ONONDAGA COUNTY – Big games mark the final full week of area high school boys basketball, with rivals Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse clashing again Tuesday before the Warriors’ big trip to West Genesee on Friday night.
Tied for first in the SCAC Metro standings, Liverpool held up its part of it during last Tuesday’s 67-47 win over Henninger even as WG had to hold off Corcoran 75-72.
All through the first half, the Warriors’ defense smothered the Black Knights, building up a 35-18 advantage that grew to 54-27 by the end of the third quarter.
Bruce Wingate, with 20 points, led the way, Andreo Ash adding 16 points as Jah’Deiur Reese had 14 points, more than the team-high 12 points from Henninger’s Ja’Quair Lewis.
Ironically, Liverpool would next deal with Corcoran on Thursday night, and find the Cougars just as tough, needing a full-game effort and some production outside its main threats to get a 77-69 victory.
From the outset, Corcoran played fast, and nearly equaled the Warriors all through the first three periods, seeing Amir Reaves pick up 29 points and Jaiden Holloman contribute 24 points.
Only in the final minutes did Liverpool get a cushion, in large part because Jason Lawler, usually a distributor, stepped up to score 11 points supporting Ash’s 20 points, Wingate’s 19 points and Reese’s 15 points.
C-NS played last Tuesday against Baldwinsville, again having to battle to beat the Bees 60-54.
Having only won by one, 44-43, when they met in early January, C-NS did a far better job against B’ville’s defense the second time around, especially in a first half where it fell behind 36-23.
Battling back late, the Bees saw Matt Young earn 19 points, but no other player hit double figures as Greg Marinelli and Jason Bifulco got nine points apiece and Eli Taft added seven points.
C-NS, meanwhile, saw Andrew Benedict amass a game-high 24 points and get lots of help from Michael Gallo, who had 16 points, and Reece Congel, who added 11 points.
Adding to the Northstars’ difficulties was the postponement of last Friday’s game with Fayetteville-Manlius, now slotted into the spot in between the Liverpool rematch and Friday’s regular-season finale at Henninger.
