This season for the Cortland boys basketball team has been one of proving doubters wrong. Fresh off their first loss since Dec. 12, the Purple Tigers were back in the win column with a 74-63 victory Monday against Oswego at Cortland Jr./Sr. High School.
The win marked another form of revenge for Cortland, as it fell to Oswego 65-60 in the season opener. It felt like a gut-check moment for the Purple Tigers, who had been riding a seven-game winning streak before the loss to Cazenovia Friday.
“We knew what they were going to run and our coaches helped us prep, but I think after losing to Cazenovia, this was our next statement-like game,” Cortland’s Owen Johnson said. “We were against a good team and I think just flushing (Friday) proved to our team that we’re here to play and make a run.”
The second half is when Cortland seized control against Oswego. The Purple Tigers led by two at the break, but used an 11-2 run midway through the third to gain separation.
Johnson started things with a finish inside, followed by a layup from Iniko Abani. Johnson split a pair at the free throw line to push the lead to five. An Oswego miss triggered the highlight of the run, as Jaxson Gambitta secured the rebound and lofted a perfect outlet pass to Zach Muir, who muscled a layup off the glass through contact. Muir wasn’t able to finish the 3-point play, but Gambitta snared the offensive rebound and Johnson finished off a four-point possession with a floater down the lane. Abani finished the burst off with another layup to extend the lead to nine.
Cortland blew the game open for good with an 11-3 start to the fourth. A pair of layups from Caden Albright and a Tyler Thomas 3-pointer highlighted the burst that extended the lead 17. Oswego hung around down the stretch, but never shrunk its deficit below nine. The second-half surge from Cortland marked a complete turnaround from Friday night, when it was outscored 39-21.
“Halftime today I mentioned to the boys, ‘We’re in the same spot we were in against Caz, let’s come out and make sure that we do everything we can to have a different fate,’” Cortland head coach Jeremy Milligan said. “We made shots, that was a big thing. Caz really heated up Friday and we seemed to get cold. A big difference for us, the first time around Oswego got to the line 25 times and knocked down a large amount and we got there very few times. We got to the line 31 times (Monday) and were able to finish 20 of them, so that was huge. That was a big key, to get to the free throw line and reduce the amount of times they got there. Playing hard without fouling.”
“Another big thing Oswego does great is get out and run,” Milligan added. “They have guys leak out. Make or miss, they quickly advance the ball. They score a lot in transition and I felt like we did a pretty good job of mitigating that transition play of theirs.”
The first half set the tone for the finish, with a chippy start in the second meeting between the two teams. Cortland was without starting guard Damauri Bell and Caden Albright was quickly on the bench after a foul and a technical foul got him two personal fouls in the first. That led to Johnson stepping up and leading with a team-high nine first-half points and leading the third-quarter surge.
“Owen Johnson, really this was a growth game for him,” Milligan said. “He showed a lot of maturity, stepping up as a second-year player and he really kind of kept his composure. We were bummed not to have Damauri again against Oswego, but unfortunately he was out battling some sickness and guys stepped up.”
“I just knew since (Damauri) was out and he was one of our seniors and leaders, I had to step up,” Johnson said. “When things got bad, I had to calm the team down and just get everyone settled and call out the plays. I thought just more of a vocal leadership standpoint I had to step up.”
Johnson led the way in the scorebook as well, finishing with 16 points. Zach Muir tallied 12 points, Iniko Abani and Caden Albright each scored 11 and Tyler Thomas finished with 10, giving Cortland five double-digit scorers in the win. Jaxson Gambitta added eight points and Cal Albright recorded six points for the Purple Tigers.
Cortland will carry its 8-3 record into the beginning of divisional play against Mexico at 6:45 p.m. Friday at Cortland Jr./Sr. High School.
GIRLS WRESTLING
FULTON 36, HOMER 24
Eila Spanbauer (165 pounds) and Gracie Newman (138 pounds) both won by early pin for Homer in a dual loss. Brookelyn Henry (107 pounds) won a 10-0 tech fall, Molly Sorenson (152 pounds) won an 8-4 decision, Mya Locke (120 pounds) won an 8-2 decision and Brielle Nels (132 pounds) won a 12-6 decision.
Bella Cicioni (114 pounds) and Anna Aldrich (126 pounds) both lost by tech fall for the Trojans, while Jocelyne McDermott (145 pounds) was pinned. Fulton won by forfeit at 185, 235, 94 and 100 pounds, while Olivia Predmore (114 pounds), Olivia Doshna (120 pounds), Diamond VanSlyke (126 pounds) and Cheyenne Coolidge (132 pounds) all were pinned in extra matches.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BOYS BASKETBALL
Homer at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m. today
Hamilton at McGraw, 7 p.m. today
Stockbridge Valley at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. today
Otselic Valley at DeRuyter, 7 p.m. today
Trumansburg at Moravia, 7 p.m. today
Marathon at Newark Valley, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday
Tully at LaFayette, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Phoenix at Cortland, 6:45 p.m. today
Homer at Bishop Ludden, 6:30 p.m. today
Syracuse West at Tully, 7 p.m. today
Homer at V-V-S, 7 p.m. Wednesday
Madison at McGraw, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Groton at Dryden, 7 p.m. Wednesday
HOCKEY
Cortland/Homer at Clinton, 7:30 p.m. today at Clinton Arena
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Cincinnatus at Stockbridge Valley, 7 p.m. today
Faith Heritage at Tully, 7 p.m. today
DeRuyter at Manlius Pebble Hill, 7 p.m. today
DeRuyter at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. Wednesday
BOYS WRESTLING
Moravia at Marathon, 6 p.m. today
Cortland at Marcellus/Onondaga, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Homer at Mexico, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Dryden at Owego Apalachin, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Hannibal at Southern Hills, 6 p.m. Wednesday at Fabius-Pompey Jr./Sr. High School
Moravia at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS WRESTLING
Homer at Mexico, 5 p.m. Wednesday
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Cortland, Homer, Groton, Dryden at SUNY Cortland, 6 p.m. Wednesday
BOWLING
Cortland at Solvay, 3:30 p.m. today at AMF Strike N Spare Lanes
Homer at Weedsport, 3:30 p.m. today at Rainbow Lanes
Lansing at Groton, 4 p.m. today at Memory Lanes
Cortland at Homer, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hi-Lanes
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING
Chenango Valley at Dryden, 6 p.m. today
