CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though it only played once in the week leading up to Christmas, the Marcellus girls basketball team made sure it counted a lot.
The Mustangs took a 2-2 record into Wednesday’s game at Mexico, but had little trouble putting an end to the Tigers’ 14-game win streak, prevailing by a score of 61-34.
After going 10-0 last winter (just like Marcellus did), Mexico had won its first four games this winter, yet had not faced anyone as good as the Mustangs.
And a 16-6 first-quarter surge would set the game’s tone. Gradually, Marcellus allowed its defensive pressure to wear the Tigers down as the hosts got just 12 total points in the second half.
Offensively, Katie MacLachlan sank five 3-pointers on her way to 25 points overall. Emma MacLachlan and Cece Powell helped with 12 points apiece as Anyssa Ingersoll led Mexico with 15 points, the only Tiger in double figures.
Westhill got a virtuoso effort from senior Catherine Dadey in its Dec. 16 game against Homer, the senior nearly matching the Trojans by herself in a 55-35 victory.
Of Dadey’s 11 field goals, seven were 3-pointers which, combined with four free throws, led to a total of 33 points as Janiah Robinson added 12 points, which helped Westhill build a 47-29 lead through three quarters.
West Genesee again was kept out of the win column on Dec. 16 with a narrow 51-47 defeat to Syracuse Academy of Science, who was led by Alexius Pierce’s 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Even more frustrating was a 48-36 defeat to Liverpool in the Zebra Classic Dec. 18, a game where the Wildcats only trailed by two, 36-34, before it got shut out for most of the fourth quarter.
Erin DiPaola had 11 points, with Brianna Drury adding nine points as Naveah Wingate got 20 points for the Warriors.
Then, up against Cicero-North Syracuse Tuesday night, the Wildcats dropped a 51-30 decision, unable to overcome a slow start where it was held to just five points in the first quarter.
Solvay played East Syracuse Minoa on Dec. 16 and absorbed a 44-31 defeat to the Spartans, who started the game on a 15-6 run and never got caught.
Margaret Kemp led the Bearcats with 10 points, 14 reobunds, four blocks and six steals, while Natalie Orr had eight points. Jayde Coyne had nine rebounds to go with six points, five assists and three steals.
Jordan-Elbridge lost, 48-40, to Hannibal despite Abby Ahern’s 17 points and Erin LaVancha’s 10 points, while Solvay fell to Henninger 56-27 to Henninger last Monday, even with Orr’s 14 points and Kemp’s 13 rebounds.
Trying to rebound last Wednesday against Chittenango, J-E could not do so, falling 47-34 to the Bears. Ahern led all scorers with 11 points, while Ava Hildebrant had 10 points. Ten different Chittenango players got on the board, led by Alazyah Smith’s 10 points.
