During the rush of holiday tournaments, most of the area’s high school girls basketball teams got into the fun, and two would face each other.
Solvay met up with face Jordan-Elbridge in Saturday’s finals of the Bearcats’ holiday tournament, and with Chelsie Delperuto and Gianna Pennisi leading the way, the Bearcats defeated the Eagles 55-38.
Only up by three, 12-9, through one period, Solvay used an 18-8 push through the second quarter to get a double-digit margin, 30-17. For the rest of the game, the Bearcats protected itself against J-E’s multiple charges.
Delperuto put up 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Pennisi had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, plus four steals and three assists. Jackie Gardner added 10 points and five rebounds as Jordan Micheletti added six rebounds and three steals.
On J-E’s side, Emily Somes led the way, getting 14 points, with Leah Wright contributing 10 points. Allison Jennings finished with seven points.
This followed Friday’s opening round, where the Bearcats had little trouble rolling past Fowler 50-29, while the Eagles needed Somes’ career-best effort to defeat Henninger 63-61.
J-E, facing Henninger, led 18-11 after one period. It then spent the next two periods watching the Black Knights chip away at that margin and inch in front, 47-46, going to the fourth quarter.
However, Somes helped the Eagles inch in front and stay there, working her way to a career high of 25 points. Emily Klock, with 11 points, provided the most help, while Wright had eight points. Kate Badman and Alexis Braun each had six points as Chyna Butler led Henninger with 15 points.
Solvay didn’t have nearly that kind of drama with Fowler, racing out to a 30-13 hafltime lead and, though cooling off a bit in the second half, still getting clear.
Delperuto had another big showing, with 24 points, three rebounds and three steals. Gardner mixed in eight points, six assists and five rebounds, with Micheletti adding six rebounds.
Up in the Mexico Tournament, Marcellus, fresh off a win over Westhill earlier that week, faced Carthage in Friday’s opening round and could not quite catch up to the Comets in a 56-51 loss, its first of the season following a 3-0 start.
Even with a strong second quarter that produced a 24-21 halftime edge, the Mustangs could not relax, for Cartahge inched back in front, 36-35, going to the fourth quarter, and then held on with a big night from Alexis Smith, who poured in 29 points, more than half her team’s output.
No one on Marcellus got close to Smith’s total, even with a nicely balanced attack. Tessa Mosher led with 13 points, while Morgan DeLand had nine points. Erica Balman got eight points, with Liz White and Rylie Spicer getting seven points apiece and Eve Hughes adding six points.
The loss pushed Marcellus into Saturday’s consolation game against Phoenix, who had fallen to host Mexico 57-44 in its opening-round game.
Here, the Mustangs rebounded, beating the Firebirds 60-46, helped in a big way by its 22-7 blitz through the first quarter, something that Phoenix could not match the rest of the way.
DeLand more than doubled her total from the Carthage game, pouring in 20 points, and getting help from Balman and Hughes, who had 12 points apiece. Samantha Doupe led Phoenix with 12 points.
