Even as winter weather caused some alterations to the schedule, area girls basketball teams found a fair amount of success.
And no win was bigger than what Christian Brothers Academy accomplished last Friday night when it beat Cicero-North Syracuse 49-35, the first time since February 2014 that the Northstars have lost to any Section III opponent.
Of course, the circumstances played a factor. Though C-NS has won the last eight sectional Class AA titles, it also lost all five starters from the 2015-16 season and was playing just its second game of the season with a young roster still with plenty of learning to do.
Knowing all this, the Brothers jumped out to a quick 24-16 first-quarter advantage, the only time all night where both offenses would flourish. As things slowed down, CBA relied on its defense to keep C-NS from coming back.
Brooke Jarvis broke out for the Brothers, pouring in 19 points as she and Nafysa Williams, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, accounted for most of the Brothers’ offense. Hannah Brooks added eight points as Ariana Corasaniti (10 points) and Julianna Vasallo (nine points) led C-NS.
As the week got underway, the Brothers continued to show improvement in last Monday’s game against Westhill, but lost, 49-40, to the Warriors.
Westhill was coming off its first defeat of the season to Indian River two days earlier, on Dec. 9, but it didn’t faze them. Instead, the Warriors started quickly and then responded each time CBA tried to inch closer, ultimately building a 40-29 lead through three quarters.
Williams led the Brothers with 10 points, just ahead of Jarvis (nine points) and Olivia Carni (eight points), while Victoria Hall got six points.
CBA’s defense did a good job containing Westhill’s leading offensive presence, Mackenzie Martin, holding her to eight pointsk, but Morgan Elmer, another returning starter from the Warriors’ 2016 state Class B finalists, made up for it, leading the Warriors with 21 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
All of this would help CBA break into the win column Wednesday night when it defeated Cortland 45-20, the game breaking open when the Brothers outscored the Purple Tigers 20-3 in the second quarter.
Williams led the mid-game outburst and finished with 14 points, though Jarvis, with 11 points, was close behind. Emily Hall (six points) and Victoria Hall (five points) offered ample support as no Cortland player got more than the seven points posted by Margaret Reagan.
Bishop Grimes faced a road test at Hannibal last Monday night, and much of the game proved the quality of the Warriors – but one particular burst, in the second quarter, allowed the Cobras to seize control and roll to a 55-39 victory.
Going into that second period, the two sides were tied, 10-10, but combining its pressure that forced turnovers with an offense that characterized on most of its opportunities, Grimes outscored Hannibal by a 21-2 margin the rest of the half, and the Warriors couldn’t recover.
And much of it had to do with Azariah Wade finding her way to the paint and converting baskets, ultimately finishing with 26 points. Wade got enough help, too, since Maria Naylor had 12 points, Brianna Squier eight points and Abby Wilkinson seven points as she and Naylor both hit on a pair of 3-pointers.
Defensively, Grimes was most effective on Hannibal’s McKenzie Mattison, holding her to three points and a single field goal. Sydney Alton led the Warriors with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while Katie Pitcher needed six free throws to get to 10 points since she was otherwise held to two field goals.
The Cobras’ game with Jordan-Elbridge last Thursday night was snowed out, rescheduled for Jan. 23.
East Syracuse Minoa lost Wednesday night to Phoenix, 62-42, unable to recover from the Firebirds’ 20-6 first-quarter burst, though it closed the gap to 29-21 by halftime.
Brigid McGinley, with 16 points, and Loren Clifford, with 14 points, accounted for all but three of the Spartans’ field goals. Meanwhile, Phoenix saw Samantha Doupe earn 19 points and two others, Caitlyn Connolly (13 points) and Natalie Hart (12 points), also get to double figures.
