CENTRAL NEW YORK – Fresh off scoring 88 points and passing the 1,000-career point mark while leading his side to the More Than a Game Tournament title in Auburn Dec. 8 and 9, Chittenango boys basketball junior Ryan Moesch was eager for an encore.
And there was, in fact, another big scoring effort last Tuesday night in the presence of the Bears – only it came from the opposition and led to a defeat to Marcellus.
Unbeaten and full of confidence following an Oct. 8 win over reigning state Class B champion Westhill, the Mustangs tore it up from the field as it raced out to a 30-11 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Never able to recover, Chittenango again leaned heavily on Moesch, who got 29 points, though 11 of them were free throws as Marcellus made him work for every single basket.
Meanwhile, Mitch Donegan had a dream night for the Mustangs. Sinking nine 3-pointers, Donegan easily shattered his own career mark and finished the night with 38 points, helped by Will Burnett adding 13 points.
Chittenango was able to turn it around on Friday night against Homer again getting plenty of production from Moesch, but also some help in the course of the Bears’ 68-38 rout of the Trojans.
Jumping out 24-6 in the first quarter and not looking back, Chittenango ultimately saw Moesch put up 31 points, nearly half of it from five 3-pointers. Jacob Bell earned seven points, with Hunter Taylor getting six points and Brendon Barnard adding five points.
Back on Tuesday night, Cazenovia faced Institute of Technology Central in a game where most of it was on even terms, but one poor quarter proved costly for the Lakers in a 67-54 defeat to the Eagles.
Cazenovia led for long early stretches and only trailed by four, 34-30, at the break. ITC got away, though, when it outscored the Lakers 20-8 in the third period.
Ben Bianco finished with 16 points, just ahead of Tanner Lawson’s 15 points as Bobby Livingston got eight points. The Eagles’ Antwan Aiken proved unstoppable, though, earning 26 points with help from Nyquan Gilbert’s 11 points and Jaylen Dixie-Wade adding 11 points.
Things did not turn around for Cazenovia in Friday’s 65-48 loss at Skaneateles, with that other Lakers side breaking open a close contest by outscoring the visitors 42-27 in the second half, led by 21 points from Reed Danforth as Jack Peenstra added 13 points and eight rebounds. Charlie Girzadas added 10 rebounds and three blocks.
On Cazenovia’s side, Lawson led with 20 points and eight rebounds, ahead of Bianco’s total of 15 points that inlcuded three steals. Edmond Richardson had seven points, three rebounds and three steals.
