ONONDAGA COUNTY – Here was the big chance for the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team to remind everyone that it still harbored plenty of championship dreams.
The Northstars paid a visit to Camillus last Friday night to face West Genesee, eager to avenge a Dec. 21 home defeat and knowing that the Wildcats had just suffered its first loss of the season to Liverpool.
What happened, instead, was that C-NS fell victim to a terrific first half by the Wildcats, and never could fully recover from it as it lost by a score of 67-49.
All through the early stages, the Northstars struggled to produce baskets in the face of WG’s intense pressure, and it continued until C-NS found itself trailing 33-17 at the break.
Only in the third quarter did things start to turn around, but even when the Northstars did start to convert, the Wildcats always had an answer.
Luke Paragon and Andrew Benedict had 12 points apiece, but no other C-NS player had more than five points. On the other end, the Wildcats’ Christian Cain had 21 points, with Christian Amica adding 11 points.
Prior to this, C-NS hosting Henninger last Tuesday and, welcoming Paragon back to the lineup, immediately jumped up its level of play on both ends while beating the Black Knights 74-60.
Paragon had missed most of the previous month, but he helped the Northstars overcome an early deficit by spearheading a 23-8 push through the second quarter.
Up 39-28 at the break, C-NS protected that lead the rest of the way with a balanced attack as Paragon, with 19 points, was one of five players to score in double figures.
Benedict, who had 41 points against Corcoran Jan. 14, got 15 points on this night, with Robbie Siechen getting 14 points, Reece Congel earning 12 points and Michael Gallo adding 10 points as Henninger’s Ja’Quair Lewis led all individuals with 27 points.
