All paths to the Section III Class AA girls basketball championship still run through Cicero-North Syracuse, and for six years, with and without superstar talents on the Northstars’ roster, no one was able to pass through without getting stopped.
This winter, Baldwinsville started 14-1, and was poised to provide the latest challenge, especially since it would host C-NS last Friday night in a game likely to determine who would get the CNY Counties League National division regular-season title and the top seed in the sectional tournament.
But two nights before facing the Northstars, the Bees tripped up, not just taking a 52-42 defeat to a West Genesee side sitting under the .500 mark, but also seeing its dominant paint presence go away when Rachael Miller was lost to an injury.
And this led to the showdown with state Class AA no. 4-ranked C-NS, with a large crowd on hand at the Baker High School Gym and a “Pink Out” for breast cancer awareness that featured both teams donning pink-themed jerseys.
For a half, the Bees, still without Miller in the lineup, stayed on close terms with the Northstars, and it did so in the fourth quarter, too. In between, though, came a third period that cost B’ville any chance as C-NS took charge and eventually claimed a 71-48 victory.
When the Northstars went up 14-8 by the end of the first quarter, some feared that it was already getting away. But the Bees did a terrific job the rest of the half solving C-NS’s defensive riddles, seeing Emily Pascale, Hope DeFazio and Kaylee Lammers sink baskets.
Thus, at halftime, the Northstars only led 30-25, but like so many great teams do, it made proper adjustments and took off once the third quarter got underway, not letting up until it had made a 27-7 tear through those eight minutes.
Inside, Amani Free, without having to worry about Miller’s shot-blocking presence, kept making strong moves to the goal, eventually producing 23 points to lead both sides.
When B’ville surrounded Free, C-NS guards Beth Bonin and McKayla Roberts got open looks, and made six 3-pointers between them for the night, Bonin earning 18 points and Roberts 12 points.
To its credit, B’ville would play a strong fourth quarter. DeFazio finished with 16 points, while Pascale (11 points) and Lammers (10 points) also reached double figures, Pascale adding four rebounds and Lammers five assists.
Still, though, it was the Northstars, who improved to 16-1, that continued its relentless march toward a Class AA sectional top seed, clinching the league title, too, as it pays a visit to Auburn next Friday to close out the regular season.
