CENTRAL NEW YORK – Mid-February always means that, for area high school boys basketball team, the serious business is about to start.

And with the Section III Class A playoffs looming, four area teams would meet one another in a single evening, with Jamesville-DeWitt and Christian Brothers Academy getting the best of it, though not by much.

J-D’s success came against East Syracuse Minoa, a local rivalry that often seemed to swing in the Red Rams’ favor and did so again in a tense 59-56 decision.

Tied 14-14 through one quarter, J-D outscored the Spartans 17-6 the rest of the first half, and then would spend the entire third and fourth quarter hanging on to that lead it had gained.

Doing it required Alan Zanders to put up 22 points to lead all scorers and Trent Hughes to add 13 points. Jack Hazelton and Braeden Baker had six points apiece as ESM lost despite 18 points from Austin Betts, not to mention Tyler Quarry (11 points) and A.J. Graham (10 points) also reaching double figures.

This made, for J-D, Friday’s 81-64 defeat to 17-2 Liverpool a bit easier to take. Things were close in the early going only due to the hot shooting of J-D’s Jackson Saroney, who would lead all scorers with 26 points, but as he cooled off, Liverpool took over.

In a run that spanned the second and third quarters, the Warriors outscored the Rams 19-4, helped by, among other things, 22 bench points in the first half – 10 by Alex Trombley, nine off a trio of 3-pointers by Sean Frawley.

Trombley would go on to a career-best 20 points, which teammate Freddie Fowler would match. Kaelem Hoskins and Jeff Manuel both gained 10 points as Hughes had a strong night for the Rams, earning 18 points.

A defensive battle unfolded Tuesday night at Fayetteville-Manlius, where CBA visited last Tuesday and, getting just its sixth win of the season, defeated the Hornets 44-38.

F-M had climbed to the .500 mark with a four-game win streak, but from the outset this was a battle where every single possession was important and CBA, treating it that way, hung close early.

Then, in the second half, the Brothers held the Hornets to just 18 total points, going in front and staying there as Jason Brunson led with 17 points and Ethan Harris added 10 points. F-M, in defeat, got 10 points from Chris Shanguhyia and nine points apiece from Chris Cleary and James Kuss.

CBA turned from this effort to Friday’s game against Bishop Grimes where, for the second time in less than two weeks, it got the best of the Cobras, prevailing 61-52.

They were close until a third quarter where CBA went on a 17-3 tear led by Brunson, who would hit five 3-pointers on his way to 24 points overall. Max Lachut had 12 points, with Harris adding 11 points as Grimes lost despite Nate Abernethy’s 22 points.

Grimes also lost for the second time in less than two weeks to Bishop Ludden, this one a 72-64 decision far closer than the first encounter, but still frustrating for the Cobras who 31-28, at the break, only to have the Gaelic Knights outscore them 23-15 in the third quarter to move in front for good, though Abernethy got 26 points and Garang Garang stepped up with 20 points.

F-M, meanwhile, returned to the win column with an impressive 70-58 conquest of Fulton.

In a possible playoff preview, the Hornets jumped out 15-6 in the first quarter and built its margin to 38-20 by halftime. The Red Dragons never recovered as Cleary poured in 25 points to beat the 24 from Fulton standout Gavin Doty, with Shanguhyia earning 15 points and Charlie Schroder earning 11 points.

ESM, after the defeat to J-D, played on Friday against Nottingham. The Bulldogs beat the Spartans 63-53, building a 38-28 edge by halftime and overcoming 19 points from Bryant. Graham (13 points) and Quarry (11 points) were close behind.

Far from all this, Manlius Pebble Hill earned its second win of the season last Monday when it turned back the first-year Syracuse OnTech program by a score of 57-48.

A 21-14 push through the third quarter was the Trojans’ best offensive quarter all season and built upon a 23-20 halftime lead, with four MPH players scoring in double figures.

Jeff Pisciarino, with 17 points, led the way, with all of Carter Zimmerman’s 15 points coming from five 3-pointers. Tim He added 12 points and Ayden Whitted earned 10 points.