CENTRAL NEW YORK – Humbled by Bishop Ludden-Grimes and Westhill in the opening week of the season the Baldwinsville boys basketball team hoped to take what it learned and apply it to two of its northern neighbors. Fulton went first in the Bees’ home opener at the Durgee Junior High School gym it is calling home this winter as Baker High School’s main gym is renovated. Even at home, though, the third game went just like the first two, B’ville struggling at the outset and unable to make up the ground the rest of the way in a 79-63 defeat to the Red Dragons.Fulton would keep the Bees quiet most of the first quarter and claim a 19-7 advantage, one which proved secure over the course of the rest of the night. To its credit, B’ville was able to start producing baskets on a regular basis led by Matt Pope, who put in 22 points as Mike Virginia had 10 points, Aidan Griffin nine points and Michael Ryan six points. No one on the Bees could contain Red Dragons junior standout Xavier Doty, who poured in 33 points including six 3-pointers to follow up the 31 points he scored in Fulton’s season-opening win over Lowville. Koby Drake was strong, too, earning 21 points. Weather kept the Bees from facing Central Square two nights later, but it would get made up on Saturday and it was here that B’ville got into the win column, staging a late comeback to defeat the Redhawks 61-58. From the time Central Square jumped out to a 20-14 first-quarter advantage it was in front, mostly able to fend off Bees challenges over the game’s middle stages. B’ville still trailed 45-40 going to the fourth quarter but with Pope leading the way with his outside shooting the Bees stormed to a late head and held on.Pope gained 24 points, half of it from four 3-pointers. Griffin gained 10 points, with Virginia adding nine points and Carter Ratliff six points to overcome 31 points from Redhawks standout Jace Bukowski. B’ville continues its league slate this week when it goes to West Genesee Wednesday and then hosts Fayetteville-Manlius Friday night. ...read more read less