Brandon Burke scored 21 points in the first half and fifth-seeded Byron-Bergen shot over 70 percent from the field in the first quarter as they built a 19-point halftime lead on their way to defeating 12th seed Canisteo-Greenwood in the first round of the Section V Class C2 boys’ basketball tournament.
Burke hit three treys and added an old-fashioned three-point play in the first quarter alone while Colin Noeth and Derek Cooper each scored two field goals inside as the Bees built a 12-point first quarter advantage.
Cameron Shenk knocked down a three-pointer while Chase Felton and Ryan Gonyea each added baskets in the second quarter along with seven more points from Burke.
Ryan Richardson hit two of his three treys and the Bees scored the final five points of the third quarter in extending the lead to 29 before the benches emptied for much of the fourth with everyone on the Bees roster scoring at least one point.
“It was one of our better nights (shooting),” Byron-Bergen head coach Chad Smith said. The Bees had a significant advantage in height “but we didn’t really need it—it worked out well for us.”
15-6 Byron-Bergen next travels to fourth-seed Lyons (15-5) in the quarterfinals.
Burke finished with a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds to go with five assists. Noeth had 12 points with nine rebounds, Richardson nine points on three treys and Cooper had seven points with eight rebounds and three assists.
