DEWITT – Though they all talk about taking it game-by game, there’s no question the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse boys basketball teams are also watching one another and taking notes of the results.
The Legends’ narrow victory over the Northstars in last March’s Section III Class AAA final has only added more fuel to their rivalry, but the two sides don’t meet this winter until mid-January.
However, they would be in the same event last weekend – namely, the Peppino’s Invitational, which began Friday at Christian Brothers Academy and continued Saturday at Jamesville-DeWitt.
Liverpool’s game was on Friday, against Rome Free Academy, and with a furious late-game comeback the Black Knights won it 75-70, the first time it had defeated the Legends since the early 2000s.
Despite playing in the same class, these two teams had not squared off for 13 years, but in terms of intensity and quality they made up for that lost time with a back-and-forth classic.
It was Liverpool jumping out in front early, only to have RFA make up that ground and inch into a 30-29 halftime lead before the Legends reclaimed the advantage through a wild third period that included 50 total points.
Trailing 52-47, the Black Knights would again catch up in the final period, take the lead and hang on helped by Surafia Norries’ 22 points and Uzziah Grimes’ 20 points, plus 13 points from Deandre Neal.
Freddie Fowler charged to 25 points to lead Liverpool, just ahead of Alex Trombley, who had 19 points. No one else hit double figures, though Sean Frawley hit three 3-pointers as he and Giancarlo Galimi had nine points apiece.
C-NS was supposed to open last Thursday against Utica Proctor, only to have weather postpone this game until Jan. 3, which the Northstars hope is its first game in the revamped high school gym after starting the season at the Junior High School.
Instead, it would play first against Westhill Saturday as the Peppino’s Invitational action moved to J-D. Westhill, the reigning sectional Class A champions, were already 2-0 with wins over Jamesville-DeWitt and PSLA Fowler.
In a close, tense battle, the Northstars prevailed 61-57, demonstrating right away that it could handle an adverse situation.
Unable to contain Westhill standout Eli Prince, C-NS watched Prince take charge in the second quarter, erasing an early Northstars lead to put Westhill up 30-28 going to the break.
Yet it was C-NS who would crank up its defense, reclaim the lead limiting Westhill to 10 points in the third quarter and then answer every challenge during a final period to stay out in front.
Andrew Benedict began his senior season moving past the 1,300-career point mark and finishing with 27 points overall. Nate Francis got 14 points and Andrew Potter 11 points to help overcome Prince’s game-high 31 points.
C-NS meets Christian Brothers Academy Wednesday night before a Saturday trip to Niagara Falls, a team it beat last winter but then reached the state Class AAA final four. Liverpool, meanwhile, will get its own look at Westhill on Friday night at 6:30.