Calob Sutton and Caleb Epp hit big shots in the second overtime to put McGraw up seven, then Dylan Truman went 5-for-6 from the free throw line to seal an eventual 57-47 win for the Eagles over rival Cincinnatus Tuesday night at Cincinnatus Central School.
Sutton opened up the second extra frame with a 3-pointer, then attacked the rim and got a bucket. Epp found space in the lane for two a few trips later.
Sutton wasn’t having a great game up to that point, but he knew his time was coming in a close game.
“I was missing all game and I was waiting for a good one to happen,” Sutton said. “It just came to me and I just threw it up and it went in. Boom.”
Truman knocked down his free throws with 19.2 seconds left. He stole a ball Canden Stafford mishandled and Canden Stafford fouled him on the break. That fouled him out of the game and he was issued a technical foul after a skirmish following the call. Cincinnatus head coach Jim Halstrom was also given a technical.
Cincinnatus had the ball with 26.7 seconds left down 49-47 after forcing a jump ball off an inbound pass. The ball was worked around, then Canden Stafford dribbled it off his foot, allowing Truman the open chance.
Canden Stafford and Epp had a chance at the end of regulation and the first overtime, respectively, but both stars came up short. Neither team scored in the final 20 seconds of either regulation or overtime.
Jaydon Bassett made a bucket with 25 seconds left in the first overtime off a slick feed from Sutton to tie the game at 42. Epp tied the game at 37 in regulation with 57 seconds left.
Canden Stafford and Johnny Schuyler each had to play through foul trouble late, with each Lion picking up their fourth in the third quarter. Halstrom loved the effort they gave to keep themselves in the game and still contribute as much as possible despite the circumstances.
“I’m extremely proud because if we lose one of those guys it puts us in a lot different situation,” Halstrom said. “We just don’t have experience out there. I’m proud of them for what they did out there and they didn’t stop playing defense.”
McGraw opened up with a 14-5 lead through a quarter, but Cincinnatus won the second 14-2 to take a 19-16 lead into the break. Halstrom’s guys broke down the Eagles’ 1-3-1 defense, forcing them into a man-to-man look after halftime.
“At halftime we knew we had the gaps in the defense and we knew we could hit them,” Halstrom said. “The biggest thing I’m proud of is we were patient on offense. When we’re patient and our eyeballs are up and looking we find guys and we proved it possession after possession. We did a good job of it but we kind of lost it in the last quarter.”
McGraw went into the break visibly frustrated, with Epp unable to get going offensively. The Eagles had to grind through a rough offensive game and the senior leader credits his team’s defense and togetherness for the win.
“Defense and each other,” Epp said. “Lifting each other up, that’s really what we needed. When we went into the locker room I had a negative attitude being a captain. My non-captain teammates picked me up and told me we’re fine and we’re in this together. That’s when we flipped the switch.”
Neither side led by more than five from the start of the second half until Truman’s late free throws. It was back-and-forth, with Epp and Canden Stafford dueling with big shots. Those two are their team’s leaders and star players and were guarding each other most of the way, something Epp had lots of fun with.
“That’s my favorite part of the game, when the two best players go at it,” Epp said. “Canden is good as heck and I give him all the credit. It makes it more fun and it makes it competitive.”
Epp led McGraw with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and a block, while Truman notched 17 points, a rebound and a steal and Sutton had 13 points, three assists and two steals. Jaydon Bassett (five points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks), Riley Van Liew (two points, four rebounds, one steal) and Blair Mulcahy (one point, one rebound, one assist, one steal) also contributed for the Eagles.
Canden Stafford led Cincinnatus with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a steal. Jack Stafford added 11 points on three triples, six boards, three assists and a block, Schuyler pitched in 10 points, five rebounds and four assists and Trevor Shevalier had his best game to date with eight points, 11 rebounds, an assist and five blocks. Zach Streichert (six points, four rebounds, four steals) and Koda Temple (one assist) also aided the Lions’ effort.
McGraw, now 8-2, will play again at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 at home against DeRuyter. Cincinnatus, now 3-6 with five consecutive losses, will play again at 7 p.m. Friday at home against Stockbridge Valley.
BOYS BASKETBALL
BISHOP LUDDEN 86, HOMER 43
Homer trailed 48-26 at halftime and lost the third quarter 21-7 to eliminate any chance of a comeback. Wyatt Wilbur led the Trojans with 14 points and Kaden Durham added 13.
Max Franco added six points, Mitchell Earle and Daniel Hartnett contributed four points each and Alex Votra scored two points for Homer.
GROTON 70, SOUTHERN CAYUGA 57
Groton earned its second straight win behind 19 points from Jaiden Mitchell and 18 from Nick Karandeyev. Mitchell went for 13 points after halftime.
Carmelo Riley-Israel added seven points, Conor Eldred and Matt Hayes had six points each, Sean O’Brien scored five points, Trenton Walker had four points, Jordan Roberson had three points and Dom Mackey had two points.
WRESTLING
MARCELLUS/ONONDAGA 63, CORTLAND 12
Avery Canzano (190 pounds) and Nickolas Hines (145 pounds) both won by pin to get Cortland its only points of the night. Canzano won by first-period pin to move to 21-0 this season.
Jackson Marks (124 pounds) lost a decision and Suzee Barber (101 pounds), Jaheim Robinson (116 pounds) and Landon West (152 pounds) were all pinned.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BOYS BASKETBALL
Dryden at Watkins Glen, 7:15 p.m. today
DeRuyter at Madison, 7 p.m. today
Cortland at Westhill, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Homer at CBA, 7:15 p.m. today
Moravia at Marathon, 6 p.m. today
McGraw at Stockbridge Valley, 6 p.m. today
Madison at Cincinnatus, 5:30 p.m. today
Westhill at Cortland, 6:45 p.m. Thursday
Newark Valley at Dryden, 7 p.m. Thursday
Tully at Onondaga, 6 p.m. Thursday
HOCKEY
Cortland/Homer at Skaneateles, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Chittenango at Tully, 7 p.m. today
DeRuyter at McGraw, 7 p.m. Thursday
Stockbridge Valley at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. Thursday
Tully at Faith Heritage, 6 p.m. Thursday
WRESTLING
Marathon at Moravia, 6 p.m. today
Spencer-Van Etten/Candor at Dryden, 6 p.m. today
Southern Hills at Hannibal, 6 p.m. today
Mexico at Homer, 6 p.m. Thursday
Marathon at Windsor, 6 p.m. Thursday
Moravia at Whitney Point, 6 p.m. Thursday
BOWLING
CBA at Cortland, 3:30 p.m. today at Cort-Lanes
Cortland at Homer, 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Hi-Lanes
SWIMMING & DIVING
Dryden at Lansing, 4:30 p.m. Thursday
