To take full momentum into the new year, the Chittenango girls basketball team needed to win its own holiday tournament, with the final on Friday night giving the Bears a chance to avenge its lone defeat of the season to Oneida.
The two sides had met Dec. 12, and the Indians, on its home floor, won big, 51-31. Now the rematch was on the Bears’ home court, and the different venue led to a far different outcome as Chittenango, led again by Ally Shoemaker, closed strong to beat Oneida 57-46.
Both sides started hot, trading baskets, but it was the Bears’ defense that settled down first, limiting Oneida’s scoring opportunities during the second quarter and translating that work into a 32-24 halftime edge.
Fighting back, the Indians, who were led by Ella Rainbow (14 points) and Julianna Cavanaugh (12 points), erased most of its deficit during the third quarter. Only up by one, 42-41, Chittenango clamped down again in the closing minutes and made sure Oneida didn’t top them again.
Throughout the game, Ally Shoemaker dazzled, both with her 26 points that included eight successful free throws, but also with her ability to swipe the ball from Indians players, which translated into 11 steals. She also had six rebounds and four assists.
Help on defense came from Trisha Whaley, who nabbed 13 rebounds and four steals to go with five assists. Morgan Shoemaker put in 10 points and got four steals as Rachel Cleary earned eight points and Mekenzie Dahlin earned six points.
In order to reach the final, Chittenango first had to get past East Syracuse Minoa in Thursday’s opening round – which didn’t prove too difficult as the Bears, taking charge with a mid-game surge, went on to rout the Spartans 56-26.
Only up by a point, 8-7, through one period, Chittenango woke up and, over the course of the next two quarters, outscored ESM 39-11, and Ally Shoemaker led the way as she earned 11 points, six steals, three rebounds and four assists.
Trisha Whaley achieved a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, plus five steals. Rachel Cleary led the Bears with 12 points, while Dahlin had eight points and four rebounds. Morgan Shoemaker had five points. Cassidy Kelly got four points and four rebounds.
Oneida, meanwhile, beat Homer 44-29 in the other half of the opening round, setting up a final where the Bears again established itself as a Class B contender, improving to 8-1 overall, though its toughest league games against the likes of Bishop Ludden, Westhill and Bishop Grimes still lie ahead.
