BALDWINSVILLE – Everything is just where the Baldwinsville girls basketball team wants it as it speeds toward next Friday’s highly-anticipated showdown with Cicero-North Syracuse, a rematch of the 52-51 win by the Northstars on Jan. 7 decided in the final seconds.
The Bees gained one of its biggest victories of the season last Tuesday night, when against state Class AA no. 27-ranked Rome Free Academy a big second quarter made all the difference in a 71-59 win over the Black Knights.
RFA arrived at this game with an 11-3 record, and kept pace with B’ville in a frantic first quarter. But the Black Knights’ 21-20 advantage did not last.
Adjusting its defense and getting stops, the Bees outscored RFA 20-9 the rest of the half, and built its margin to 60-45 by the end of the third quarter, too much for the Black Knights to overcome.
Amiya McLeod had 30 points, but no other RFA player hit double figures. B’ville’s production was more spread out as Ola Bednarczyk put in 22 points to lead the way.
Jayda Pyle stepped up in a big way, setting a career mark by matching Sydney Huhtala’s total of 16 points. Ava Graham had eight points and Margaret Solomon seven points as Bednarczyk, Huhtala and Graham combined to hit seven 3-pointers.
Two nights later, B’ville hosted West Genesee, and it was Senior Night for Huhtala, Bednarczyk, Pyle, Gretchen Perine and Sam Tanguay.
Often, such games can provide distractions and lead to poor performances, but that didn’t happen here as Huhtala led the Bees to a 48-36 win over the Wildcats.
Stifling on defense, B’ville didn’t let up until it had doubled WG’s total and led 42-21 after three periods. All the while, Huhtala was hot from the field, hitting four 3-pointers and five other field goals to get 23 points as Bednarczyak had nine points and Kyrah Wilbur added eight points.
B’ville would take a setback on Saturday, falling 66-46 to Rochester’s Bishop Kearney, who took charge by outscoring the Bees 18-6 in the third quarter. Only Wilbur, with 11 points, scored in double figures, Bednarczyk adding eight points as Graham finished with six points.
