SYRACUSE – For the second year in a row, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball team’s aspirations were halted in the quarterfinals of the Section III Class AA playoffs.
Every exit at the end of a season hurts, and Tuesday’s 58-53 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy at Buddy Wleklinski Court fit into that category, even if the Northstars weren’t at home, as it was when it fell in this same round to Fayetetville-Manlius a year earlier.
C-NS arrived with confidence after an impressive 74-57 first-round win over Henninger on Feb. 17, which contrasted CBA’s struggles against “Holy War” rival Bishop Ludden in a 51-47 decision.
Yet even as the Northstars overcame a 6-0 start by CBA in the early stages and even led at many different points in the first half, it had no answer for the Brothers’ senior standout, Braeden Burns.
Hitting on everything from open lay-ups to contested 3-pointers, Burns notched 21 of CBA’s first 23 points, and none of his teammates had a field goal until Luke Boule’s 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.
Far more damaging, though, was what Steve DeRegis did, hitting on back-to-back baskets and then, as the clock run out on the half, he hit a leaning, contested 3-pointer, was fouled and completed the rare four-point play.
What was close game now threatened to get away, but C-NS, trailing 40-28, went on a 9-0 run to battle back, then stayed within reasonable striking range the rest of the way.
All through the stretch, though, when the Brothers needed something, it would attain it, whether it was a timely basket or rebound by Burns, who finished with 25 points, or key 3-pointers by Jason Brunson and Ethan Harris.
Andrew Benedict led C-NS with 18 points, yet it was spread out and hard-earned in the face of a CBA defense that constantly doubled-teamed him.
Reece Congel had 13 points, but eight of his points came in the first quarter as Michael Gallo got most of his 10 points in the second half. DeRegis finished with 17 points.
Having finished at 14-8, C-NS will see Congel and six other seniors, including Kyle Williams and Joseph DiMino (who started against CBA) graduate, but return Benedict, Gallo, Michael Pfautz and Terrance Coppack for 2023-24.
