While the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team could comfortably prepare for its latest Section III Class AA title defense, Liverpool just wanted to be part of the sectional tournament – and had to wait until the last game of the regular season to secure its playoff spot.
Hosting Henninger last Friday night, the Warriors didn’t let the pressure get to them. Instead, it saw Drew Dufrane set a school record during a 53-31 victory over the Black Knights.
Liverpool assumed control in the second quarter, outscoring Henninger 22-12. During that time, the Black Knights’ defense kept leaving Dufrane open on the perimeter – and she kept converting.
By the time the night was done, Dufrane had seven 3-pointers, a single-game school record on the girls side, and it accounted for all but one of her 22 points. Jenna Wike helped, too, getting 14 points and adding five assists, four steals and three rebounds. Laura Patulski had six steals to go with her seven rebounds.
Before all this, the Warriors had a chance to disrupt some history in last Tuesday’s game at Corcoran, but could not do so, falling 41-38 as Cougars head coach Jim Marsh, with his 493rd career victory, broke the mark for wins by a Section III girls basketball coach.
Entering the night, Marsh had 492 wins, the same total that Willetta Spease accumulated in her long, storied tenure at Nottingham.
Now, with a chance to make history for Marsh, Corcoran played a nervous first half full of long scoring droughts. Yet Liverpool could not take full advantage, finding its own struggles on the offensive end and only leading, 15-9, at halftime.
Everything turned in the third quarter, when the Cougars outscored the Warriors 17-8 to storm out in front. From there, it was tense all the way to the end, Liverpool making shots, but Corcoran answering and, at the horn, celebrating Marsh’s milestone.
Dufrane still had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Patulski added 10 points, while Donyai Starling grabbed eight rebounds. Corcoran carried a balanced attack where three players – Jasmine Lightburn, Mia Gallipeau and Brandi Fowler – each had 10 points, with Lightburn adding 10 rebounds.
As that went on, C-NS spent most of the week working – and also scouting a bit, checking out AA challenger Rome Free Academy last Tuesday as it gave unbeaten, state Class B no. 2 Bishop Grimes its first defeat of the season.
Then, in Friday’s regular-season finale at Auburn, the Northstars went back to work, and proceeded to work over the playoff-bound Maroons in a 71-32 romp.
Any concerns about C-NS looking ahead to the post-season quickly vanished as it jumped all over Auburn, building up a 25-4 lead in those first eight minutes.
It was 40-13 at halftime, and the Northstars kept going, nearly having five players score in double figures and hitting 10 3-pointers for the night.
McKayla Roberts earned most of her 17 points through four 3-pointers, while Beth Bonin hit three times beyond the arc on her way to 11 points and Marissa Felasco connected with a pair of 3-pointers as she finished with 10 points.
Inside, it was Samantha Tortora, with 15 points, and Emilee Norris, with nine points, that offered the scoring balance. Most of the Maroons’ production came from Anna Giannone, who had 15 points, and Shaelynn Freeman, who added 10 points.
Again, C-NS has the top seed in the sectional AA bracket, and Liverpool had a chance to face the Northstars again if it won Tuesday night’s opening-round game – a rematch with Corcoran.
