With its most important week of the regular season looming ahead – namely, back-to-back battles with West Genesee and Baldwinsville – the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team wanted to be sure that it entered that stretch in prime form.

What was revealed in the Jan. 3 win over Liverpool where Jessica Cook netted 38 points to pass 1,000 for her career continued into back-to-back wins last week.

At Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday, C-NS nearly let an early lead get away, but used its defense to wear down the Hornets in the second half, ultimately cruising to a 63-41 victory.

Even as it tried to contain F-M’s perimeter game, the Northstars still had trouble with Hornets star Lexie Roe, who earned 20 points, including four 3-pointers.

Yet C-NS maintained its pressure, and the result was seeing F-M manage just a handful of field goals in the second half and just three points in the entire fourth quarter.

Just as important to the Northstars was the way its offense diversified, even as Cook still finished with 24 points. Mackenzie White had 13 points, with Alexandra Miller and Gabby Hillman getting six points apiece as eight different players got on the scoreboard.

Back home Friday to face Corcoran, C-NS took apart the Cougars 85-27, limiting the visitors to two points in the first quarter and converting at will throughout the night.

All 11 players that saw action for the Northstars got on the scoreboard, Cook getting 21 points. Nicolette Kasch set a career mark with 12 points and Julia Rowe had 10 points, with White (seven points), Gianna Chiaramonte (nine points), Crystal Leonardi (eight points) and Alita Carey-Santangelo (six points) close behind.

Liverpool would challenge Baldwinsville a week and a half before C-NS did, and their battle last Tuesday at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall was a fierce one, the Warriors quite game in a 58-48 defeat to the Bees.

Through one quarter, Liverpool led 13-11, and it continued to play well the rest of the half. Only in the third quarter did B’ville gain any kind of control, picking up the tempo as it outscored the Warriors 23-16.

To the end, Liverpool remained within range, Neveah Wingate earning 19 points as Michelle Lonczak got 11 points, both trying to make up for Victoria Morgan’s struggles as Morgan was held to six points, matching Karlyssa Shifflett’s total.

B’ville was led again by senior Katie Pascale, who had 17 points. Hannah Mimas gained 13 points, while Sydney Huhtala had nine points and Alexandra Bednarczyk added seven points.

Up against Nottingham on Friday, Liverpool was again quite competitive and again, on the wrong side of the decision in a 69-66 defeat to the Bulldogs.

Nottingham build a 36-24 halftime edge and was still up double digits before a furious late Warriors comeback led by Wingate, who set a new career mark with 31 points, with Morgan adding 15 points and Karlyssa Shifflett getting 10 points.

The Bulldogs held on because it had a bit more depth, four reaching double figures. Amaya Williams led with 24 points, helped by N Howard (14 points), Lauryn Withrow (12 points) and Zyohna Glen (10 points).