Between all the camaraderie formed on a long road trip and all the nearby attractions in the Orlando area, the Baldwinsville boys baskeball team could hardly be blamed for enjoying its Dec. 19-21 Florida sojourn.
Yet the basketball part, played at Kissimee’s Gaylord Palms Convention Center, began on a rough note against Nixa (Missouri), who defeated the Bees by a score of 67-43.
A 24-7 opening period generally decided matters, with B’ville in catch-up mode from there as M.J. Young led the offense with 14 points. Matt Pope got 10 points, with Mike Virginia adding six points.
Though it was closer against Cooper Hills (Utah) a day later, the Bees took another defeat, this one by a 68-54 margin largely based on a third quarter where the Grizzlies outscored B’ville 23-13 to build its cushion.
Still, the offensive numbers did improve, whether it was Young getting 19 points (including three 3-pointers) or Pope working his total to 12 points as, for the second game in a row, Virginia got six points.
All this led to a breakout in the third and final game against another New York State side, Jasper-Troupsburg, where the Bees broke out and didn’t let up until it had registered a 78-22 victory.
The fun included a 27-9 first quarter and a 29-4 tear through the third quarter along with a chance for the entire B’ville roster to each get at least one field goal.
Young, with 22 points, and Pope, with 20 points, still led the way, but Zach Webster joined in with nine points as Michael Ryan hit a pair of 3-pointers, he and TeiShawn Wade getting six points apiece.
As for the B’ville girls basketball team, it was pushed in its Dec. 19 game against visiting Fayetteville-Manlius, but a strong second quarter made the difference in a 54-47 win over the Hornets.
During those eight minutes the Bees outscored F-M 19-12, erasing an early Hornets lead and allowing it to answer whatever the visitors tried to catch up.
Natalie Hollingshead’s 15 points mostly came from four 3-pointers. Beverly Marinelli stepped up with 13 points, Olivia Davis adding 10 points and Maddy Polky nine points. Lydia Land-Steves paced the Hornets with 15 points.
