When it won twice in the Dec. 28-29 College Showcase in Amsterdam, the Baldwinsville girls basketball team appeared, at least at that moment, to find its top form, something it hoped would carry over when it went back into the CNY Counties League.
Instead, when the Bees traveled to Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday night, it found itself missing all kinds of close-up shots in the first half and, when it needed a late run, it could not quit put it together during a 52-41 defeat to the Hornets.
Of all the early-season stories in local Class AA girls basketball, nothing was more surprising than F-M, who missed the Section III playoffs a year ago, but had roared out to an 8-1 start this winter and risen to no. 13 in the state rankings, just ahead of B’ville in the no. 15 spot.
Now, in the first of their two regular-season encounters, the Hornets unleashed its defense on B’ville, especially in the paint, where Lizzie Hall and eighth-grader Alexis Gray was charged with trying to contain the Bees’ star forward, Riley Carlucci.
For the most part, it worked. Carlucci did pick up 12 rebounds, but she converted just one field goal and had five points overall. What’s more, her teammates, given open looks with all the attention on Carlucci, could not make them in a first half where the game was close and low-scoring.
Down by just three, 18-15, at the break, B’ville found some life on the offensive side in the second half, but every time it did, F-M provided an answer, relying on a well-balanced attack. Hall (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Gray (10 points, six rebounds, six blocks) complemented Patterson-Ricks, who amassed 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and fellow guard Carly Assimon, who got seven points, eight assists and five rebounds.
On B’ville’s side, Emily Pascale and Kaylee Lammers did get 13 points and five rebounds apiece, with Pascale adding five steals. Mackenzie Schaffner managed nine rebounds as Carolyn Brussel finished with seven points and seven rebounds.
The Bees returned home Thursday night to face Henninger and quickly got back in the win column, topping the Black Knights 54-21. Able to establish pressure early, B’ville led, 22-6, after one period, and kept adding to that margin over the course of the next two periods, eventually gaining a 47-15 lead before the starters rested.
Carlucci regained her scoring touch, earning a team-high 15 points, plus eight rebounds, but a bigger story was seeing Meaghan Wilson come off the bench to earn 12 points and five rebounds, Pascale had 11 points and a season-high eight steals as Mackenzie Hanna added seven rebounds and everyone on the playing roster got at least one point.
Another important game for the 9-3 Bees looms on Monday night at Liverpool before it meets West Genesee next Wednesday and then, two nights later, takes another shot at powerful Cicero-North Syracuse.
