It didn’t take that long for the Jamesville-DeWitt girls basketball team to find out just what sort of challenge it expects as the prime target for any opponent that wants to knock off a defending Section III Class A champion.
Going to Fulton last Wednesday night, the Red Rams took control in the middle stages but could get clear from the Red Raiders, having to work all the way to the wire for a 48-39 victory.
Fresh off a season-opening win over Cortland, Fulton brought intense defense from the start, and the first quarter saw few points, the two sides even at 6-6.
Only in the second period did J-D move in front, solving some of the Red Raiders’ riddles and gaining a 22-16 edge going to halftime. From that point, it turned into a chase, the Rams answering every single time Fulton wanted to catch up.
Cydney Goodrum, who is headed for Roberts Wesleyan College next fall, led the way with 15 points, including six crucial free throws. Ariell Mussi and Alyssa Robens both had nine points, while Kayleigh Cavanaugh had seven points. For Fulton, Christina Pensabene (12 points) and Jessica Hudson (11 points) led the way.
The Red Rams was stingy again on Friday night, when it went to Mexico and gave up close to nothing for most of the night in an easy 53-26 win over the Tigers.
Through three periods, all Mexico had were 14 points, the relentless J-D pressure again allowing for a comfortable effort on the other end of the floor.
All 10 Rams players that saw action got at least one point. Cavanaugh had her best offensive output of the season, getting 14 points. Goodrum was held to five points, but Robens gained nine points, with Maddy Frank and Nyree Mitchell each earning six points.
Meanwhile, CBA’s girls basketball team, in its only action of the week, continued its strong start, going to Cortland last Tuesday and, led by Marisa Romeo, beating the Purple Tigers 59-44.
Still adjusting to life without Maggie Brown (who’s now at Le Moyne), Cortland had real trouble against CBA’s pressure defense in the opening period, managing just five points. But even as the Purple Tigers started to produce, the Brothers kept answering, and led at halftime by a 33-20 margin.
Romeo made sure that Cortland did not catch up. Her drives to the basket led to field goals and foul attempts that she sank on her way to 24 points.
When the Purple Tigers tried to contain Romeo, both Juile Cuomo and Paige Nicholson stepped up, as Cuomo delivered 14 points and Nicholson had a career-best 12 points. Cortland, in defeat, had just one player, Jackie Phillips (10 points), score in double figures.
Fayetteville-Manlius, a perennial Class AA contender in recent years, received a harsh baptism for 2012-13 at home as it fell to Nottingham 49-25.
From last year’s 17-3 squad that fell to West Genesee in the AA semifinals, four starters – Charlotte Beers, Ali Pliszka, Alexis Rios and Bri Dolan – departed. And it didn’t help the young Hornets that the Bulldogs had already played twice, going 1-1 in a two-game trip to the Rochester area.
Nottingham proved sharper, especially in the second quarter, when it expanded upon an 11-8 edge by holding F-M to a single field goal and stretching out the margin to 24-10.
The Hornets never recovered, as Lauren Getman, with 11 points, accounted for nearly half her team’s output. Madison Beck got seven points. Five Bulldog players had six or more points in a balanced attack where Janaysia Torrence (12 points) and Marcelina Wade (10 points) led the way.
As for East Syracuse-Minoa, it had a strong effort in last Tuesday’s game against Skaneateles, even if it resulted in a 49-39 loss to the Lakers.
Led by Gabby Eure, who had 12 points, ESM forged a 14-14 tie through one period, only to barely reach that point total in the next two periods as Skaneateles moved in front.
The Spartans’ defense had two Skaneateles stars to worry about. Outside, Elizabeth Lane drew contact and finished with 22 points, 11 of them from made free throws. Inside, Joanna Dobrovosky recorded a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks.
ESM never let the Lakers get too far away – but it couldn’t catch up late, either, though Eure, Nicole Casella (10 points) and Danielle Ventrone (eight points) all had productive outings.
