On consecutive nights early this week, each of the Bishop Grimes basketball teams offered up memorable regular-season finales.
And for the girls Cobras, it proved to be the season’s most rewarding victory as it ventured to Westhill Tuesday and, leading most of the way, gained a 56-50 victory over the Warriors.
These same two teams had met two weeks earlier at Grimes, and Westhill prevailed 59-50 – but the Cobras didn’t have junior guard Abby Wilkinson in the lineup, and her presence in the second encounter made quite a difference.
First, though, it was tremendous outside by the Cobras that put them in control, building a 27-14 lead at one point in the second quarter as it hit on six 3-pointers, three of them by Maria Naylor.
Westhill closed the gap to 30-23 by halftime and got within one, 40-39, by the end of the third quarter, but missed on multiple chances to get the lead and, more importantly, could not convert several close-range shots down the stretch.
Fittingly, it was Wilkinson who closed things out. Of her game-high 20 points, nine were in the fourth quarter, including three free throws in the final minute and 10 free throws overall.
Naylor hit on five 3-pointers to account for all of her 15 points as Brianna Squier added 10 points and Jenna Sloan got six points. Grimes also held Westhill’s top threat, Mackenzie Martin, to just eight points as Jenna Larrabee (14 points) and Katelyn Karleski (11 points) paced the Warriors.
The Grimes boys team hosted Bishop Ludden last Monday night and attempting to avenge a 47-41 defeat from Jan. 25. The rematch would go into overtime, but the Cobras lost again, falling to the Gaelic Knights 70-63.
It was the last regular-season game for Ludden head coach Pat Donnelly, who is retiring at season’s end. That it was at Grimes was fitting because Donnelly and Grimes coach Bob McKenney were once teammates at Potsdam State.
Their last encounter proved a close one, Grimes leading most of the first half, but seeing its slight edge vanish when the Gaelic Knights held them to 10 points in the third quarter.
Fighting back, the Cobras got it to overtime at 55-55 its efforts led by T.J. Bradford, who led all scorer with 26 points, nearly half his team’s output.
But Ludden took control in the four-minute extra period as Jai Smith gathered 20 rebounds to go with his 16 points and Joe Connor had 19 points, plus 12 rebounds. Nic Button added 14 points.
The problem for Grimes was that no one else got close to Bradford’s production as David Mo, who had 33 points against Syracuse Academy of Science in his last outing Feb. 8, got held to six points here.
