Baldwinsville’s girls basketball team turned its attention to the second half of the regular season, and got a much-needed win on Saturday when it defeated Bishop Ludden 66-59 on Saturday afternoon.
This followed, by four days, the Bees’ second defeat of the season, which took place last Tuesday as B’ville traveled to Corcoran and met with all kinds of struggles in a 59-40 loss to the Cougars.
A perennial title contender (it lost in last year’s Section III Class AA final to Cicero-North Syracuse), Corcoran traded baskets with the Bees in the first quarter. B’ville only trailed 17-14 after one period, but for the rest of the night the Cougars’ pressure took a continual toll as it gradually started to get away.
Corcoran also proved deeper on the offensive side, as six players had six or more points, led by Coriesha Hickey (13 points), Erin Kenney (12 points) and Taleah Voeltz (10 points). Just five Bees got any baskets, as Claire Monnat led with 14 points, Maggie Monnat added 10 points and Gabi Jordan finished with nine points.
Bishop Ludden expected to provide far less of a challenge on Saturday, and the Bees indeed ran out to a 19-12 first-quarter lead. But just like with Corcoran, B’ville would struggle on the defensive side, the Gaelic Knights matching baskets all through the afternoon to keep it interesting.
Claire Monnat, with 22 points, helped keep the Bees in front, as Liz Giromini, held to four points at Corcoran, bounced back with 15 points as Maggie Monnat threw in 14 points and Jordan earned six points. Natalie Barletta (15 points), Nicole Granteed (13 points) and Lauren Roy (11 points) led Ludden’s effort.
Now comes a big week where B’ville has to face two other prime Class AA challengers – first a trip to 10-2 Utica Proctor, led by Pittsburgh-bound senior Brianna Kiesel, in the make-up of a Jan. 6 snow postponement, and then a return home Thursday to face 8-4 Liverpool.
