SYRACUSE – Never in its history did Marcellus basketball have a prouder few hours than what it put together Saturday at Onondaga Community College.
Part of it had to do with the boys Mustangs living up to the gigantic expectations flung on them by pulling away to beat Clinton 66-41 to earn the program’s first-ever Section III Class B championship at SRC Arena.
But another part of it also had to do with what happened at adjacent Allyn Hall a couple of hours earlier, when the Marcellus girls team put up a valiant effort in its sectional Class B final, a 63-59 defeat to Utica Notre Dame.
At least the boys won, though, which was good for every Marcellus player who felt a lot of urgency beyond the end of a long title drought.
There was the season-long no. 1 state ranking, plus a 13-game win streak, not to mention the Mustangs’ year-long quest to atone for a defeat to eventual state champion Westhill on this exact same floor in last March’s sectional final.
Clinton, the no. 6 seed, had knocked off no. 3 seed Lowville and no. 2 seed Little Falls to get to the title game, and was quite eager to spoil the Mustangs’ bid at history, even after a hot-shooting start had Marcellus up 22-14 through one quarter.
All through the second period, the Mustangs ran into real trouble against a stingy Comets defense, managing just four points. Fortunately, it kept Clinton from doing too much, either, so it still had a 26-22 advantage going to the break.
Adjusting its attack, Marcellus proceeded to put away the Comets in the third quarter, outscoring them 24-9 with Tucker Burnett at the forefront as he nearly recorded a triple-double, earning tournament MVP honors with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Mitch Donegan produced a team-best 16 points, while Will Kershaw gained 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Will Burnett and Dom Gosh-Sandy each had eight points as Burnett gained nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Great as this milestone win was, it nearly was more for Marcellus, thanks to the remarkable performance of the girls Mustangs against a top-seeded, state no. 3-ranked Utica Notre Dame squad.
Going in, the Jugglers understood that it had to try and contain the duo of Cece Powell and Tenly Baker, but it never came close to doing so, and with UND also playing at a high level, the game was a classic from the outset.
Powell’s 10 points pushed Marcellus in front in the opening period and it stayed there the rest of the half, the sophomore star getting 18 points with her unique combination of speed and skill.
The Mustangs led 34-28 at halftime, and held its own in the third quarter, answering when the Jugglers closed within two as Gabby Voss hit a 3-pointer to extend the margin to 45-40 with one period left.
What followed was remarkable, fast-paced basketball on both ends. UND leaned on sisters Ella, Maggie and Erin Trinkaus, with Ella’s 19 points setting the pace.
Yet the Jugglers could not stop Powell, who ran her total to 28 points, or Baker, whose clutch shots throughout the game led to a total of 20 points, including a go-ahead basket that put her side up 57-56 with less than two minutes left.
Another exchange followed, UND going in front 59-57, Powell tying it 59-59. Then, with 35 seconds left, Maggie Trinkaus was fouled and she made a free throw, but when she missed the second, Ella Trinkaus rebounded it in.
Now trailing 62-59, the Mustangs saw a tying 3-point attempt by Voss blocked by Vita Waters. UND gathered the loose ball, Maggie Trinkaus was fouled and her free throw gave the Jugglers its final margin.
The first-ever sectional title puts Marcellus into the state tournament where, next Sunday at 1:45, it will meet Section IV champion Waverly in Binghamton’s Visions Veterans Arena, the winner going to Glens Falls for the March 14-15 state final four.
