Onondaga — No early struggles, no late-game comebacks – nothing for the Westhill girls basketball team other than marching toward another Section III Class B championship, and passing a milestone along the way.
The top-seeded Warriors earned back-to-back sectional titles Sunday afternoon at SRC Arena, pulling away to beat no. 2 seed South Jefferson 60-37.
Unlike in 2015, when Westhill required a fourth-quarter rally and overtime to beat the Spartans, the Warriors led South Jefferson from start to finish with its usual mix of well-balanced offense and tough, relentless defense.
It’s the kind of formula that’s worked quite well for Westhill head coach Sue Ludwig throughout her 25-year tenure. And this sectional title put Ludwig’s win total at 493, tying her with Corcoran great Jim Marsh for most career coaching victories in Section III history.
Were it not for the many times South Jefferson had beaten Westhill in post-season play over the course of the last 15 season, Ludwig may have already passed 500 wins. As such, it only figured that the record-tying victory would come against the Spartans.
Katelyn Karleski set the tone, earning nine points in the first quarter to push Westhill to a 14-9 lead. It was Karleski’s 3-pointer that put the Warriors ahead for good in the Feb. 21 sectional semifinal against Bishop Ludden.
Even with Karleski’s hot hand, though, Westhill struggled with consistency in the face of South Jefferson’s trademark defense. So when Tatyana Fish hit on a layup right before halftime to cut the Spartans’ deficit to six, 21-15, there was reason for Warriors fans to worry.
But as the pace quickened in the third quarter, Westhill’s offense slowly began to assert control. Then, early in the final period, the Warriors overran South Jefferson with a decisive 16-2 run.
On her way to tournament MVP honors, senior forward Delaney Martin finished with 16 points, one of four Westhill players to score in double figures. Mary Kate Washburn had 12 points, with Karleski gaining 11 points and Morgan Elmer 10 points as Mackenzie Martin earned seven points.
All through the game, the Warriors’ defense honed in on South Jefferson guard Quincey Zimmerman, who had 29 points in her team’s sectional semifinal win over Skaneateles. Zimmerman only got 10 points here, the same as Fish.
Now the Warriors aim to reach the March 11-12 state Class B final four at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. To get there, Westhill will have to beat Section IV champion Binghamton Seton Caholic in Saturday’s regional final at SUNY-Cortland.
