Ash gave WG serious match-up problems, whether by making strong moves in the paint or drifting outside to hit a pair of 3-pointers, demonstrating his improved shooting range.
Another boost came from the bench as guard Jacob Trombley hit on three 3-pointers which pushed Liverpool’s lead to 39-24 late in the second quarter.
Having overcome that same margin in December, WG fought back, closing the gap to 41-35 before Ash converted a basket and free throw near the midway point of the third quarter, leading to another prolonged Liverpool surge.
Then, up 60-42 in the final period, the Warriors saw the Wildcats make one more push, moving within eight, 69-61, but Bruce Wingate made sure there wouldn’t be another WG comeback.
Hitting on all kinds of shots and drawing contact, Wingate scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, putting the game away.
Aside from Ash and Wingate, Trombley and Works both put up 14 points. To lead WG’s effort, Christian Cain poured in 27 points, but no other Wildcat scored in double figures.
Liverpool had little time to celebrate, though, for it would meet Baldwinsville and Nottingham later in the week – all told, three games in a 72-hour span.
Against B’ville, the Warriors deftly avoided any kind of letdown, handling the Bees 73-50 in large part due to bolting out to a 20-7 first-quarter lead and then controlling the third quarter 23-6.
Amid those spurts, Ash earned most of his 14 points, with Works getting 13 points and Wingate earning 12 points. Trombley had eight points and Jah’Deuir Reese earned seven points.
Facing Nottingham on Friday, Liverpool continued to impress, jumping out 16-7 on the Bulldogs in the first quarter and never getting caught on the way to prevailing 76-59 for its ninth win in a row.
Works set the pace with 20 points, while Ash earned six of his 16 points at the free-throw line. Wingate had 14 points as Jaiden Reynolds, with 10 points, also hit double figures.
