Things are different for the Baldwinsville girls basketball team than it was when it first encountered Liverpool early this season.
Back then, the Bees were in charge – but when the two sides clashed again last Monday night, the Warriors, fueled by the work of sophomore guard Jenna Wike, erased a 10-point second-half deficit and prevailed by a 54-48 margin.
These teams first played on Dec. 1 at Baker High School, and the Bees won, 59-45, but that was before Wike returned from injury to become one of the Warriors’ top threats.
The rematch started at a frantic tempo on both ends, and Liverpool grabbed an 11-5 lead before B’ville, led by forward Riley Carlucci (who had eight of her 14 points in the first quarter), turned it around.
Even as the game slowed down, B’ville put together a 13-2 run that spanned the first two periods, only to see Wike, with her 10 first-half points, lead a rally that briefly put the Warriors in front.
But B’ville, clinging to a 29-28 halftime lead, appeared to grab control, starting the third quarter with an 11-2 spurt. Again, though, it could not get away, Liverpool clamping down on defense to keep itself within range.
All of it led to Wike’s fourth-quarter heroics.
It began with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws that tied the game, 45-45. Following a Kaylee Lammers free throw, Wike returned to score again, giving Liverpool the lead for good, and then converted on a basket and free throw with 2:46 left to make it 50-46 in the Warriors’ favor.
Carlucci closed the gap to two 50-48, and it stayed that way until the final minute, when Trisha Lane made a big steal near her own basket and, on the other end, convered a lay-up with 35 seconds left, doubling the margin to four.
Wike sealed it with two more free throws, giving her 12 points for the fourth quarter and 24 points overall. For B’ville, Carlucci had seven rebounds and four blocks to go with her 14 points, while Emily Pascale also had 14 points, adding six steals, five rebounds and three assists. Mackenzie Schaffner chimed in with nine points and nine rebounds, with Lammers contributing six rebounds.
B’ville wanted to bounce back on Thursday night against visiting West Genesee following a 24-hour weather postponement, but the Wildcats, thanks to some hot outside shooting, didn’t let that happen, knocking off the Bees 61-54.
Remembering how close it came to upending B’ville in a 47-42 defeat on Dec. 3, WG upped the tempo in the rematch and, outscoring the Bees 16-10 in the second quarter, took a 28-24 lead to halftime.
From there, every time B’ville made a run, the Wildcats answered it, especially Camryn Chawgo, who kept getting open outside – and kept converting, to the tune of five 3-pointers that led to a career-best total of 21 points.
And the Bees couldn’t concentrate on Chawgo, either, since Elle Lazore had 12 points and Haley Collins added 11 points. Pascale had 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds, with Carlucci earning 11 points and 14 rebounds. Lammers and Carolyn Brussel had seven points apiece and combined for 11 rebounds as Schaffner added six points.
Now it figures to get a bit easier for the 9-6 Bees this week as it would host Auburn Tuesday and visit Whitesboro on Friday night.
