CENTRAL NEW YORK – One could forgive the Marcellus girls basketball team if, following its huge 50-36 win over Bishop Ludden on Jan. 29, it would have a letdown a couple of nights later.
That didn’t happen, though, as the Mustangs, who jumped to no. 14 in last week’s state Class B rankings, met up with another main rival, Skaneateles, and managed to prevail by an even bigger margin, defeating the Lakers 55-40 for its fifth win in a row.
The quick turnaround from the Ludden game was handled quite well as Marcellus, in a close first half, inched out in front and ultimately took a 23-18 lead to halftime.
Then, pulling away late, the Mustangs saw Hannah Rogalia hit on four 3-pointers to account for most of her game-high 18 points. Katie MacLachlan put in 11 points as Cece Powell and Annabella Mondello had nine points apiece.
Skaneateles was unable to keep pace, even though Maddy Ramsgard put up 14 points and Ayla Pas’cal was close behind, earning 11 points.
After the late-week weather interruption, Marcellus returned Saturday and, with a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, upended Hannibal 59-52.
Led by Julia Shortslef (21 points) and Samantha Emmons 17 points), Hannibal built a 30-25 halftime lead and were still in front until Marcellus charged in the final period with a 26-11 closing push.
Rogalia, with half her 18 points from three 3-pointers, led the rally, with Emma MacLachlan getting 13 points and Katie MacLachlan 12 points as Powell earned eight points and Mondello got seven points.
Westhill, who lost to Marcellus before Ludden did, was dominant last Tuesday against Christian Brothers Academy, nearly doubling the Brothers’ production in a 76-39 victory.
The state Class B no. 16-ranked Warriors got 20 points from Catherine Dadey and saw Tess Roesch set a new career mark with 17 points, including three 3-poniters. Janiah Robinson had 12 points and Kate Heinrich contributed 10 points.
Then Westhill had its own game with Skaneateles Saturday and won 43-23, the Warriors limiting the Lakers to four points in three of the four quarters as Dadey put in 20 points, Heinrich seven points and Julianne Bleskoski nine points.
Meanwhile, Bishop Ludden followed up the Marcellus loss with another setback last Monday as it fell 77-56 to Rochester’s Bishop Kearney.
Sitting at no. 9 in the latest state Class A rankings, Kearney took an early lead, withstood all of the Gaelic Knights’ charges and pulled away in the fourth quarter despite Amarah Streiff’s 21 points and 14 rebounds.
Bridget Dunham, with her 21 points, equaled Streiff and set a career mark. Elizabeth Gaughan earned 10 points, with Kaitlyn Kibling adding 11 rebounds.
Jordan-Elbridge got a 48-32 victory over Solvay last Monday night, gaining an early lead and then, by outscoring the Bearcats 18-11 in the third quarter, assuring a double-digit cushion.
Ava Hildebrandt led the Eagles with 23 points, adding seven steals, four rebounds and three assists. Erin LaVancha stepped up with 14 points and four rebounds as Abbie Ahern got eight rebounds. J-E overcame nine points and 18 rebounds from Solvay’s Margaret Kemp.
As a follow-up on Wednesday night, J-E beat Cato-Meridian 46-24, outscoring the Blue Devils in every quaretr as Hildebrant got 15 points, helped by Ahern and LaVancha, who had nine points apiece.
West Genesee met Baldwinsville for the second time in as many weeks and the third time overall, and like the first two encounters, the Wildcats lost, this time by a 50-41 margin.
Each of the previous meetings were competitive, and WG, on its Senior Night, played quite well in the first half, especially on defense as it contained the Bees and were up 21-17 at the break.
All of that changed, though, in the third quarter, B’ville going on an 18-7 run to grab the lead, staying there behind Sydney Huhtala’s 16 points and Ola Bednarczyk’s 13 points. Mollie James led the Wildcats with 14 points, Erin DiPaola earning 12 points and Brianna Drury getting eight points.
