More than a month had passed since practices got underway for the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team, and it had just one game in the books – a Dec. 6 win at Bishop Kearney. Weather (thanks to the snowout of a Dec. 10 game with Liverpool), and a schedule with big tournaments on the horizon, had limited the Northstars’ game activity, and head coach Eric Smith said his players were tired of facing each other and wanted to get back into game action. Finally, the 12-day break ended for C-NS on Thursday night, when it faced Section II’s Catholic Central in its home opener. Led by the duo of McKayla Roberts and Emilee Norris, the Northstars got away in the second half and beat the Crusaders 50-43. Catholic Central posed a healthy challenge, with its lineup led by senior Madison Purcell, who is headed to Le Moyne College next fall, and it seemed to catch C-NS at just the right time, given the way things started. Other than back-door cuts and screens with Roberts as the focal point, the Northstars’ offense struggled throughout the opening minutes. But CCHS never took full advantage, only gaining a 14-10 lead late in the first quarter. They stayed on even terms for most of the first half, only because Roberts, with her quickness and deft moves to the basket, was carrying C-NS along with 17 points in the half. But back-to-back baskets from Norris and Beth Bonin allowed the Northstars to move in front, 28-24, going into the break. As it turned out, the Crusaders would never lead again. Norris, the lone senior on a C-NS roster mostly filled with juniors, hit on six of her 16 points during the third quarter, aided by freshman Amani Free (who sang the national anthem before the game), who hit on five straight points. Roberts returned to hit a basket right before the third-quarter buzzer, extending the lead to 44-33, just part of a night where the energetic 5-foot-3 junior would pour in 24 points, nearly half her team’s output. Gradually, the mix of C-NS defensive looks, ranging from a 2-3 zone to man-to-man pressure, had an effect, even on Purcell, who was held to 12 points. That defense helped C-NS overcome a five-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter and never let the Crusaders get closer than seven the rest of the way. Two days later, the traveling circuit began for C-NS as it would meet a pair of New York City-based foes in a tournament at Francis Lewis High School in Queens. In the opening round on Saturday, the Northstars faced Nazareth, from Brooklyn, and got a career-best performance from Bonin in a 70-46 victory over the Kingsmen. A close first half saw C-NS inch out in front, 29-24, but then it took off in the third quarter, in large measure because Nazareth could never get a defender on Bonin, who drained six 3-pointers and 11 field goals overall on her way to 28 points. The Kingsmen couldn’t focus on Bonin, anyway, because Roberts was scoring 20 points and Free, in her best showing of the season so far, contributed 11 points. In Sunday’s second game at Francis Lewis, C-NS met Monsignor Scanlan, from the Bronx, and proved just as impressive here as it was against Nazareth, beating the Crusaders 67-39. Any concerns about fatigue from a third game in four days were quickly erased, the Northstars roaring to a 24-7 lead on Scanlan by the end of the first quarter and adding an 18-5 start to the second half for good measure. Four C-NS players scored in double figures, led by Free, who had a season-best 17 points. While Free worked inside, Samantha Tortora hit four 3-pointers to account for most of her 14 points as Roberts added 13 points and Bonin produced 10 points. Next weekend, the Northstars head to Delaware to face more top competition in the Diamond State Classic before returning home Jan. 3 to face Binghamton Seton Catholic. A showdown with hot-starting Central Square on Jan. 6 will follow. Liverpool, who had finished third in the Dec. 12-13 Norwich Tournament, played on Tuesday night, two days before Christmas, and beat the Nottingham Bulldogs 42-35 to improve to 4-2 on the season. All through the first three quarters, both teams struggled to find baskets, trading the lead in the process. Finally, the Warriors, down 22-21 going to the fourth quarter, moved out in front for good as, once again, it saved its best work for the homestretch. And like so many other times, Jenna Wike led the late charge, finishing with 13 points, plus three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Drew Dufrane managed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Laura Patulski had a season-best 12 points, plus four rebounds. Donyai Starling added six rebounds as Nottingham teammates Jaleya Bryant and Aliyah Wade led the Bulldogs with 11 points apiece. Just as C-NS returns from Delaware, Liverpool plays twice next week, going up against Utica Proctor Tuesday and CBA on Jan. 2.