DRYDEN –– Things were less than perfect for the Dryden boys basketball team in Monday’s season opener at Dryden High School, but the Lions found a way to get a 64-56 win in overtime, outscoring Windsor 15-4 down the stretch.
Luke Eshelman hit the shot of the night, canning the tying 3-pointer with 34 seconds to play in regulation. It was his third from distance in the game, all of which came in the second half.
“He’s got a great shot, we know he can shoot the ball really well and we knew it was just a matter of time,” Dryden head coach Zach LeViere said. “He’s a great leader. He leads by example and he tends to find himself in the right spot. A huge shot to send it to overtime. He’s hit a few of those shots throughout his career. I’ve seen him make those end of quarter, end of game shots since he was on modified here. So it wasn’t a huge surprise to see that one fall.”
The extra session was dominated by Dryden. Xander Scott scored the first four points before Eshelman knocked down his fourth 3-pointer. Free throws and defense sealed the deal. Jay Miles took a charge and came up with a steal to help close things out on the defensive end. Peter Nydam slammed home a dunk as time expired to put a bow on the victory.
“We scored more points in overtime (12) than we did in the first quarter (9),” LeViere said. “The right there was kind of the difference. The first quarter of our first game of the season compared to basically the first quarter of our second game when you get to overtime. It’s just encouraging after playing 32 minutes of basketball to still be in shape physically and mentally to play basketball the right way. Playing as a team, defensive effort and on offense taking care of the ball.”
Dryden found itself playing from behind most of the night, in part due to Scott finding himself in early foul trouble. Scott picked up his third foul with 7:44 to play in the first half and his fourth personal midway through the third, limiting him to what will likely be a season-low minute total in the game.
“It’s really tough when the calls don’t go your way,” Scott said. “But after getting four fouls, I can’t get any more. The game kind of relies on me to get all these rebounds and blocks so I was like, ‘Can’t foul anymore.’”
Windsor opened up a six-point lead to end the first. Nydam and Danny Murphy helped Dryden battle back while Scott was on the bench. Murphy scored eight of his 11 points in the first half, while Nydam scored nine of his 16 in the opening 16 minutes. The game was knotted at the half and Windsor eventually took a one-point edge to the fourth.
Dryden worked back in front, opening a lead behind a 9-3 run. Scott had four points in the run, with a Nydam three and a Murphy layup also chipping in. The Black Knights responded with a 6-0 push, capped off by a Josh Cantone jumper before Eshelman drilled the shot of the night.
Eshelman finished with 13 points and Scott managed to end the night in double figures despite limited minutes, scoring 12 points, Carmelo Miles had five, Jay Miles chipped in four and Masyn Holmes had two points.
LeViere was proud of the way his team responded on a night where they didn’t have their best.
“We talked about battling through adversity,” LeViere said. “In basketball, much like life, there is a lot of adversity that comes with it and it’s about how you react to it. Some nights calls don’t go your way, the ball doesn’t bounce your way, shots don’t go in and you have to battle through it. That was what I was most proud of (Monday night) is being able to keep their head in the game and keep the intensity up, especially on defense.”
Dryden will seek a 2-0 start when they host Newark Valley at 7 p.m. Friday.
BOYS BASKETBALL
OSWEGO 65, CORTLAND 60
Zach Muir scored a game-high 24 points for Cortland, but the Purple Tigers lost the second quarter 19-10 and never created separation in any other frame.
Jaxson Gambitta aided Muir with 16 points, Owen Michales knocked down a pair of triples for six points, Owen Johnson scored five points, Caden Albright had four points, Tyler Thomas scored three points and Cal Albright notched two points.
EDMESTON 52, MARATHON 39
Austin Poth and Camdyn Kashuba combined for 24 of Marathon’s 39 points as the Olympians fell to 1-2. Poth and Kashuba each knocked down three 3-pointers, with Poth going for 13 points and Kashuba adding 11.
Colton Oram added six points, Barrett Trabucco scored five points and Eli Ticknor and Blake Birdsall contributed two points apiece.
DERUYTER 62, OTSELIC VALLEY 37
Dan Holl went for 19 points and DeRuyter won the second half 37-13 to pull away from Otselic Valley on the road.
Devens Whalen also added 15 points and Jonah Baxter contributed 14 for the Rockets. Braden Metcalf pitched in eight points, Jackson Millett netted four points and Dylan Foster scored two points in the win.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
MCGRAW 3, DERUYTER 1
Chelsey Prince led DeRuyter with 14 kills, six aces and three digs, but the Rockets lost 21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 21-25.
Annabelle Stanton followed Prince with 20 assists and a kill, Graycie Barber added five kills and a dig and Molly Amidon contributed eight digs and an assist. Rebecca Amidon (two kills, one ace, one dig), Angelena Rodriguez (two kills), Selena Rodriguez (one kill) and Erin Bragg (one dig) also aided the Rockets’ effort.
TULLY 3, FAITH HERITAGE 2
Anna Lund dished out 38 assists and Kaylynne Bennett went for 20 kills, an ace and 21 digs as Tully held on to win 25-14, 22-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-11. Anna Lund also had four kills, six aces, a block and nine digs.
Maddy Lund added 25 digs and two aces, Rowan Usherwood contributed 11 kills, two aces and 18 digs and Karissa Olender notched 11 digs. Elaina Iozzo (nine digs, one kill, one ace, one assist), Ella Lund (four kills, five blocks, four digs) and Molly Verbanic (four kills, one block) also contributed to the Black Knights’ win.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BOYS BASKETBALL
Phoenix at Homer, 6:45 p.m. today
McGraw at DeRuyter, 7 p.m. Wednesday
Groton at Newark Valley, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday
Cincinnatus at Madison, 7 p.m. Wednesday
Tully at Cato-Meridian, 7 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cortland at Newark Valley, 7:15 p.m. today
McGraw at Madison, 6 p.m. today
Groton at Union Springs, 7 p.m. today
Cincinnatus at Otselic Valley, 6 p.m. today
Newfield at Dryden, 7 p.m. today
Marathon at Jordan-Elbridge, 7 p.m. Wednesday
HOCKEY
Clinton at Cortland/Homer, 7 p.m. today
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Manlius Pebble Hill at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. today
BOYS WRESTLING
Southern Hills at Cazenovia, 6 p.m. today
Cortland at Homer, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Newark Valley at Marathon, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Groton at Tioga, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Elmira Heights at Dryden, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Trumansburg at Moravia, 6 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS WRESTLING
Homer at West Genesee, 6 p.m. Wednesday
BOWLING
Chittenango at Cortland, 3:30 p.m. today at Cort-Lanes
Homer at A-P-W, 3:30 p.m. today at Lighthouse Lanes
Groton at Lansing, 4 p.m. today at Cort-Lanes
