Not only did the Chittenango and Cazenovia girls basketball teams had to confront the strong depth of the Section III Class B playoff field, they also had to deal with the sheer number of teams in the field.
In all, 19 teams qualified, which meant that the Bears, as the no. 14 seed, and the Lakers, who had to win its last game of the season to make it as the no. 18 seed, had to face opening-round tests last Thursday night.
Chittenango passed that part, hosting no. 19 seed Marcellus and needing to rely on its defense most of the way to pull out a 39-29 victory, a margin similar to the 52-42 win it earned over these same Mustangs two weeks earlier.
At the outset, the Bears were quite productive, roaring to an 18-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. From there, though, Chittenango cooled off, especially in a third period where it managed just four points.
That allowed Marcellus to pull within 29-23 going to the fourth quarter, but the Bears contained the Mustangs throughout the final minutes to preserve its victory.
Emily Moon had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Ally Shoemaker gained nine points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists as Cassidy Kelly and Makenzie Dahlin each got eight points, Kelly adding six rebounds. Hannah Durand led Marcellus with nine points.
So now Chittenango had to go north to challenge 19-1, no. 3 seed South Jefferson on Saturday. The Spartans, who held the no. 12 spot in the latest state Class B rankings, would prove too tough, handing the Bears a 72-47 defeat.
A ferocious early pace proved to South Jefferson’s liking as it gathered up a 44-26 lead by halftime. Things calmed down a bit in the second half, but Chittenango could not string together the run it needed.
Shoemaker closed out her season by earning 20 points, but no other Bears player hit double figures. Dahlin had nine points, with Moon getting seven points.
On the Spartans’ side, Jenna Zimmerman and Jackie Piddock both had 21 points, with Zimmeman adding 11 rebounds and six blocks. Piddock also had seven assists and five rebounds as Mara Hathaway got 13 points and Alyssa Stevenson had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Cazenovia’s stay in the sectional tournament was a brief one as, visiting no. 15 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill last Thursday night, it could not quite keep up in a 53-43 loss to the Red Devils.
Baskets were difficult to attain during the first half as the Lakers fell behind 25-15. Then VVS outscored them 22-11 in a decisive third quarter, led by Morgan Brewer, who had 18 points and six rebounds as Alexa Kiser added 14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
A late Cazenovia push saw Lindsey Lawson work her total to 17 points, with Madison West earning 10 points. Katie Ammann had eight points and Hannah Matteson got six points.
VVS went from this game to stunning undefeated no. 2 seed Adirondack in the quarterfinals, making it a bit less painful for the Lakers, who finished its season at 8-13.
