Twenty games played – and 20 games won.
No one could top the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team in the regular season, which concluded last Tuesday night with a visit to Fayetteville-Manlius and an impressive 66-35 victory over the Hornets.
Still seated at no. 2 in the state Class AA rankings, the Northstars did not take any single opponent for granted, including F-M, who was in those same state rankings for more than a month, even though C-NS had toyed with the Hornets 77-34 a month earlier, scoring the game’s first 18 points and then making a 21-2 run in the second half.
At least F-M enjoyed a better start in the rematch, getting baskets on a consistent basis in the first quarter and only trailing by three, 16-13. Though that offense slumped a bit the rest of the half, the Northstars only carried a 29-20 advantage to the break.
But C-NS would gradually get clear over the last two periods, led by 1,000-point scorer McKayla Roberts and Amani Free, who each had 15 points as Beth Bonin, with 12 points, helped them out. C-NS’s other two senior starters had big roles, too, as Samantha Tortora got nine points and Mary Kate Bonnani had seven points.
On F-M’s side, D’Jhai Patterson-Ricks, saddled with foul trouble in the first encounter with C-NS, got far more court time on this night and led her side with 13 points, but no other Hornets player reached double figure as Abbey Harris and Eliza Mento added seven points apiece.
A night earlier, Liverpool went to West Genesee, attempting to get even for a Jan. 8 defeat to the Wildcats, but instead squandered a second-half lead and fell in overtime to the Wildcats 50-48.
Unlike that first meeting, the Warriors got off to the start it wanted, playing on even terms with WG and then going on a 19-7 second-quarter run to take a 29-17 lead at the break.
But WG didn’t panic, cutting away at that deficit and then turning to its defense in the fourth quarter to make a 17-8 push that tied the game, 46-46. That set up a four-minute OT where baskets were scarce, but the Wildcats, by a 4-2 margin, inched in front and held on.
Liverpool lost despite a well-balanced attack where six players had six or more points and Kyra Grimshaw, with 11 points, led the way. Drew Dufrane finished with seven points, while the quartet of Jenna Wike, Kaleigh Young, Trisha Lane and Holly Sleeth got six points apiece.
On WG’s side, Camryn Chawgo broke out, sinking five 3-pointers to account for most of her game-high 17 points. Madison Smith had a big night, too, earning 14 points, while Sierra Smith got nine points.
Given the no. 6 seed in the sectional AA bracket, Liverpool needs to win at no. 3 seed Baldwinsville in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal in order to reach the semifinal Sunday against West Genesee or F-M.
C-NS, as the top seed, hosts no. 8 seed Rome Free Academy (who beat Nottingham 44-31 in the first round) in its AA quarterfinal, looking to advance to the other semifinal against no. 4 seed Utica Proctor or no. 5 seed Central Square.
