SYRACUSE – Furious comebacks, major momentum shifts, overtime sessions – all were part of the recent boys basketball saga between Liverpool and West Genesee atop the Section III Class AA ranks.
Little of that was evident Sunday night at SRC Arena – and that suited the Warriors just fine since it continued to hold dominion over this rivalry and, more importantly, repeated as sectional champions.
Liverpool’s 66-53 victory meant that it has won four of the last six sectional tournaments dating back to 2017, all done under the guidance of head coach Ryan Blackwell.
This title, said Blackwell, was “a testament to the players. They got better as the season went on. They’re tough, play together and are very resilient.”
On this particular evening, each of the Warriors’ top three players – Andreo Ash, Bruce Wingate and Jah’Deuir Reese – would take their turns orchestrating a winning effort.
Ash, whose dominant play late in games defined two regular-season OT wins over WG, didn’t wait this time to assert himself, netting 10 of his team’s first 18 points as it led through the early stages.
“Our energy was the difference (early),” said Ash.
Yet the Wildcats absorbed all this and, sparked by Christian Cain’s scoring outburst (he had most of his 14 points in the first half), charged in front 22-18 late in the second quarter. What’s more, it had Reese on the bench with two fouls.
Then Wingate took over.
Blackwell said that, in practice, Wingate never hesitated to take shots, but did so early in this game. That ended when, after a pair of free throws, Wingate drained a 3-pointer right before halftime, giving the Warriors the lead for good.
Seeing one outside shot go in seemed to boost Wingate’s confidence, and he burned the Wildcats for three more 3-pointers early in the third period, the mid-game outburst accounting for most of his 19 points.
“I knew I could shoot it, and I had to do something to help my team,” said Wingate.
Combined with key baskets from Jason Lawler and Freddy Fowler, it pushed Liverpool to a 47-33 lead late in the third, but WG was far from done.
Determined to make the same kind of rally it fell victim to both late in the 2022 sectional final and at home a month ago, the Wildcats picked up full-court pressure, forced turnovers and, with a 13-4 run, moved within five, 51-46, with more than three minutes left.
“We knew that we had to dig deep and work for this,” said Wingate.
Up to now, Reese was quiet, hampered by that early foul trouble. But counseled to be patient and help out on defense, Reese did so and then, when it was needed, stepped up on the other end, too.
It was Reese’s driving layup as the shot clock ran down with 3:03 to play that halted WG’s run. Then he hit two free throws, initiating a closing stretch where the Warriors made 10 in a row at the line to seal another championship.
Ash ended up matching Wingate’s 19 points, while Reese and Lawler had nine points apiece. Fowler got seven points as Christian Amica led the Wildcats with 16 points.
Back at SRC Arena this Saturday at 12:45, Liverpool has another rematch, this one with Albany’s Green Trech in the Class AA regional with a state final four berth in Glens Falls on the line.
Green beat the Warriors in this same regional round in 2022 and again in a 59-53 decision in January. Ash did not play in that game, and he said he and his teammates are quite eager to get even with the Eagles.
