After splitting two games with teams ranked in the state Class AA top 10, the West Genesee girls basketball team had done more than enough to make a return to those same AA rankings.
The Wildcats entered the state poll at the no. 24 spot after knocking off no. 10-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse on Jan. 16, even though the Wildcats lost to no. 5-ranked Elmira later in the week.
This set WG up for back-to-back games late last week, the tougher of them Friday’s clash at Baldwinsville – or at least it seemed that way, as the Wildcats rode a dominant first half to a 54-35 victory over the Bees.
Ignoring B’ville’s 11-3 record, WG was red-hot from the outset, hitting its shots and shutting down the Bees while bolting out to a 20-5 lead by the end of the first quarter.
That margin reached 37-15 by halftime, and the Wildcats handled things from there, Mackenzie Smith pouring in 23 points as Madison Smith got nine points and Haley Collins added six points. For the Bees, only Claire McAllister, with 12 points, hit more than two field goals.
A night earlier, the Wildcats went to Henninger and controlled matters from start to finish in a 68-37 victory over the Black Knights.
Holding Henninger to six points in the first quarter, WG jumped out in front and maintained a high level throughout the game as Mackenzie and Madison Smith hit five 3-pointers between them.
By game’s end, Mackenzie Smith had 21 points and Madison Smith got 16 points, and they got help from Catie Cunningham, who earned five of her 12 points at the free-throw line. Kaitlyn Walker also had five successful foul shots as she finished with seven points.
For the West Genesee boys basketball team, a trio of wins the previous week, including one over state-ranked C-NS, had pulled them back to the .500 mark at 6-6 and within reach of a post-season berth.
But when the Wildcats sought another upset against visiting Henninger last Thursday night, it could not quite pull it off, the Black Knights prevailing 69-57 in the first of two meetings between these sides in as many weeks.
Much of the margin came from a first half when WG fell behind 40-32. The pace slowed during the second half, yet the Wildcats could not contain Henninger star Jadan Graves, who poured in 31 points, including four 3-pointers.
Lucas Sutherland paced WG as he scored 21 points, while Jack McLane earned 16 points. Christian Rossi added 11 points.
Now the Wildcats faced Baldwinsville on Friday night. Sporting a 6-8 mark, the Bees longed to inch closer to a post-season berth, but WG got a career-best effort from Sutherland and prevailed 79-65.
Just as the girls did against B’ville, the Wildcats played a terrific first half, scoring at will against a porous Bees defense and not letting up until it had built a 45-27 margin as they reached the break.
Protecting that lead the rest of the way, WG kept going to Sutherland, who didn’t stop until he had amassed 39 points. Will Amica returned to action and poured in 13 points, with McLane adding eight points and Kam Jones getting six points.
Now at 7-7 on the season, the Wildcats would take its shot at 15-0, state Class AA no. 6-ranked Liverpool Tuesday night, looking to avenge a 90-73 defeat to the Warriors in Camillus earlier this month. A trip to Henninger follows on Friday
