With its December struggles fading further into the background, the Westhill girls basketball team was now starting to build a case for itself as someone that could, once again, make it to the top of the Section III Class B ranks.
Winners of four in a row, the Warriors hosted its next-door neighbors from Bishop Ludden last Tuesday night, and despite an all-out effort from the likes of Danielle Rauch, Westhill did make it five straight, holding off the Gaelic Knights 51-47.
Even when it was battling inconsistency earlier this season, Westhill had still beaten Ludden 47-40 on Dec. 11, getting 20 points from Mary Kate Washburn and 14 points from Delaney Martin to fend off 19 points from the Gaelic Knights’ Sarah Hayes.
Rauch, on that night, had 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists, but she managed to top herself in the rematch with Westhill.
Ludden’s freshman star would, at times, carry her team’s attack, hitting baskets when her Ludden teammates could not get open and keeping the game on even terms through most of the night.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Westhill clung to a 29-28 lead, but would hang on in large part because it had multiple options, contrasting that of Rauch, who finished her night with 27 points, a season high, including four 3-pointers.
But while no other Ludden player hit double figures (Hayes had seven points), Westhill saw Mackenzie Martin earn 14 points, Washburn add 13 points and Delaney Martin gain 12 points. Further help came from Morgan Elmer, who had seven points.
Two nights later, Westhill made it six in a row, handling Jordan-Elbridge 63-32 as it defied a recent trend of waiting until the homestretch to play its best, bolting out to a 28-9 lead on the Eagles with hot shooting in the first quarter.
Eventually, the margin grew to 54-18 by the fourth quarter, as Delaney Martin got 18 points to lead the way and Brigid Heinrich, seeing extended minutes, poured in a career-best 12 points. Mackenzie Martin had nine points, just ahead of Katelyn Karleski (eight points) and Washburn, who had six points. Emily Somes paced J-E with 12 points.
Then Westhill met 7-2 Camden in non-league play on Friday and, earning its seventh win in a row (and third in four days), defeated the Blue Devils 53-44.
During the first quarter, the Warriors held Camden to a single point. The margin grew to 25-12 by halftime, and Westhill continued to have control in the last two periods despite 21 points amassed by the Blue Devils’ 1,000-point scorer, Kiersten Leos.
Putting up another double-double, Delaney Martin had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Washburn had nine assists to go with her nine points, with Elmer also earning nine points. Karleski had eight points and Shannon Bunce contributed seven points.
It didn’t get easier for Ludden, who went after unbeaten, state Class B no. 3-ranked Bishop Grimes on Friday night and got off to the worst start imaginable, unable to recover in a 63-31 defeat to the Cobras.
A series of turnovers forced by Grimes’ press led to a series of baskets on the other end, and the Gaelic Knights trailed 21-0 before the game was five minutes old.
Somehow, Ludden played the rest of the first half on even terms, but the damage was rendered. Rauch had 13 points, with Liz DeMartino adding eight points and Sara Hayes seven points. Grimes saw Jordan Vaught produce 19 points and Azariah Wade earn 16 points and 13 rebounds.
But it wasn’t all bad news for Ludden. Head coach Jerry Roesch, along with Jeff Costello, who have run the Leprechaun League for more than 20 years, were named the grand marshals for Syracuse’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place March 14.
