CENTRAL NEW YORK – Bearing down on his program’s all-time scoring record, Chittenango boys basketball superstar Ryan Moesch put up two more memorable performance to get his team back to the Section III playoff semifinal round.
Having moved up to Class A after all of its success in Class B the previous three years, the no. 4 seed Bears began its post-season Tuesday rolling past no. 13 Vernon-Verona-Sherrill as, again, Moesch provided the headlines.
In the first half, Moesch was steady and productive and, earning 25 points, helped Chittenango establish a 40-27 advantage. Then he really took off in the third quarter, from a string of 3-pointers to a big dunk at the end of the period.
With 26 of the Bears’ 27 points in the third, Moesch worked his total to 51 points, helped establish a 66-42 lead, and then sat the rest of the way. But Chittenango still added to its margin as Bernardo Bartovski had 13 poin ts, Jacob Bell eight points and Brendon Barnard six points.
Again at home for Friday’s quarterfinal round, the Bears would face no. 5 seed Camden, who ousted Indian River 66-40 in its playoff opener and would give Chittenango every bit of trouble before the hosts would pull it out 58-53.
All through the first half, Camden contained Moesch as much as possible, and it worked to keep the game tight. Then, trailing 31-25 in the third quarter, the Blue Devils went on a 7-0 run to go in front.
Even when Chittenango regained the lead, Camden kept answering and, with less than three minutes left, inched back in front 50-48, leading to a tense back-and-forth throughout the homestretch.
Only in the last seconds did the Bears clinch it when, up 56-53, Moesch executed a timely steal, was fouled and sank the clinching free throws, running his total to 36 points as Barnard added seven points and Jacob Cheek six points.
In Tuesday night’s Class A semifinal at East Syracuse Minoa, Chittenango will try again to topple a top-seeded Westhill side it lost to twice in the regular season, the winner to get Jamesville-DeWitt or Central Valley Academy in Friday’s final at SRC Arena.
Then there was Class B, where Cazenovia, the no. 10 seed, would take its 9-11 record north to face no. 7 seed Phoenix in its round-of-16 matchup, the two sides having split close regular-season meetings.
And it was tight here, too, but the Lakers pulled through, beating the Firebirds 62-58 and, for once, not requiring overtime as it did in wins over Homer and Jordan-Elbridge earlier in the month.
Jumping out to a 17-8 lead through one quarter, Cazenovia could not pull further away. Instead, Phoenix chipped away, pushing the Lakers all the way to the final minute.
Like so many other times, though, the Lakers got through. Ben Bianco, the program’s first-ever 1,000-point scorer, led with 20 points, but had lots of help as every other starter was at or near double figures.
Between them, Edmond Richardson, Tanner Lawson and Bobby Livingston hit on eight 3-pointers, with Richardson getting 13 points, Lawson 12 points and Livingston nine points as Izaak Gilbert chimed in with seven points.
Now the Lakers would challenge no. 2 seed Little Falls in Friday’s sectional quarterfinal, but see all of the magic it had at Phoenix disappear in the second half of a 63-40 loss to the Mounties.
It was close early, Cazenovia only trailing 30-26 at the break, but Little Falls outscored them 16-4 in the third quarter and got away, holding Bianco to 12 points as Livingston got 11 points and Richardson eight points. The Lakers’ season concluded with a 10-12 record.
Contrast all this to the quick conclusion for the Chittenango girls basketball team, who took the no. 12 seed into the sectional Class A tournament and was ousted 45-23 by no. 5 seed Central Valley Academy in the opening round.
The Bears did not get a field goal until the second quarter, held to a single free throw in the opening period. CVA used that stretch to go in front 15-1 and never let Chittenango organize a response.
Abby Scheidelman led her side with nine points, while Gabrielle Dawkins had five points. The Thunder got 14 points from Isabella Terzioski, plus eight points from Avery Rich as Lani Dyn and Molly Canipe had six points apiece. The Bears’ season concluded with a 3-17 record.
