The Homer varsity boys basketball team defeated the Chittenango Bears (56-46) last night, and clinched a Class B Sectionals spot.
It was a slow start for the Homer Trojans, as they ended the opening quarter down 6-16. They excelled defensively in the second quarter; limiting the Bears to a mere two points. Homer had a 20-18 lead at the half.
“When we play defense and give energy and effort, we are a much better team. Our offense spurts on that,” stated Homer Head Coach Rex Ryan. “Once we started getting steals and blocks, we all started grinding more and went from there,” added Homer senior Derek Fickett.
The game turned into a back and forth affair at the beginning of the second half. Chittenango had a four point lead, until Homer senior Jarrett Wilbur hit an and-one. He followed it with a mid-range jumper to take the lead back (31-30). Wilbur ended the game with 17 points.
The Trojans went on to extend their lead to 10 points with senior Mikyle Franklin spreading the floor and constantly finding Fickett for the open shot. Fickett scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
“I like to be a team player and see them (teammates) score,” said Franklin. “It gets me hyped!”
The Trojans were excited after the win, knowing that they clinched a Sectionals spot.
“We have to keep working hard,” said Coach Ryan. “We just need to hold each other accountable and keep the energy up.”
The Trojans will end the regular season with two games on the road. They will play Chenango Valley on Feb.15 at 5:30 pm., and Indian River on Feb. 17 at 12:30 pm.
Here is a game highlight video, postgame interviews, and a photo gallery of last night's game:
