ONONDAGA COUNTY – For the last two weeks of the regular season, the West Genesee boys basketball team carried with it the knowledge that a regular-season SCAC Metro division title and top seed for the Section III Class AA playoffs was right in front of them.
And it wasn’t easy, but the Wildcats were able to get the wins it needed.
A full week after a scare from struggling Baldwinsville, WG again found itself in trouble against Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday ngiht, but again fought through it and pulled out a 48-46 victory over the Hornets.
Having lost 66-55 to the Wildcats two weeks earlier, the Hornets adjusted its defense and smothered WG throughout the early going. Up 20-17 at halftime, F-M then extended its margin to 11 at one point in the third quarter.
But the Wildcats rallied, moving within 35-30 by the start of the fourth quarter and then fighting its way ahead in the homestretch. Even with that, the Hornets still had chance to tie or win it on its final possession, trying a winning 3-pointer – but seeing its go off target’.
Christian Amica had 14 points, with James Tully earning 12 points. Christian Cain and Jordan Cain had seven points apiece. Trevor Roe carried F-M’s attack, earning 26 points, while Luke Davidson had 11 points. Combined, the rest of the Hornets had just two field goals.
Thursday’s game at Henninger brought another close call, WG terrific at the start, then having to fight all the way to the final horn before putting away the Black Knights 64-61.
Hot early shooting had the Wildcats in front 22-8 through one quarter. For the rest of the game, baskets were tougher to attain, especially in the second half, when Henninger chipped away.
Led by Ra’Sean Patterson (19 points), Ja’Quair Lewis (16 points) and Darrell Washington (15 points), the Black Knights almost caught up, but WG utilized superior depth to pull it out.
Christian Cain earned 14 points, with Amica and Tully both earning 12 points. Gary McLane picked up eight points, with Jayden Macknail and Jack Parrott earning six points apiece.
A win over Nottingham a night later would mean the outright league title – and WG earned it with another strong defensive effort that stymied the Bulldogs and produced a 52-30 victory.
The Wildcats held Nottingham to just seven points the entire first half. That more than made up for its own struggles as WG perked up on offense in the second half, led by Christian Cain, who got 17 points as Tully had eight points, with Macknail and Jalen Zachary getting six points apiece.
Bishop Ludden, routed by Christian Brothers Academy on Dec. 18, did better in the “Holy War” last Monday night, and while it did improve, it still lost 75-57 to the Brothers.
Constantly having difficulty against CBA’s attack, Ludden found itself down 25-13 after one period and 45-28 by halftime, a mark that did not improve much the rest of the way.
Jaiden Holloman roared to a game-best 26 points, one ahead of the 25 from the Brothers’ Braiden Burns. Chad Cook added 12 points, but no other Ludden player had more than six points.
A night later, against Syracuse Academy of Science, Ludden could not a lead late in regulation, but recovered in overtime to defeat the Atoms 78-76.
Holloman and Cook led the Gaelic Knights as a 23-13 second-quarter push created a 32-24 halftime edge, but SAS battled back and, led by Steyvon Jones (26 points) and Makai Reed (21 points), caught up at 67-67.
The four-minute OT period was close, too, but Ludden inched in front and stayed here, Holloman working his total to 34 points as Cook got 25 points and Wol Aman earned eight points.
On Friday at Bishop Grimes, Ludden scored the game’s first 10 points, but trailed 21-20 after one period and then saw the Cobrass gradually pull away to prevail 88-70.
Continuing his late-season tear, Holloman managed 33 points, with Cook adding 14 points and Tim Dunham 10 points. But Grimes saw Deng Garang amass 32 points, helped by 18 points from Sylvester Seton and 15 points from Jon Corl.
Ludden was overwhelmed Saturday in a 77-45 loss to Mekeel Christian, with Holloman held to 12 points as Cook led with 14 points and Aman got 11 points.
