Though they both were headed for the Section III Class AA playoffs, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball teams wished that they had finished their respective regular seasons on a better note.

The Warriors went to Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday night and could not overcome a slow start on offense, earning more than half of its points in the fourth quarter of a 46-36 defeat to the Hornets.

This was the same F-M side that Liverpool had beaten 48-39 on Jan. 17. Four weeks later, the Hornets were at full strength and would lean heavily on its defense to get even with the Warriors.

All that Liverpool could manage was three points in the first quarter, and didn’t get to double digits on the board until the third period. By the time they reached the fourth quarter, F-M, despite its own uneven production, led 31-17, enough to withstand the Warriors’ late outburst.

Kyra Grimshaw led that push, earning 14 points by game’s end. Jenna Wike and Amanda Barnell had seven points apiece, and no one else had more than one field goal. For F-M, Alexis Schneider matched Grimshaw’s total of 14 points, but had a bit more help from Lizzie Hall (nine points), Alexandra Vinci (eight points) and Alexis Gray (six points).

For C-NS, the challenge was going to Baldwinsville and trying to avenge a 67-41 defeat to the Bees at home a month earlier. The calendar may have changed, but not the result, nor the margin.

B’ville prevailed 69-43 this time around, pulling away during a 17-5 second-quarter spurt and ultimately putting C-NS in a 53-23 deficit through three periods.

Though nine different Northstars scored baskets, none had more than the eight points put up by Isabella Kingsley. Nia Williams and Morgan Siechen each had six points, with Ariana Corasaniti, Julianna Vassallo and Aniah Ingram getting five points apiece.

Bouncing back from recent defeats to West Genesee and F-M, the Bees saw Jenna Costello and Katie Pascale each finish with 13 points, Pascale adding six assists and four steals. Carolyn Brussel, back from a thumb injury, had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds as Kaylee Lammers got nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Given the no. 8 seed for the sectional AA tournament, C-NS faces top seed West Genesee, the same side it beat one year in the sectional finals, only this time it’s quarterfinal game with a berth in the semifinals against Utica Proctor or Baldwinsville at stake.

Meanwhile, Liverpool, with the no. 6 seed, makes another trip to F-M, this time with the stakes a semifinal berth against Central Square or Auburn.