CENTRAL NEW YORK – Jamesville-DeWitt was no. 25 in the boys basketball state Class A poll thanks to a 5-2 start, and had a big game Friday against Westhill, the reigning state Class B champions now sitting at no. 7 in the state in Class A thanks to a 7-1 record.
This renewal of a great local basketball rivalry that was prominent in the 1990s and early 2000s would prove a happy one for the Red Rams, who combined great defense with timely scoring runs to beat the Warriors 63-44.
Both sides struggled until the second quarter, when Jackson Saroney sparked J-D, foiling Westhill’s defenders on his way to 13 points that helped produce a 31-17 halftime lead.
Though Saroney didn’t have another field goal, Alan Zanders, Trent Hughes (13 points each) and Terrell Willis (12 points) would continue to build the Rams’ margin, which grew to 44-20 at one point in the third quarter and held despite 21 second-half points from the Warriors’ Kam Langdon.
Before all this, J-D earned a 71-56 victory over Oswego, where the Rams overcame a hot Buccaneers start and erased a 20-17 deficit with steady play the rest of the night. Zanders, who had 20 points, had plenty of help as Saroney earned 18 points and Bryce Wheeler added 13 points.
Two other area teams had opportunities to upend two state-ranked large-school opponents.
East Syracuse Minoa hosted West Genesee, no. 23 in the state in Class AA, who had just knocked off state Class B no. 1-ranked Marcellus in the Dec. 29 finals of Christian Brothers Academy’s Manny Leone Holiday Tournament.
And it was in doubt until the final horn, but the Spartans lost, 57-56, to the Wildcats, who nearly surrendered a 47-42 advantage headed into the fourth quarter.
Ultimately, what cost ESM was a second quarter where it managed just nine points to WG’s 15 along with its inability to contain Jordan Cain, whose 23 points followed up a 35-point effort against Marcellus.
Aggressive play and scoring balance helped the Spartans, though. Anthony Bryant earned six of his 16 points at the free-throw line, with Tyler Quarry (13 points) and Austin Betts (11 points) each converting three free throws.
ESM rebounded from this Friday to beat PSLA-Fowler 56-39, going on a 21-4 third-quarter tear to break it open led by Bryant, who finished with 20 points. Quarry got nine points and Bess added eight points.
CBA had its own close call on Thursday night, at Chittenango, where it led going to the fourth quarter but could not hang on in a 59-57 defeat to the Bears.
Helped by a strong second quarter, the Brothers were up 38-28 at the break, but Chittenango started battling back behind its star junior, Ryan Moesch, who had 55 points in an overtime loss to J-D late in December.
With Moesch working his way to 30 points, the Bears made up some ground and then clamped down on defense, limiting CBA to eight points in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, Tavin Penix had impressed with most of his 26 points, helped by 13 points from Ethan Harris and 11 points from Jason Brunson.
Against Buffalo’s Park School on Saturday, CBA won big, 70-37, excelling in all phases of the game. Penix again finished with 26 points, helped by 11 points from Nick Genovese.
Fayetteville-Manlius made its own trip to face state Class AAA no. 19-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse, who proved too tough as it defeated the Hornets 71-55.
They went back and forth until a second quarter where the Northstars outscored F-M 20-10, led by Andrew Benedict, who on his way to 30 points broke Dan Benz’s nearly two-decade-old record of 116 career 3-pointers.
Despite the loss, F-M did display more scoring production. Chris Cleary had 18 points, with Chris Shanguhyia (12 points) and Sean Kellish (11 points) also reaching double figures.
As with CBA and ESM, a victory followed a defeat, F-M stopping Henninger 60-45 Friday night keyed by a 20-8 third-quarter surge. Shanguhyia, with 13 points, paced a balanced attack as Cleary had 12 points and Charlie Schroder had 10 points.
Bishop Grimes returned to action late in the week and won big twice, starting Thursday with a 71-56 victory over Cazenovia where the Cobras built a 63-37 lead through three periods, Nate Abernethy getting 26 points and Frank Sgroi adding 20 points.
Two days later, against St. Mary’s from the Buffalo area, Grimes won 65-40, getting seven 3-pointers from Sgroi to account for all of his 21 points, the first time all season Abernethy didn’t lead the Cobras in scoring, though he still had 16 points.
