CENTRAL NEW YORK – Even with a record of 3-10, the Baldwinsville boys basketball team still had an opportunity to change its fortunes before it was too late.
Doing so meant getting some victories in a hurry, and the Bees were successful in last Tuesday’s game at Rome Free Academy, outscoring the Black Knights 71-64.
With a modest 6-8 mark, RFA had doubled B’ville’s win total, but that mattered little as the Bees, in the second quarter, sprinted out in front and led 27-24 going to the break.
The pace quickened in the third quarter, and the Bees’ lead grew, to 52-45, which proved enough as Jason Bifulco made sure it didn’t get away, finishing the night with 30 points.
Greg Marinelli, with 15 points, and Eli Taft, with 13 points, offered ample support. For RFA, Kaiden McCaskill had 21 points, Surafia Norries 17 points and Uzziah Grimes 14 points.
One night later, B’ville took a much shorter road trip, to meet those other Black Knights from Henninger, where it again gave itself a great opportunity at a victory, only to slump late in a 52-47 loss.
While both sides maintained a modest pace, neither put together a sustained run and had little separation in the first three quarters, leaving B’vllle and Henninger in a 39-39 deadlock.
However, the Black Knights outscored the Bees 12-8 the rest of the way, holding Bifulco to 17 points overall as Taft had 14 points and Marinelli 10 points. Henninger got 16 points fromn Ja’Quair Lewis, 14 points from Darrell Washington and 11 points from Ra’Sean Patterson.
B’ville played again Friday, hosting Nottingham on Senior Night, and never fully recovered from a quick start by the Bulldogs in a 42-36 defeat.
Nottingham controlled matters from the tip, not letting up until it had built a 20-5 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Though the Bees got within single digits, 25-16, by halftime, its offense continued to struggle. Bifulco was held to 10 points, with Taft getting 14 points and Dean Welch nine points, that trio accounting for all but one of B’ville’s field goals. Malachi McCurty led B’ville with 16 points.
Now at 4-12 overall, B’ville faces a pair of tough home games next week against West Genesee and Cicero-North Syracuse.
