Back from yet another defeat in an out-of-town tournament against yet another foe it doesn’t have to worry about come post-season time, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team still finds itself unbeaten against Section III opponents.
The Northstars were just two days removed from its Jan. 19 loss to Germantown Academy when it hosted Corcoran last Tuesday night, and it took out some frustration in a 65-29 romp.
Though C-NS and Corcoran met in last year’s Section III Class AA final, and though both sides were hurt by graduation losses, the Cougars have not recovered as well as the Northstars.
During the first half, C-NS stayed patient on the offensive end, even as it worked its way to a 24-19 lead, but the pressure the Northstars applied took a toll as it blasted past Corcoran 25-4 in a decisive third quarter.
Emilee Norris, with 12 points, led a well-balanced C-NS attack, as McKayla Roberts and Samantha Tortora both had 11 points, Tortora hitting on a trio of 3-pointers. Elizabeth Miles and Amani Free had eight points apiece.
Going to Oswego on Friday night, the Northstars had to wait a while to put things away, but again turned to its defense as a deciding factor in a 51-35 victory over the Buccaneers.
Oswego had put a scare into West Genesee earlier in the week, only losing by six points, 57-51, and did the same to C-NS in the first half, matching baskets and controlling the game’s tempo, too.
Only up by three, 25-22, at halftime, C-NS resolved its dilemma by clamping down with its pressure, and it nearly blanked the Bucs in the third quarter, only allowing two points.
That would give the Northstars time to establish a double-digit margin, and it got clear behind 13 points from Tortora, who hit three 3-pointers. Miles and Norris both had 10 points, while Free contributed six points. Roberts only had five points.
C-NS will use home games next week against Fayetteville-Manlius and Horseheads as the warm-ups for a big Feb. 4 showdown with visiting West Genesee.
