CHITTENANGO #- It started off well for the Auburn boys basketball team.

It was the ending that was the problem.

Against Utica Proctor at Chittenango High School on Saturday, the Maroons found ways to score. For the first eight minutes in the Section III, Class AA semifinals, the score flip-flopped.

Then the top-seeded Raiders took control of the court. After a slim 19-16 lead heading into the second quarter, Utica Proctor put up 21 points in the second and 22 more in the third to earn the right to play in the sectional finals with a 71-58 win.

“We gave up 40 points at the half - that's just way too many,” Auburn coach Al Giannone said. “I was proud of how we came back in the second half though.”

Down by as many as 20 points in the third, Auburn showed its character, rallying for six points in the final minute of the quarter to cut the Raiders' lead to 14. They put up eight more in the initial four minutes of the fourth to come within seven points with 3:46 left in the game. But without standout senior Damien Whitaker, who fouled out with 7:49 left in the game and scarcely played in the third quarter, the Maroons scored just two more points in the game, missing four shots from beyond the arc to close out play.

“(Playing without Whitaker) was huge at that time,” Giannone said. “He's a major part of our act and he's just been fantastic for us - the last two years he's been outstanding.”

After losing to the powerhouse Raiders earlier this season, the Maroons wanted to limit Deandre Preaster's impact on the game - something that proved impossible as the senior racked up 24 points and nearly 20 rebounds.

“One of our keys was that we wanted to stay out of foul trouble and we didn't,” Giannone said. “Because of that, we weren't able to pressure as much as we wanted to, so we had to sit back in the zone and they shot the ball on us. And they shot much better on us tonight, Preaster is still Preaster - he's a monster. We concentrated on trying to box him out, but he's so quick.”

With limited work from Whitaker (seven points), Pitts played exceptionally well, scoring 23 points - 13 of which came in the first half.

Dave Foltz tallied eight and Malcolm Bryant scored another seven.

The Maroons did a solid job of containing the Raiders to nine points in the fourth quarter, but not capitalizing on their own opportunities and scoring just 10 points didn't allow them to stage an upset.

Gary Austin scored 15 points for Utica Proctor, with three 3s and four steals. Collis Maddox also scored 11 points for the Raiders.

“We played hard,” Giannone said. “We hate to lose a game like this, that we can't practice on. I love these kids. But we'll be back.

After losing to the powerhouse Raiders earlier this season, the Maroons wanted to limit Deandre Preaster's impact on the game - something that proved impossible as the senior racked up 24 points and nearly 20 rebounds.

“One of our keys was that we wanted to stay out of foul trouble and we didn't,” Giannone said. “Because of that, we weren't able to pressure as much as we wanted to, so we had to sit back in the zone and they shot the ball on us. And they shot much better on us tonight, Preaster is still Preaster - he's a monster. We concentrated on trying to box him out, but he's so quick.”

With limited work from Whitaker (seven points), Pitts played exceptionally well, scoring 23 points - 13 of which came in the first half. Dave Foltz tallied eight and Malcolm Bryant scored another seven.

The Maroons did a solid job of containing the Raiders to nine points in the fourth quarter, but not capitalizing on their own opportunities and scoring just 10 points didn't allow them to stage an upset.

Gary Austin scored 15 points for Utica Proctor, with three 3s and four steals. Collis Maddox also scored 11 points for the Raiders.

“We played hard,” Giannone said. “We hate to lose a game like this, that we can't practice on. I love these kids. But we'll be back.”