PORT BYRON - With the Section III postseason nearing, the Weedsport boys basketball team played as though they were already there against Port Byron on Wednesday night.

The Warriors rode into the divisional matchup on a three-game winning streak, while the Panthers were coming off two straight close losses to good teams. It was Senior Night for Port Byron, as they honored all five starters playing in their final home high school basketball game.

But it was the Weedsport seniors that took center stage, as they combined for 40 points in the 66-51 win.

In an earlier game, the Warriors took care of the Panthers 62-40 at home, so it was understandable that Port Byron was looking for revenge and it showed in the first half.

While Weedsport's Brandan Pepin came out and fired three 3-pointers and had 10 first-quarter points, Port Byron's Matt Guter scored six of his team-leading 12 points in the first quarter.

The two teams matched each other point for point in the first two quarters and the lead changed three times as the score was even at 21 at the half.

“I told the guys at halftime to just keep at it,” Weedsport coach Matt Lipiska said. “They were doing a good job rebounding as well as under the glass. I just wanted them to come out better in the second half.”

The Panthers didn't come out with the same emotion in the third quarter as they did in the first half.

They were outscored 27-5 in the third as Weedsport's Josh Galletta and Adam Sweet dominated the court and combined for four steals and 15 points.

Galletta (nine points) was 5-of-7 from the free-throw line in the second half and Sweet led the Warriors with 17 points.

“We had great games from both Sweet and Pepin; it was definitely a team effort and not just one individual performance,” Galletta said. “I knew it was 0-0 when we came out after the half, and I drove a lot more than I usually do. We just got it done and from her on, we just need to take it one game at a time.”

Port Byron played much better in the fourth quarter, outscoring Weedsport 25-17 as Zach Reyer came out and fired a three 10 seconds into the quarter. Reyer scored all of his 11 points in the final quarter. Nick Janusz also played well, scoring nine points.

“This was not a good game,” Port Byron coach Chris Ford said. “We didn't rebound or put any pressure on (Weedsport) and we couldn't find the board. We had a much better fourth quarter but we had a very poor third quarter. We gave them too many buckets and turned the ball over way too often.”

The road to the Section III playoffs will not get any easier for the Panthers (4-10 league, 6-13 overall), as they wrap up their regular season on the road against first-place Tully on Friday.

The Warriors (10-4 league, 13-6 overall) hope to make it five in a row that same day at Pulaski.