By: Zach Harnischfeger
BERGEN, N.Y. - It was a packed gymnasium at Byron-Bergen on Monday night as the Byron-Bergen Bees boys basketball team hosted the Holley Hawks. The Hawks entered the game winning their first three games of the season, while the defending Class C2 champions have struggled, starting 1-3. Byron-Bergen survived the back-and-forth affair, defeating the Hawks 58-55.
“We have a lot of heart,” Byron-Bergen head coach Roxanne Noeth said. “We struggled to start the season losing a tough one at Fillmore and then losing a couple of late fourth-quarter leads. I am really proud of how we have responded. We got one in Pembroke on Saturday and to come in here, first game in our new gym, it is pretty exciting. Kids stepped up to the line and showed a lot of heart and guts.”
Both teams got off to slow starts as Byron-Bergen scored nine points in the first quarter and the Hawks scored 12, making it a 12-9 game heading into the second quarter.
The Bees came out firing in the second quarter as they outscored the Hawks 17-9. Bees senior guard Noah Clare got the scoring started and late baskets by senior guard Craig DiQuattro and junior guard Adam Cardenas put Byron-Bergen up six, 26-20, heading into halftime. Cardenas connected on two 3-pointers and scored seven points to help give the Bees the lead. He finished the game with 12 points.
“I loved it” Clare said. “He's had a confidence drought and seeing those go in changed the whole game. It changed the pace and it changed the tempo and I think it put us in a good mood going into halftime.”
In the third quarter, it was the Vincent Golisano and Josh Silpoch show for the Hawks as both players combined for all of the teams 14 points in the quarter. Golisano finished the night with 20 points, which led the team. For the Bees, sophomore guard Cody Carlson, junior guard Cole DiQuattro and Clare each drained 3-pointers and helped Byron-Bergen hang on to a 39-34 lead.
“I like when Vinnie is aggressive,” Holley Hawks head coach Wyatt Wink said. “When he settles, I think he gives the defense a bailout. When he's aggressive and gets to the rim I think that's when he's at his best and he did a lot of that in the second half. He's also really stout on the defensive end and I'm just hoping to see him keep improving throughout the year.”
The lead for the Bees never got any larger than eight points in the fourth quarter as neither team was willing to give in. Holley senior guard Destin Kuyal scored 10 points in the quarter after being held to just six points in the previous three quarters. Free throw shooting in the fourth quarter came up big for the
Bees as they went 10-of-15 from the line and despite being outscored 21-19, the Bees were able to hold onto the 58-55 lead for the victory.
Clare led the way for the Bees, scoring 22 points in the game and going 5-of-6 from the free throw line, including a decisive foul shot with 5.6 seconds left to play.
“We have way more fight,” Clare said. “We're a group of new young guys and from the start, we knew that we weren't as good as last year and that we have to work a lot harder to get where we want to be.”
With the win, Byron-Bergen improves to 2-3 on the season and will travel to Alexander to take on the Trojans on Thursday night at 7:00. With the loss the Hawks drop to 3-1 on the season and we'll host Le Roy on Thursday night at 7:00.
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