SYRACUSE – What transpired over two hours on a Saturday afternoon at SRC Arena in the boys basketball Section III Class AA semifinals between Liverpool and Christian Brothers Academy will get remembered for a lifetime – especially for the team that won.
Down by six late in regulation, and down again in three different overtime periods, the Warriors somehow overcame all of this to defeat the Brothers 86-81.
“It’s probably the greatest high school game I’ve been involved in,” said Liverpool head coach Ryan Blackwell. “We put on quite a show, and were fortunate to come out with a win.”
More than fortune was needed, though. It also required a unique sort of toughness displayed by a group of Warrior players who kept battling back every time it looked like the Brothers had put them away.
“This game showed the type of resilience we have,” said Blackwell. “They’re a tough group, and they stuck together.”
This was most evident in the last minute of the fourth quarter. Once in front 54-53, Liverpool had seen CBA rattle off seven consecutive points and hold the Warriors without a field goal for more than four minutes.
Less than 30 seconds remained and Liverpool was down 60-54, but Jaiden Reynolds then hit a 3-pointer and, on the ensuing inbounds play, the Warriors got a steal and Jacob Works scored to cut it to 60-59.
Dan Anderson hit two free throws and CBA, up three, had fouls to give. But before the Brothers could foul, Reynolds flashed open and, from far beyond the 3-point line, swished the game-tying shot with four seconds to play.
Having forced overtime at 62-62, the Warriors then twice fell behind the first extra period and twice tied it up. With the score 68-68, Liverpool turned it over with a chance at a go-ahead shot and watched Anderson, from mid-court, crash a possible game-winner off the backboard and rim as the horn sounded.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Braeden Burns helped push CBA back in front 76-72 in the second OT. Bruce Wingate then cut it to two and, with 34.3 seconds left, Works hit a pair of free throws.
Again, the Warriors’ defense made the stop it needed as the Brothers could not win it in the waning seconds, the two sides now needing a third four-minute extra period.
Just as in the first two OT sessions, CBA would go in front and Liverpool would answer. Only this time, free throws from Works and Reynolds and a great pass to set up an Andreo Ash basket with 30 seconds left made it 84-79.
Two more foul shots from Works and Reynolds clinched the victory as Works earned most of his 26 points in the second half and OT periods. Reynolds and Wingate finished with 15 points apiece.
Ash, who had 20 points, was the star of Liverpool’s offense in the early going, using a variety of shots to cut through CBA’s defenses. The Brothers led through most of the first three periods before the Warriors caught up and tied it, 46-46, heading into the fourth quarter.
Anderson led the Brothers with 26 points, with Burns adding 20 points and Joe Nicholson getting 17 points, their efforts good enough to win on most occasions, but not this one.
Liverpool was quite glad to know that it would have a full week to recuperate from this epic battle before it meets top seed West Genesee in next Sunday’s sectional final at 7 p.m. at SRC Arena.
The Wildcats went through its own drama in its sectional semifinal against Fayetteville-Manlius, rallying from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and needing Jayden Macknail’s last-second basket to beat the Hornets 50-49.
