CENTRAL NEW YORK – An exciting week of boys basketball lies ahead with two reigning Section III champions, Westhill (Class A) and Marcellus (Class B) both set to offer challenges to a Bishop Ludden side which started the week sporting an 8-0 record.
The Gaelic Knights’ eighth victory in a row was one of its toughest so far, a battle with crosstown private-school rival Bishop Grimes last Friday night where it had to work to the end to beat the Cobras 75-66.
Grimes came into the game at 7-2 and no. 16 in the state Class A rankings. Ludden, sitting at no. 21 in Class AAA, was ready for them, hot out of the gate and establishing a 27-17 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
All through the next two periods Ludden thwarted every possible Cobras run and would keep a double-digit advantage. And even when Grimes used a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull within four, the Gaelic Knights answered it, Jahzar Greene’s 3-pointer with 1:30 left all but settling matters.
For the night Greene had 29 points, just above his season average, adding five rebounds and five assists. Liam Sheard had one of his best games of the season with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Grimes couldn’t concentrate on Greene or Sheard because Joe Dunham was hitting six 3-pointers to account for all of his 18 points. Nate Abernethy led the Cobras with 25 points, helped by 15 points apiece from Garang Garang and Bol Garang.
Now the local clashes await, starting Tuesday with Ludden’s next-door neighbors from Westhill, who at no. 10 in the state Class A rankings returned from its hiatus last Friday at Cazenovia, where it routed the Lakers 87-54 to improve its record to 9-1.
Things broke clear in the middle stages when Westhill, off nearly two weeks since a Dec. 28 win over New Hartford in Utica, began a stretch where it would outscore Cazenovia 53-28 over the course of the second and third quarters.
What was more, Westhill leaned less on Eli Prince, though he still had 23 points. Jack Hayes hit a trio of 3-pointers on his way to a season-best 19 points, while Jackson Goodness converted four times beyond the arc on his way to 16 points and Kamari Lewis earned 12 points.
After it plays Westhill, Ludden takes on Marcellus Friday night, the state Class B no. 3-ranked Mustangs making an emphatic statement of its own at Chittenango where it bashed the Bears 66-24.
Having seen star guard Ryan Moesch transfer to a prep school, Chittenango was 2-4 and was well-contained all night by the Marcellus defense, who peaked by shutting out the Bears in the fourth quarter.
Connor Ciota’s 11 points led a well-balanced Mustangs attack. Mitch Donegan earned 10 points, Tucker Burnett adding nine points as Dom Gosh-Sandy had eight points. Henry Lawrence and Jacob Meyer had seven points apiece.
All three area defending sectional champions won on Friday, West Genesee doing its part by turning back Corcoran 63-52, a game where the Wildcats were already up 30-22 at halftime when it went on a decisive 22-12 push through the third quarter.
Kolton Castrello had the best performance of his varsity career, hitting six 3-pointers and six other field goals on the way to 33 points. Aidan Phelan helped out, too, finishing with 17 points.