From a broken clock to a late-game injury, the Bishop Grimes girls basketball team underwent many different kinds of adversity in last Thursday’s game against Bishop Ludden, any of which could have provided an excuse had the Cobras faltered.

But Grimes didn’t falter. Instead, it parlayed a big second-quarter surge into a fine all-around effort that turned back the state Class B no. 15-ranked Gaelic Knights 55-43 and offered a bit of sweet payback.

When they had first met Dec. 8, Ludden had routed Grimes 63-40, getting 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Danielle Rauch. At first, it looked like Rauch would run wild again, netting 12 first-quarter points in the rematch to push the Gaelic Knights to a 16-9 lead.

But then Grimes, sparked by a technical fall issued to its head coach, John Cifonelli, shut down Ludden during a 19-2 second-quarter blitz to go in front, 28-18, going into halftime.

Trying to respond, Ludden got within three, 33-30, during the third period, before Abby Wilkinson’s 3-pointer allowed Grimes to regain control, which it maintained the rest of the way despite a few odd circumstances.

The clock malfunctioned early in the third quarter, and despite 25 minutes to work on it, they couldn’t get it back going. Thus, for most of the second half, the two teams played without that clock, instead having the time called off at five-second intervals and when 10 seconds or less were left in the shot clock.

Yet another delay came in the fourth quarter, when Brianna Squier got inadvertently hit in the face, causing a bloody nose. Following the clean-up, the game resumed, and the Cobras finished off, arguably, its most important win of the season.

Azariah Wade, honored before the game for passing 1,000 career points at Indian River on Jan. 23, scored 20 points on this night. Katy McInerney had 11 points, while Wilkinson got nine points and Molly McInerney six points.

More importantly, Grimes’ defense nearly shut down Rauch following her opening burst, holding her to eight points the rest of the way. Other than Rauch, Sara Hayes (12 points) and Laura Patulski (nine points), Ludden had just one other field goal, from Aurora Deshaies.

Before Ludden arrived, Grimes had taken a trip to Jordan-Elbridge last Monday night and put together its best start in any game this season, one that made the entire difference in a 66-47 victory over the Eagles.

Still mad that its comeback attempt at Indian River on Jan. 23 had fallen short, the Cobras took it out on J-E during a first quarter where everything went right, from a defense that forced turnovers to an offense that made every shot.

By the time those first eight minutes were done, Grimes led, 29-4, and the margin would get to 58-26 before the Eagles made a belated push. Wade, with 14 points, led a balanced attack where Squier (11 points) and Maria Naylor (10 points) also hit double figures. Katy McInerney had eight points and Molly McInerney added six points as 11 different Cobras earned at least one point by game’s end.

The win over Ludden appeared to confirm Grimes’ revival – but then it lost, 56-44, to Binghamton Seton Catholic Saturday at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall.

This was the same Seton Catholic side that lost to Ludden Jan. 17 in the Juggler Classic final in Utica, but here it outscored the Cobras in every single period and shut down everyone except Wade, who poured in 25 points. No other Grimes player had more than Katy McInerney’s total of five points.

Elsewhere, East Syracuse Minoa took a 47-39 defeat to Homer last Tuesday night, a game it led early before the Trojans outscored them 13-5 in the second quarter, eventually building up a 39-27 margin that the Spartans could not overcome.

Athena Thomasson still had 14 points, with Brigid McGinley adding 10 points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers. Olivia McEachron added seven points as Homer saw Madison Dimorier get 17 points, six rebounds and four steals, with Dakota Kleefeld gaining 12 points and nine rebounds.

ESM hosted Central Square Friday night, falling 65-27 as the Redhawks outscored them 37-7 in the second half. Thomason had eight points and McEachron six points, but Lauren Bell (15 points), Kalie Schumaker (13 points), Lizzy Straub (11 points) and Sammi Bentz (10 points) led a well-balanced Central Square attack.