ONONDAGA COUNTY – When the boys basketball Section III Class AAA playoffs goes into its quarterfinal round next week, Cicero-North Syracuse will hold the most victories – 19, against a single defeat – yet still be a no. 2 seed.
Rome Free Academy’s undefeated 16-0 run, and the opponents it beat, gave it enough to slide into the top seed, where it might find itself confronting defending champion Liverpool in the semifinals.
Though it’s the no. 4 seed with a 14-6 record, Liverpool has the capability of knocking off anyone, especially if its offense can find the kind of production it enjoyed Wednesday while rolling past Henninger 81-46.
A near-perfect start had Liverpool ahead of the Black Knights 26-5 by the end of he first quarter, and the margin kept growing until 68-27 through three peiods and the starters could rest.
Alex Trombley, recovering from a rough showing against C-NS on Feb. 15, had 22 points here, but he was just one of five Liverpool players to score in double figures.
Freddy Fowler managed 15 points, with Danny Dunn getting 11 points. Braylon Otis stepped up, his 10 points equaling the total of Giancarlo Galimi.
C-NS worked that same night against Fayetteville-Manlius and made quite a statement of its own, rolling to a 75-59 victory over the Hornets.
Even as F-M mostly kept pace during the first half, the Northstars remained patient and, up 33-26 at the break, it proceeded to go on a 22-7 tear through the third quarter to settle matters.
Nate Francis and Andrew Benedict hit seven 3-pointers between them, Francis producing 22 points and Benedict 18 points. Sam Werts and Andrew Potter had eight points apiece, Larry Nesci adding six points.
In the nine-team sectional bracket C-NS will play its quarterfinal against no. 7 seed Baldwinsville Thursday night at 6 p.m. at North Syracuse Junior High School, having narrowly defeated these same Bees 55-54 on Feb. 11.
This comes a night after Liverpool, as the no. 4 seed, hosts no. 5 seed Christian Brothers Academy Wednesday at 6 p.m. The semifinals are March 4 at Mohawk Valley Community College and the finals March 8 at 4:30 at SRC Arena.
