It’s proved to be an exciting time for the Liverpool girls basketball team.
First, the Warriors had to wait until the last game of the regular season against Henninger, and then get a school-record seven 3-pointers from Drew Dufrane in that victory, just to get a Section III Class AA playoff berth.
Then, once the post-season started, the no. 9 seed Warriors broke a years-long winning drought in the post-season by going to no. 8 seed Corcoran in Tuesday night’s opening round of the AA tournament and knocking out the Cougars 51-48.
These same two teams had met exactly one week earlier in that same Corcoran gym on Feb. 10, a close affair that the Cougars pulled out, 41-38, to help long-time head coach Jim Marsh pass Nottingham’s Willetta Spease as Section III’s all-time coaching wins leader.
Far more was at stake in the rematch, and Liverpool was ready for it, clamping down on defense during the first quarter as it held Corcoran to six points. The pace picked up the rest of the half, but the Warriors kept adding to that margin and led, 29-20, at the break.
Now it was Corcoran’s turn to crank up defensive pressure, and by holding the Warriors in check during the third quarter, it erased most of that deficit, only trailing by two, 36-34, with one period left.
All through the homestretch, the two sides traded baskets and opportunities, but Liverpool pulled through by having three players score in double figures. Freshman Laura Patulski, in particular, had a big night, earning a season-best 15 points and adding 11 rebounds, plus three steals.
Jenna Wike, playing through a back injury, hit big free throws down the stretch to finish with 10 points, plus four rebounds and four assists. Dufrane couldn’t match her Henninger shooting barrage, but still had 10 points, while Taylor Van Camp had seven points and played superb defense, too. Corcoran lost despite 22 points from Brandi Fowler and 13 points from Mia Gallipeau.
And the Warriors’ reward for this effort is a short trip Friday night to visit its neighbors from Cicero-North Syracuse, as the top-seeded Northstars would begin its quest for a sixth straight sectional title and, it hopes, a lot more.
