ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though it started later than its neighbors, the Marcellus boys basketball team did not suffer much for having to wait for game action and, in fact, did not waste much time authoring a signature victory.
Just as the boys soccer Mustangs achieved long-awaited payback against Skaneateles in their Section III Class B final a month earlier, the basketball side did so when it rallied Friday to defeat Westhill 52-49, giving head coach Scott Cotter his 100th victory in the process.
Every Marcellus player remembered that Westhill denied them the sectional Class B title last March at SRC Arena and then went on to add another state championship two weeks later.
The Warriors, having started 3-0, were ready, too, and the two sides would spend the entire first half at close range, neither side leading by more than five and going to the break even, 26-26.
Then Westhill almost got away in the third quarter. With a tight defense and Kam Langdon on his way to a game-high 25 points, the Warriors went on a 13-4 run and were still in front 47-40 early in the final period.
However, the Mustangs’ defense would take over, allowing just one field goal in the final 5:23 while getting clutch baskets from Tucker Burnett, none bigger than a 3-pointer with 1:30 left that gave Marcellus a 50-49 lead.
Codey Kociela, with just his second field goal of the night, expanded the margin to three in the final minute, and last-second 3-point attempts by Langdon and Charlie DeMore to tie it were off target.
Three nights earlier, Marcellus hosted Phoenix in its season opener, where it played a near-perfect first quarter, building all of the margin it needed to defeat the Firebirds by a score of 69-51.
During those first eight minutes, Marcellus hounded Phoenix on defense, nearly getting a shutout as, on the other end, it piled up baskets and didn’t let up until it had a 22-2 advantage.
The margin grew to 37-13 by halftime, and the Mustangs breezed from there, with Will Burnett’s 15 points part of a balanced attack. Tucker Burnett had 13 points, with Mitch Donegan getting 11 points as Kociela and Will Kershaw each gained nine points.
Westhill arrived at the Marcellus game following a tough battle with Skaneateles two nights earlier where it jumped out early and held on from there to beat the Lakers 71-58.
With a steady and consistent attack, the Warriors built a 39-28 edge by halftime and would spend the entire second half fending off all the attempts by Skaneateles to catch up.
Langdon backed up his 22 points with nine assists and five rebounds, while Charlie DeMore had 19 points and seven rebounds. Eli Prince got 12 points as the Lakers, in defeat, had Eli Danforth score a game-high 23 points, aided by Charlie Girzadas getting 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists. Carter Loi had 10 points.
