CENTRAL NEW YORK – Even as built up an 8-3 record through the first half of the regular season, the Baldwinsville boys basketball team operated with the knowledge that it needed consistent production to go with the strong defense it played each night out.
This played out again last Tuesday night against visiting state Class A no. 14-ranked Jamesville-DeWitt, a game which the Bees led most of the way but could not hang on to as it fell to the Red Rams 46-44.
All seemed fine in the first quarter, B’ville bolting to a 19-7 lead as all of its shots seemed to fall, especially those of Tyler Nilsen, who would finish the night with a game-high 21 points.
From there, though, J-D chipped away, taking advantage of a Bees second-quarter slump and then answering even when the hosts pulled out of it.
The Bees took a 40-35 lead to the fourth quarter but only managed four points the rest of the way, allowing the Rams to inch out in front and then hang on.
Aside from Nilsen, only Greg Marinelli (seven points), Nick Hollingshead (six points) and TeiShawn Wade (five points) had more than one field goal. J-D had more balance, with Terrell Willis getting 14 points, Jackson Saroney 12 points and Alan Zanders 10 points.
Still at home Friday to face Nottingham (no. 25 in the state Class AA rankings), the Bees honored the memory of Ava Wood, a Baker High School student who lost her life one year ago, with a 19-second moment of silence prior to tip-off, since Wood wore no. 19 on the soccer field.
As to the game, it got away from the Bees early and never was recovered as the Bulldogs prevailed 66-49.
Nottingham seized control through its defense, holding B’ville without a field goal for more than six minutes at the outset, and then with hot outside shooting.
In an eight-minute stretch starting late in the first quarter, the Bulldogs hit on seven 3-pointers, four of them from Adam Smith, which accounted for most of his 14 points.
Down 33-14, the Bees made quick 9-0 run late in the second quarter, but again Nottingham answered, extending the lead to 37-22 by halftime and then turning it to forward Denarius McCurty, who hit on 12 points in the third quarter.
Of McCurty’s 29 points, 21 of them came in the second half, and no one on the Bees could match it, though Nilsen had 16 points and Hollingshead added 12 points. Marinelli contributed seven points.
Back in action less than 24 hours later as it traveled north to face Lowville, the Bees were able to rebound and prevail by a score of 52-42.
Again B’ville’s defense stepped up, consistently containing Lowville’s attack, so that modest production on the other end was enough. A majority of it came from Nilsen, who poured in 18 points, and M.J. Young, who had 12 points as Ben Leaton gained eight points.
B’ville’s next home game is quite tough, too, with state Class AAA no. 13-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse showing up this Friday after the Bees play Tuesday at Utica Proctor.
