DEWITT – No matter what else they did the rest of their lives, members of the 2021-22 Chittenango boys basketball team would have the warm memory of ending a 45-year drought when it took the Section III Class B championship.
For the returning Bears players, though, they now have another landmark accomplishment to go with it.
In a riveting season opener, Chittenango went to Christian Brothers Academy and, erasing a seven-point deficit in the final minutes, pulled out a 72-71 victory over the Brothers in the featured game of the Peppino’s Invitaional.
A game that went back and forth all night long came down to the final second – literally, in this case.
Alex Moesch, the prime focus of CBA’s defense throughout the evening, hit a free throw with 45 seconds left to break a 71-71 tie. He missed the second, but Brendon Barrigar rebounded and Chittenango had a chance to build on its one-point lead.
However, Ty Kelly’s driving lay-up attempt glanced off the backboard and did not hit the rim, causing a shot-clock violation and, with 7.6 seconds to play, CBA had a chance to win it.
Braeden Burns, who had netted 25 points in the second half for the Brothers (31 overall), ended up with the ball and, with 0.5 seconds left, Ryan Moesch fouled him, a non-shooting violation.
It was the seventh Chittenango team foul, a one-and-one situation. Burns stepped to the line -and his shot went off the right rim, CBA unable to snare the rebound as time ran out.
That it was Ryan Moesch in the center of the final play made sense, given that he had scored a career-best 33 points, his speed and skill baffling CBA’s defenders who had spent so much time containing his older brother.
Just as important, though, was Kelly’s 16 points, many of which came late in the third quarter to help Chittenango make its first comeback from an eight-point deficit, tying it 50-50 before CBA went on a 10-2 run bridging the end of that period and the start of the fourth.
Kelly also began the decisive rally. After Burns hit three free throws with 3:48 left to make it 68-61 in the Brothers’ favor, Kelly converted on a lay-up to ignite an 8-0 run that, in a span of a minute, put the Bears in front 69-68.
Burns’ 3-pointer was answered by a Ryan Moesch basket that produced a 71-71 tie and set up the final drama. Alex Moesch only had 11 points, but the last one counted the most.
