CENTRAL NEW YORK – After a long winter full of ups and downs, area high school boys basketball teams were ready to tackle the Section III playoffs.
Most of them would be in Class B, amid a sprawling 23-team bracket where Westhill was the no. 4 seed and Skaneateles the no. 8 seed, and each would be home on Saturday afternoon.
Westhill took on no. 13 seed Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and, while it took a while, the Warriors ultimately turned the game into a romp, more than doubling the Rebels’ total in an 86-41 victory.
Not merely content with going in front 38-23 by halftime, Westhill kept pouring it on during a dominant second half as 12 different players recorded at least one field goal.
Leading the way, Luke Gilmartin had 16 points, with Kam Langdon earning 15 points. Omar Robinson had 13 points and Shawn Mayes had 13 points as the Warriors would face no. 5 seed Central Valley Academy in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Skaneateles would host no. 9 seed General Brown last Friday night, and though most of the game was played on even terms, the Lakers used one timely surge to take control and ultimately beat the Lions 70-56.
A close, high-scoring first quarter jolted the Skaneateles defense enough that, in the second, it limited GB to eight points while continuing its own torrid pace to lead 37-26 at halftime.
From there, the Lakers answered every Lions surge as Colin Gaglione put in 26 points. Colin Sweet stepped up with 14 points, while Marcus McClanahan hit three 3-pointers to account for most of his 13 points. In defeat, GB’s Kacy Lennox had 30 points, including six 3-pointers.
Everyone else had to play last Thursday night, whether it was Marcellus, as the no. 10 seed, facing no. 23 seed Canastota, or Solvay, the no. 16 seed, taking on no. 17 seed Homer.
Both sides would win, the Mustangs romping past the winless Raiders 68-27 in a game where it was 55-15 through three quarters. Pat Louer, with 15 points, led four players in double figures, with Will Kershaw and Will Burnett getting 11 points apiece and Sam Barney adding 10 points.
Now facing no. 7 seed Little Falls on Saturday night, the Mustangs rallied from a 37-34 deficit in the fourth quarter by going on a 15-3 run to lead 49-40 late in the fourth quarter.
The Mounties nearly made a comeback of its own, notching seven straight points to move within two in the final minute, but Marcellus was able to answer and win, 53-47, to earn a shot at reigning sectional champion and no. 2 seed Lowville in the quarterfinals.
Adam Sullivan proved big for the Mustangs, earning seven of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers.
Solvay, meanwhile, handled Homer 60-42, breaking away when it outscored the Trojans 15-6 in the third quarter. Jeff Sharpe led the Bearcats with 21 points, Gerold Bean adding 15 points as Nick Commisso got nine points and Tom Venturini added seven points.
This put Solvay up against 19-1 top seed Chittenango on Saturday afternoon, the winner to get Skaneateles in the quarterfinals, and the Bears proved too much, prevailing 73-55 over the Bearcats.
Like it has done with so many others this season, Chittenango put up big point totals in the first half, sprinting to a 48-21 edge that allowed it to get away with a pedestrian second half.
Venturini did get 18 points for Solvay as Sharpe had 11 points and Commisso 10 points, but Bryce Bishop hit five 3-pointers for the Bears on his way to 18 points, helped by Alex Moesch (17 points) and Ty Kelly (16 points).
Skaneateles had closed the regular season winning at Cazenovia last Monday by a score of 60-47, while Marcellus took its own turn a day later and thumped those same Lakers 72-31.
Solvay, meanwhile, lost 64-51 to Phoenix, seeing the Firebirds gradually pull away in the second half despite Nick Commisso and Jeff Sharpe getting 14 points apiece and Tom Venturini adding 13 points.
But the Bearcats did beat Jordan-Elbridge 61-53 a night later, outscoring the Eagles 18-8 in the fourth quarter to erase a late-game deficit built by the likes of Caleb Rouse, who had 21 points, and Jack Barrigar, who had 15 points.
