Even before it took the court for the first time in 2011-12, the Baldwinsville girls basketball team had to deal with a serious absence.
The Bees’ plan, at first, was to have all five starters back from last season’s 12-7 squad. But that was before Claire Monnat injured her knee during soccer season, putting more pressure on her twin sister, Maggie, to produce on the offensive side.
Maggie Monnat was up to the challenge in last Tuesday’s season opener, as she and Gabi Jordan led the way in B’ville’s tough 39-35 win over East Syracuse-Minoa.
Off quickly, the Bees led 13-6 after one period, but over the course of the next two periods the Spartans made up that deficit, leaving it tied, 29-29, with one quarter to play.
Down the stretch, Monnat and Jordan earned the key baskets, pushing B’ville ahead for good. They finished with 14 points apiece, most of it from hitting seven combined 3-point field goals, as the rest of the Bees had just four combined field goals, two of them from Liz Giromini. Gabrielle Eure (14 points) and Julie Maselli (11 points) led ESM’s efforts.
B’ville stays at home over the weekend for the annual Bill Middleton Tip-Off Tournament. The Bees face Cato-Meridian in Friday’s opening round at 7 p.m., right after Rome Free Academy plays Phoenix. The consolation game is at noon Saturday, followed by the final at 2 p.m.
