On the surface, a third-place finish, as the Liverpool girls basketball team attained during last weekend’s Norwich Tournament, didn’t seem that impressive.
But the Warriors’ victory in Saturday’s consolation game was quite good, as it went up against reigning state Class B champion Utica-Notre Dame and, with some big plays in the final seconds on both ends of the floor, knocked off the Jugglers 41-40.
This was supposed to be a humbling week for Liverpool, given that it was to face its neighbors from Cicero-North Syracuse last Wednesday night. But the game between the Warriors and six-time defending Section III Class AA champion Northstars was snowed out.
So Liverpool, whose last game was a tough 42-37 road win at West Genesee on Dec. 5, had to wait a week before taking the court again in the Norwich Tournament.
During last Friday night’s opening round, the Warriors met the hosts from Norwich and lost, 63-49, to the Purple Tornado. Norwich steadily built a 30-21 halftime lead, and maintained that edge despite several runs Liverpool tried to make in the late going.
Eleven different Warrior players scored at least one points, with Drew Dufrane setting the pace through her 11 points. Laura Patulski had eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals as Jenna Wike added seven points and four assists. Bre Socker contributed six points.
This brought the Warriors up against Utica-Notre Dame, who had seen Section III’s all-time leading scorer, Emily Durr, depart for Iowa State, and got moved up to Class A this winter.
The Jugglers started 2-0, but were coming off back-to-back defeats to Rome Free Academy (50-42) and Union-Endicott (54-48), though its top returning player, Anari Harris, had missed the RFA game due to illness.
Not caring about all of this, Liverpool played UND to a 20-20 halftime tie. Then it inched out in front during the third quarter before the Jugglers, overcoming a pair of late 3-pointers from Dufrane, fought back and took the lead in the final minute.
With 14 seconds left, Wike hit a lay-up, erasing UND’s 40-39 lead and putting Liverpool up by one. Then, on the defensive side, Wike preserved the win by making a steal with two seconds to play.
Dufrane, with 11 points, and Wike, with 10 points, accounted for more than half of Liverpool’s total as Wike added five assists and two steals, with Dufrane getting three rebounds and three assists. Kayleigh Young (eight rebounds), Trisha Lane and Donyai Starling (seven rebounds each) starred on the defensive side, with Socker again scoring six points.
Liverpool again went on the road Tuesday night, this time to face Fayetteville-Manlius.
Meanwhile, C-NS will have its home opener Thursday night against Catholic Central (Section II) and then venture down to New York City for a tournament at Francis Lewis High School in Queens.
