BALDWINSVILLE, NY- Coming off one of the tougher ways to lose you will see Corcoran were looking to get back on the winning track on Friday after their first defeat of the season, but it wasn't going to be easy with the Cougars going on the road to take on a strong Baldwinsville team.

After leading by as many as 13 in the second half the lead for Corcoran evaporated in the closing seconds when Jacob Marshall '19 hit on a three ball with 33.5 seconds to go.

It was looking as if it would be heartbreak again for the Cougars, but that was until a runner at the buzzer by Jae'son Gillard '20, who scored his only points of the game in the biggest moment, as his bucket helped Corcoran to a stunning 65-64 victory.

Going into Tuesday's game against West Genesee the Cougars were an undefeated 16-0, but a jumper at the buzzer that video proved to be after the buzzer gave Corcoran their first defeat of the season, a moment that guard De'Jour Reaves '20 says should've never happened to cost them what may have been a perfect season.

"We were angry," Reaves said after watching the video showing the West Genesee shot came after the clock hit zero. "The refs should've made a better call at the end of that game."

Corcoran head coach Jesse Long though said that his team shouldn't have been able to lose that game, saying that in his eyes it was a loss and a game he felt his team could bond from and hopefully come together as a team even more than they already are.

The opening half saw the Cougars get off to a balanced offensive start with Reaves and Daimarr Miller '19 each scoring 9 points in the first half, while for Baldwinsville it was Sunday Joshua '19 inside who had 12 in the early going to keep the Bees close, though Corcoran took a 29-24 lead at the break.

Coming out of the half it was Reaves who looked as if he was going to put the game away for Corcoran as he had 13 in the third quarter, finding ways to score consistently off the dribble driving to the rim, and pulling up and knocking jumper after jumper.

Leading 47-34 with 3:12 left in the 3rd it seemed like Corcoran was in full control, but when J.J. Starling '22 got going it was the Bees flying back into this one as the stud freshmen had 8 points down the stretch of the quarter, and then it was an Eric Casey '19 triple from the corner to close out the stanza that got Baldwinsville back within 52-49.

Even though momentum looked to be fully on the side of the Bees it was baskets from the Corcoran young duo of D.J. Haynes '22 and Dewayne Young '21 that helped see the Cougars score 8 of the first 10 of the fourth to up their lead to a comfortable margin again.

It was the long ball for Baldwinsville though that saw them again rally as they went down 63-56 but would score the next 8 finished off by Starling and Marshall three's that gave the Bees take a 64-63 lead with 33.5 to play.

A turnover by the Cougars gave Baldwinsville a chance to up the lead to three with a couple made FT's with 9.8 seconds left, but the Bees missed the front end of a one and one giving Corcoran one last chance. Young though fouled out, and in his place came in Gillard, a player who played nary a minute in the game leading up to the final seconds, though Long said he had confidence in every player he had on the court at that point, including Gillard.

"We're so fortunate this year that we are so deep and Jae'son doesn't get in the game all that much, but when he does, I am confident he will take advantage of it," Long stated.

With Reaves and Miller both double teamed it was Gillard who had the ball in his hand and he drove down the right side and through up a runner over a pair of closing in defenders just before the buzzer sounded that was nothing but net to give Corcoran a shocking 65-64 victory, seeing the buzzer end up on the right side for them on this cold Syracuse night.

Reaves had a game high 23 points for Corcoran in the win with Miller adding 13. Gillard only had the game winning 2 points, but for Reaves he was the MVP on a day to where the Cougars needed something positive to happen.

"I was confident in him to make that shot because even though he may not play a lot I knew Jae'son was hungry," Reaves said.

In the tough defeat it was 20 points for Starling while Joshua had 16 for Bees who even in a loss proved that they can compete and hang with the very best that Section 3 has to offer this season.

After feeling the agony of defeat just 72 hours before it was the pure jubilation to win at the buzzer this time around with Reaves saying that this win will only give his Corcoran team more confidence and belief that this is truly a special season with only bigger things still to come.

"We feel like we can beat anybody," Reaves admitted. "We are taking it one step at a time and one game at a time but we believe we can get to the finals and go all the way."