ONONDAGA COUNTY – In most years, the struggles of the Baldwinsville boys basketball team would guarantee that it would not have a chance at atoning for it in the Section III Class AA playoffs.

But with the section adopting an “open tournament” format, the Bees would have a chance to prove that all the close calls it had against top contenders could lead to a surprise or two.

At the very least, the Bees showed its quality in last Tuesday’s game against Henninger, where it controlled matters most of the way and roared past the Black Knights 70-50.

Having lost 52-47 to Henninger two weeks earlier, B’ville turned it around with strong defense, especially during a second quarter where it outscored the Black Knights 15-5 to gain a 30-15 halftime edge.

Though the pace picked up late, the Bees handled it well, especially Nick Hollingshead, who sank six 3-pointers on his way to a team-best 20 points.

Jason Bifulco had 16 points, with Greg Marinelli adding 14 points and Eli Taft (11 points) also reaching double figures. Henninger, in defeat, got 27 points from Darrell Washington.

With no rest, B’ville turned around to face Cicero-North Syracuse 24 hours later and ran into a confident Northstars squad who controlled matters from the outset and handed the Bees a 70-41 defeat.

Regardless of the pace, C-NS dictated it, steadily building a 55-28 lead through three quarters led by Luke Paragon, who had 20 points, and Reece Congel, who got 13 points.

Only one B’ville player, Bifulco, reached double figures, matching Congel’s total of 13 points as the next-highest scorer, Marinelli, had six points and Taft five points.

It wouldn’t get easier Friday as it went to 15-2 Liverpool, the Bees again unable to keep pace with a high-quality opponent during an 85-54 defeat that dropped its record to 5-15.

Liverpool’s depth and balance were on full display, seven players scoring at least eight points but no one having more than Andreo Ash, who had 14 points, and Jacob Works, who got 13 points after surpassing 1,000 career point earlier in the week.

Taft, with 17 points (including three 3-poineters), led all scorers. Bifulco was held to 10 points as all of Hollinghead’s nine points came from matching Taft by converting three times beyond the arc.