True, the task is tall, but if the Bishop Ludden and Westhill girls basketball teams can prevail once more, they’ll square off with a berth in the March 7 Section III Class B championship game at stake.
To do that, of course, the Warriors would have to reverse two regular-season defeats to top seed Bishop Grimes, and the Gaelic Knights would need to go on the road and spring another upset against no. 4 seed Skaneateles.
This scenario was set up by opening-round wins in the sectional Class B tournament on Tuesday night. Ludden, the no. 12 seed, went to Buckley Gym and got sweet revenge on no. 5 seed Cazenovia in a 46-39 victory, while Westhill, the no. 8 seed, rolled past no. 9 seed General Brown 61-39.
Just one week eariler, on Feb. 10, Ludden had lost at home to Cazenovia, 76-62, overwhelmed by the Lakers hitting a school-record 15 3-pointers. But that was the only defeat in the Gaelic Knights’ last seven regular-season games, so it was in good form going into the more important rematch.
From the outset, Cazenovia tested to see whether that outside shooting touch was still there. But it only managed one field goal in the game’s first seven minutes before Kelsi Fredericks’ 3-pointer ignited a 7-0 run to close the first quarter.
That gave the Lakers a 9-7 lead – the only lead it had all night. Unfazed, Ludden countered with a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, the first four of those points coming from its freshman sensation, Danielle Rauch, who would prove the best player on the floor this night.
Rauch’s nine first-half points helped Ludden gain a 21-16 edge on Cazenovia by halftime. Meanwhile, the Lakers waited, in vain, for its shooting touch to return, mostly settling for 3-point attempts during the third quarter.
But while Fredericks connected twice more and Kate Sullivan added a 3-pointer of her own, Ludden kept answering, as baskets by Sara Hayes (off a beautiful half-court pass from Rauch) and Ally Weigand extended the Gaelic Knights’ edge to 36-27 going to the fourth quarter.
Try as it could, the Lakers could not get the run it needed. It moved within five, 39-34, on Sullivan’s pair of free throws with 2:08 left, but got no closer.
Fredericks, in defeat, led Cazenovia with 14 points, but that trailed Rauch, who finished with 19 points, including three free throws in the final minute to seal it. Hayes had all eight of her points in the second half as Kellie Byrne also had eight points and Megan Sierotnik added six points.
Earlier that night, Westhill didn’t have to worry about payback against General Brown. Instead, it simply turned to Delaney Martin and let her tame the Lions.
As the Warriors steadily built a 45-25 lead through three quarters, Martin dominated in the paint, the junior forward constantly flashing open and piling up baskets in a manner that GB could not match.
By game’s end, Martin had 31 points, a new career mark, and added 11 rebounds. Support came from Mary Kate Washburn, who had seven points and seven assists, and Katelyn Karleski, who also had seven points. Kylee Rosbrook led the Lions with 17 points.
Up in the Class A sectional tournament, Marcellus had the no. 8 seed and home-court advantage for its opening-round game against no. 9 seed Christian Brothers Academy, but could not keep the Brothers from getting even for an earlier defeat, eliminating the Mustangs 52-29.
No doubt, CBA remembered that, on Jan. 6, Marcellus had walked onto the Brothers’ home court and walked out with a 48-45 victory, and was bent on preventing a similar outcome.
Much of this game revolved around the work of CBA’s defense. It swarmed, pressured and never let the Mustangs get comfortable, something that would take an eventual toll.
For a while, Marcellus hung in there through its own solid defensive effort, and only trailed 21-17 at halftime. But in a decisive third quarter, the Brothers outscored them 17-5, and went on to earn a third shot at top seed Indian River in the sectional quarterfinals.
Other than Erica Balman, who had 14 points, six rebound and five blocks, no other Marcellus player made more than one field goal. CBA, by contrast, got 18 points from Rosalee Winderl, 12 points from Julie Cuomo and nine points from Natalie Nardella.
Marcellus finished its lone season in the Class A ranks and OHSL Freedom division at 12-8, destined to return to Class B and the Liberty division next winter, but will do so without a group of departing seniors that includes Balman, Morgan Deland, Tessa Mosher and Rylie Spicer.
