In their own unique manners, the Fayetteville-Manlius and Bishop Grimes girls basketball teams hit the floor for the first time in the 2016-17 season.
The Hornets’ first game of the season involved a visit from Gulf Coast High School, a team from Naples, Florida, which was touring Central New York early in December and playing a series of games against local opponents.
Gulf Coast had played the night before, at Liverpool, the Sharks pulling away in the fourth quarter to prevail 68-52 over the Warriors. Now it was meeting an F-M side that had lost its top scorer, D’Jhai Patterson-Ricks, from last year’s squad, but returned every other starter.
It proved close, but the Hornets lost, 42-41, to Gulf Coast, this despite bolting out to a 14-5 first-quarter lead. F-M barely got to that point total in the next two periods, though, as the Sharks gradually pulled within one, 29-28, and then edged out in front in the fourth quarter.
Not quite able to get the winning basket, the Hornets instead saw Alexis Gray pick up 14 points and seven rebounds, while Elizabeth Hall pulled down 15 rebounds to go with six points. Alexis Schneider also had six points, adding six rebounds and four assists as Abbey Harris contributed eight points.
F-M does not play a CNY Counties League game until Dec. 20 against West Genesee, instead drawing 0-2 Christian Brothers Academy on Wednesday night before a Saturday-afternoon game at Binghamton and a Dec. 14 clash with Oswego.
Back on Wednesday night, Bishop Grimes, which fully expects to challenge Westhill for top honors in the Section III Class B ranks, opened at Cazenovia, and announced its presence as a top Class B challenger with a ferocious defensive effort that didn’t let up until the Cobras had registered a 57-14 victory over the Lakers.
For a brief moment, Cazenovia may have figured it could stay in range, as it only trailed 10-5 after one period. But Grimes’ full-court pressure took a heavy toll and led to a 24-6 second-quarter blitz, and things got more lopsided from there.
One good sign for the Cobras was the balance in its attack. Maria Naylor had 14 points, including four 3-pointers, to balance the inside play of Azariah Wade, who got 13 points. Sophomore point guard Abby Wilkinson poured in 11 points as Brianna Squier contributed nine points.
Grimes welcomes Homer on Monday night for its home opener before a Thursday-night visit from Phoenix.
