EAST SYRACUSE – Both of Baldwinsville’s basketball teams were scheduled for holiday tournaments, but only one of them got to play – and even that had some modifications.
The girls Bees were scheduled to fly to Orlando, Florida and compete in the KSA Holiday Tournament alongside Liverpool, but flight cancellations having to do with the massive Buffalo blizzard scuttled those plans.
Meanwhile, the B’ville boys team was set for a tournament at East Syracuse Minoa, but that was changed when Watertown, facing its own massive snowstorm, could not travel to last Tuesday’s opening-round game against Whitesboro.
The Bees did face East Syracuse Minoa, though, and the combination of Eli Taft’s early production and help from his teammates helped produce a 56-46 victory over the Spartans.
Both teams were cold early and B’ville turned often to Taft, who had 13 points, more than half his team’s total, helping the Bees push to a 21-17 halftime advantage.
ESM went in front as the pace quickened on both ends in the third quarter, but trailing 32-30, the Bees closed that period on a 10-0 run and never got caught again.
Though Taft worked his total to 13 points, it was Jason Bifulco and Ethan Hilliar leading the way late, combining for four 3-pointers and earning all 18 of their points after the break.
Matt Young, with nine points, and John Capilli, with six points, also did well late, as no ESM player managed more than the 12 points put up by Tristan Henderson as A.J. Graham got 11 points.
A day later, in a game against Whitesboro, B’ville clamped down even more on the defensive side and, moving to the .500 mark (3-3), defeated the Warriors 49-33.
Hot early, the Bees were up 20-6 by the end of the first quarter. Whitesboro made up some ground, but just when it was needed B’ville, still in front 40-33, pulled off a fourth-quarter shutout of the Warriors while getting nine unanswered points.
Both of the Bees’ sides saw their Dec. 23 meetings with Liverpool postponed, with the boys to make it up this Saturday at 1:30 as the girls game will not take place until Feb. 8.
Aside from that game as the Warriors, the boys Bees also visit Cicero-North Syracuse and Henninger next week, with the girls also taking on the Northstars and Black Knights.
