Cerio hits late three-pointer to lift Manlius Pebble Hill boys basketball over Fabius-Pompey by a point

There are going to start being a lot of games like this one.

Joey Cerio hit a three-pointer from the right wing with about nine seconds to go and Manlius Pebble Hill beat Fabius-Pompey, 51-50, on Monday in the regular season finale for both clubs.

“We have been talking about being ‘there, right there,’ all season long. We have hung with every team in every game and even though we have been on the wrong side of the scoreboard a few times, this shows the kind of fire that our guys have,” MPH head coach Jeff Ike said. “We can win on any given night.”

Dan Byrnes had 25 points for MPH, while Cerio finished with eight including the crucial final three.

Stewart Wright finished with 19 in the loss that dropped Fabius-Pompey to 16-2 on the season.

MPH finishes the regular year at 12-5.

With Section III tournaments scheduled to start on Valentine’s Day the intensity of the final game of the regular season couldn’t have been timed any better for MPH.

“It is going to be so fresh in the body and in the mind,” Ike said. “It is so valuable to be able to draw on this kind of experience so late in the regular season because then it is so fresh. We are going to remember those plays and those feelings when we really need them.”