CENTRAL NEW YORK – Some of the area’s high school girls basketball teams would find themselves in the midst of holiday tournament action but two prominent sides had big non-league tests.
Bishop Ludden played once, on Dec. 28 at Utica’s Nexus Center and would see its four-game win streak halted in a 58-57 loss to New Hartford.
What made it difficult to take was that the Gaelic Knights played well most of the way and were up 49-43 going to the fourth quarter, but the Spartans rallied by holding Ludden to eight points the rest of the way and inching in front.
Abby Reynolds earned 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sophia Chemotti got 11 points, with Savannah Simmons adding eight points, but Ava Carpenter was held to three points as Kamryn Richards paced New Hartford with 16 points.
Marcellus got its own test from Cicero-North Syracuse last Friday night as it played for the first time since a Dec. 21 loss to Liverpool.
And the Northstars would top the Mustangs, too, a 52-41 decision mostly marked by strong defense on both sides. They were tight throughout the first half and tied 22-22 at the break before C-NS outscored Marcellus 14-9 in the third quarter to go in front.
Tenly Baker still had 19 points, four rebounds and four steals, Cece Powell adding 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. But the rest of the Mustangs combined for just four field goals as Leah Benedict (17 points) and Grace Villnave (12 points) paced C-NS.
West Genesee saw the first part of its appearance in the East Syracuse Minoa Tournament go well as, in the Dec. 27 opening round, the Wildcats routed Watertown 66-29.
What was a close contest broke open when WG outscored the Cyclones 19-2 in the second quarter. Bella Quinones, with 16 points, led an attack where Jordyn Townes (12 points), Mia Raymond (11 points) and Alaina Dudzinski (10 points) also hit double figures.
The final pitted WG against Christian Brothers Academy, who beat host ESM in the opening round. All looked good for the Wildcats early, but it all got away in the second half of a 54-51 defeat to the Brothers.
WG limited CBA to five points in the first quarter, and then equaled whatever the Brothers put up the rest of the half, going to the break sporting a 31-17 halftime advantage.
Led by Juliette Zimmerman (16 points) and Liana Thomas (14 points), CBA made up some ground in the third and then closed on a 21-10 push to surge to the lead.
Quinones led all scorers with 19 points, hitting on five 3-pointers. Dudzinski had 10 points and Thomas got nine points.
At the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Tournament Skaneateles lost its first-round game 69-47 to Oswego, who got 24 points, 15 rebounds, five steals and four blocks from Maria Sweet plus 21 points from Kaelyn Bond.
A 24-12 second-quarter push helped the Buccaneers grab control. Allie Michel’s 15 points paced the Lakers, with Tobi DiRubbo getting 11 points, Finn Pas’cal eight points and Brooke DeRosalia seven points.
Meeting Gouverneur (Section X) in the consolation game Skaneateles lost again, 35-31 in overtime, a defensive battle most of the way where the Lakers were outscored 8-4 in the extra period. Michel led her side with 14 points.
Jordan-Elbridge was in the Cortland Holiday Tournament where in the Dec. 27 opening round it faced the host Purple Tigers, only managing a handful of baskets in a 37-18 defeat.
Cortland’s stifling defense held the Eagles to just three points each of the first two quarters. Only Kelsey Brunelle, with six points, had more than one field goal. Gabby Brown led the Purple Tigers with 10 points and eight rebounds.
In the Dec. 28 consolation game J-E rebounded by defeating LaFayette 61-50. Hot early shooting created a 25-12 first-quarter margin which was needed through a mid-game slump before the Eagles pulled away for good in the final period.
