ROME – All of those close games, all of those near-misses, and all of the scar tissue built up from those defeats could have derailed the Baldwinsville boys basketball team at any point this winter.
It did not, though, and the Bees made it all worthwhile when it went on the road Friday night and, in overtime, knocked off Rome Free Academy 58-51 in the opening round of the Section III Class AA playoffs.
In years past, a 5-15 regular season may not have meant a post-season berth, but due to COVID-19 considerations the section decided on an open-tournament format, giving B’ville a lifeline.
Holding the no. 11 seed, B’ville caught a break because, even though it was traveling to RFA, it had beaten the Black Knights 71-64 when they met late in January in Rome.
Now in the playoff rematch, the Bees again got the jump, steadily building a 26-18 lead by halftime thanks to a stellar defensive effort in the early going.
But RFA battled back and, by the end of regulation, had forged a 47-47 tie, leading B’ville fans to wonder if, again, the team’s misfortunes in close contests all winter would resurface.
It did not, though. The Bees regained the lead in the four-minute OT period and pulled clear for good as Eli Taft put together a memorable all-around performance.
Hitting on 11 field goals, six of them 3-pointers, Taft set a career mark with 33 points, taking pressure off Jason Bifulco, who got 17 points to match RFA’s top scorer, Surafia Norries.
Now B’ville seeks a bigger upset when it faces no. 3 seed Christian Brothers Academy in next Tuesday’s quarterfinal, with the winner to get Liverpool or Utica Proctor in the Feb. 26 semifinal at SRC Arena.
