Finally whole again, the Baldwinsville girls basketball team would spend the opening week of the 2019-20 season undergoing some necessary catharsis.
A year ago, the Bees never fully recovered from a December game at Nottingham where then-junior guard Katie Pascale fell hard to the floor, causing a stoppage to that game as she received medical attention.
Pascale, as it turned out, was not seriously hurt, but she missed the rest of the basketball season. Her return this winter, combined with plenty of other veterans on the roster, makes B’ville confident that it can challenge for league and sectional honors.
Perhaps it was fitting that the opening-week slate for B’ville would include another trip to Nottingham on Thursday night, allowing Pascale to get past the trauma of what happened nearly 12 months earlier.
This game was far more normal, and B’ville won it, 65-44, using a 20-8 push through the second quarter to break away from the Bulldogs and build a 36-20 halftime advantage.
Displaying more depth than in seasons past, the Bees had 11 different players get on the scoresheet, with Hannah Mimas leading the way as she got 15 points.
Alexandra Bednarczyk had 10 points, while Sydney Huhtala had seven points. Pascale matched Jordan Roy with six points apiece as Zyohna Glen paced Nottingham with 15 points and Nazjae Howard added 13 points.
All of this followed a season opener at Baker High School Gym against Oswego 24 hours earlier, where a torrid start served as most of the foundation for the Bees’ 48-34 win over the Buccaneers.
Hot shooting and strong defense helped B’ville jump out 25-8 on Oswego by the end of the first quarter. To its credit, the Bucs settled down and cut into that margin, only trailing 31-24 at the break.
But the Bees’ defense returned as it limited Oswego to three points in the third quarter to thwart the comeback.
Pascale notched a team-high 11 points. Roy had 10 points, with Mimas getting eight points. Bednarczyk earned seven points and Huhtala contributed six points.
B’ville will put its 2-0 mark on the line next Tuesday against reigning three-time sectional champion West Genesee in Camillus before a Thursday rematch with Oswego.
