Baldwinsville — Without a lot of preparation time, but with a deep hunger to take those last steps toward a championship, the Baldwinsville girls basketball team set out again.
Throughout the spring, summer and fall, memories of a great 2014-15 season that abruptly ended with a defeat to Rome Free Academy in the Section III Class AA semifinals have lingered for the Bees, even as the players found plenty of success in other sports.
Mackenzie Schaffner, Carolyn Brussel and Mackenzie Hanna were part of the girls soccer team that reached the state title game, while Riley Carlucci and Emily Pascale starred on the girls volleyball Bees that won yet another sectional championship.
The volleyball and soccer seasons ended on the weekend of Nov. 13-14. Less than two weeks later, the girls basketball Bees were in the midst of its annual season-opening Bill Middleton Tournament and on the way to another first-place finish.
In Friday’s opening round, B’ville took on Fulton, and put pressure on the Red Raiders from the outset, establishing an early margin that didn’t go away as the Bees prevailed by a score of 61-48.
B’ville dominated the first quarter, building up a 21-7 lead. Fulton didn’t go away, though, climbing back in it when it outscored the Bees 23-13 in the third quarter, shrinking the margin to 48-41 before struggling in the final period.
Carlucci earned a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, with Pascale earning 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kaylee Lammers, another returning starter, chimed in with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists as Schaffner gained six points, five rebounds and three steals. Six Fulton players had six or more points, but none had more than Nicole Hansen’s total of 12 points.
Phoenix beat Tully 61-50 in the other opening-round game, setting up Saturday’s final between the Bees and Firebirds. Here, there were wild first-half fluctuations before B’ville settled down, took over and topped Phoenix 62-46.
continued — In a near-replica of the Fulton game, B’ville had a 24-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. What was different was that the Firebirds made its charged in the second period, and were within one, 30-29, going to intermission.
But a 22-11 third-quarter push helped the Bees regain control, and it cruised from there, getting another double-double from Carlucci, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Pascale almost had a triple-double thanks to her 14 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
Schaffner, with eight points and seven rebounds, and Brussel, with seven points, six assists and three rebounds, offered plenty of help, while Lammers had five points and five rebounds.
Phoenix saw Samantha Doupe (13 points), Shannon Dolan (11 points) and Jessica Carter (10 points) reach double figures. Fulton claimed the consolation game, defeating Tully 65-28.
Good as these wins were, B’ville knew that it would get tested again Tuesday against Liverpool and Thursday at West Genesee before its big Dec. 8 battle with reigning sectional Class AA champion Cicero-North Syracuse.
