A season that was already feeling quite special for the Baldwinsville girls basketball team passed another major hurdle.
When the 9-1 Bees visited 8-2 Central Square Tuesday night, it blew a seven-point fourth-quarter lead, only to recover in the final minute to push past the Redhawks 47-44 and reach double digits in the win column.
The crisis reached its apex when, with 1:14 to play, Central Square’s Katie Schumaker hit a basket, was fouled and sank the ensuing free throws. Suddenly, the Bees trailed 44-43, having seen the Redhawks go on an 11-3 run to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
But the Bees stayed calm, and on the ensuing possession Riley Carlucci hit a rebound basket with 1:03 left, getting her team back in front 45-44.
Fouled with 47.4 seconds left, Carlucci made one of two at the line, but Central Square still had a chance. Trailing by two, it went for the tie, Lizzie Straub with a drive to the basket and a close-up shot that glanced off the rim.
Rachael Miller grabbed the rebound and, with 2.6 seconds left, got fouled. Despite the Bees’ earlier struggles at the free-throw line, Miller rattled in both shots to seal one of the biggest wins of B’ville’s season.
It was only fitting that Miller finished it off. Aside from her game-high 15 points, she had pulled down 20 rebounds, accumulated eight blocks and even got five steals. Carlucci wasn’t far behind, getting 14 points, plus seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Off for a week since handling Liverpool 62-34 on Jan. 6, the Bees knew that Central Square posed a real challenge, especially with the high-scoring duo of Schuyler Laux (who poured in 35 points in her team’s win over Phoenix Jan. 10) and Kalie Schumaker on hand.
And all through the first half, B’ville found itself outworked, both on the boards and with loose balls. This kept the Bees from establishing the fast tempo it wanted and, at the same time, energized the Redhawks.
An 11-0 run, including a pair of 3-pointers from Schumaker, put Central Square in front, and it still led, 19-16, at halftime before a third quarter where the Bees started to pick up the pace and quickly regained the lead.
Led by Carlucci, who had seven of her 14 points in that third period, B’ville doubled its point total and were up 32-28 going to the final quarter. When Miller converted a three-point play with 4:31 left, the Bees’ lead grew to 40-33, and it seemed ready to put things away.
Instead, Central Square made another comeback, keyed by freshman Breanna Ransom’s pair of 3-pointers. Ransom and Laux led the Redhawks with 11 points apiece, while Schumaker cooled off in the latter stages and finished with nine points.
The big efforts by Miller and Carlucci helped offset quieter performances from the Bees’ two top scorers this season, as Hope DeFazio managed just eight points and Emily Pascale was held to six points, though Pascale did add six rebounds and four assists.
