Even in the relentless competitive environment of the OHSL Liberty division and Section III Class B, the Bishop Grimes girls basketball team has good reason to think that it can not just survive, but thrive in the 2013-14 season.
A year ago, the Cobras, with just two seniors on its roster, went 14-4 in the regular season and then notched Class B sectional tournament wins over General Brown and Holland Patent before falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Utica-Notre Dame.
Though Megan Driscoll and Alex Guhin graduated, everyone else is back for head coach John Cifonelli, and it didn’t take long for that vast experience to prove valuable.
Grimes visited Hannibal for last Monday night’s season opener, and was in big trouble going to the fourth quarter, only to make a dramatic comeback and, in overtime, beat the Warriors 59-51.
Everything looked fine for the Cobras when it sped to an 18-13 first-quarter lead. But Hannibal caught up by halftime, 23-23, and nearly doubled Grimes’ output in the third period.
By the time they reached the fourth quarter, the Cobras trailed 43-33, but working inside and out, it chipped away at the deficit, using defensive pressure to get more possessions and tying it, 45-45, on Teresa Shattuck’s lay-up with 29 seconds left.
As regulation time ran out, Grimes had a shot to win it, but missed, and in the scramble that followed, the Cobras were whistled for a foul with no time left. Given a one-and-one chance to end it, Hannibal missed, and it went to overtime.
Stunned by both Grimes’ comeback and that missed free throw, Hannibal never recovered as Jordan Vaught hit a jumper early in the OT, and the Cobras proceeded to make 10 consecutive free throws to put away the victory.
Tina Hoag and Katy McInerney each finished with 14 points, with Hoag getting six of those OT free throws and Vaught the other four on her way to 13 points.
Shattuck managed eight points and five rebounds as Megan Costello got eight rebounds and three steals, to go with five points, a total matched by Maria Gronau. For Hannibal, Devin Sorrell and Gabby Griffin each had 14 points, with Spencer Kenney adding 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Grimes had its home opener Thursday night, against OHSL Liberty division newcomer Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, and did not require any sort of rally on this night as it put together a 53-37 victory over the Rebels.
Again, the Cobras started well, limiting APW to four points in the first quarter. However, this time it maintained that edge, extending its lead to 34-18 by halftime and continuing to pull further away early in the second half with a 13-4 run.
Vaught finished with 16 points, while Katy McInerney, with 10 points, also sneaked into double figures. Costello earned nine points as Hoag contributed six points. In defeat, APW teammates Erin Stever and Kylie Bartlett had 10 points apiece.
And this led to Saturday’s non-league game between neighbors Grimes and East Syracuse-Minoa, which never proved close as the Cobras shut down the Spartans 54-19.
Hoag set the tone for the rest of the day, scoring 11 points in the first quarter alone as Grimes jumped all over ESM in a 20-2 blitz. The Spartans would not recover, as Hoag added six more points in the second period for 17 overall, nearly as much as ESM would get all day.
Vaught, with 12 points and three assists, helped Grimes secure that big margin, while Katrina Fandrich had six points. Sydni Eure paced ESM with just six points
ESM had opened last Tuesday with a victory last Tuesday night, requiring a strong second half to pull away and beat Homer 48-34.
In fact, the Spartans trailed the Trojans, 14-9, through one period, but then held Homer to four points the rest of the half to inch into a 19-18 lead. Then it steadily got away in the second half by getting at least two field goals from seven different players.
Danielle Yates and Haley Wise led ESM with eight points apiece. Stephanie Edmonds and Sydni Eure each got six points, with Danielle Ventrone, Ashley Scalzo and Jelysa Davis earning matching totals of four points.
