During the last full week of the regular season, area high school girls basketball teams mostly were trying to bank some victories and prepare itself for the upcoming Section III playoffs.
Marcellus battled rival Skaneateles last Thursday night, and with the Lakers playing its third tough opponent in a span of four days, the Mustangs were able to emerge with a 50-38 victory.
Having fallen out of the state Class B rankings after a Feb. 8 defeat to Oneida, Marcellus was quite eager to regain winning form and, at the same time, perhaps deny its neighbors a playoff-clinching eighth victory.
Steady defensive play marked the first half, with the Mustangs gaining a 28-19 edge. Then it withstood the lone Skaneateles run of the game to lead 43-30 through three periods.
Katie MacLachlan led the Mustangs, earning 19 points, while Sarah Fallon had 11 points. Emma MacLchlan and Hannah Durand produced nine points apiece.
Helped by four 3-pointers, Maeve Canty matched Katie MacLachlan’s total of 19 points, Emma Keady adding nine points and Lexi Cottrill six points.
Back on Monday, Skaneateles nearly knocked off Chittenango before taking a 66-58 overtime defeat to the Bears.
After getting just six points in the first quarter, the Lakers kept pace the rest of the way and eventually tied it, 49-49, to force OT.
Canty put up a career-best 25 points, with Tatumn Pas’cal getting 16 points. Still, Chittenango outscored Skaneateles 17-9 in the four-minute extra period, with Mekenzie Dahlin getting 21 points and Ally Shoemaker adding 16 points.
A day later, Skaneateles dropped another close decision, this one 44-41 to Central Square. A steady, strong effort had the Lakers in front 39-35 through three periods, but it managed just two points the rest of the way.
Canty had 17 points, hitting on a trio of 3-pointers. Kate Aberi added nine points as, for the victorious Redhawks, Julia Mann had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Morgan Ransom adding 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Westhill was no. 23 in the latest state Class B poll and riding a 10-game win streak when it closed its regular season Monday against Bishop Grimes, nearly a week after last Tuesday’s 75-62 win over Homer.
A 26-14 push through the second quarter proved decisive. Jenna Larrabee tore up the Trojans for 31 points and 13 rebounds. Catherine Dadey got all of her 18 points from six 3-pointers as Mary Gibson set a career mark with 16 points.
Solvay, who had just clinched a playoff berth the week before, added a ninth win to its ledger last Monday when, on Senior Night, it defeated Tully 43-32.
Trailing 11-5 after one period, the Bearcats outscored the Black Knights 18-7 the rest of the half and eventually built a double-digit margin, led again by Tazz Pitts, who had 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.
Kaya Watts got six rebounds, plus five assists and four steals. Ryleigh Bidwell finished with six points and six rebounds as Myah Platler finished with seven rebounds.
Against Bishop Grimes on Wednesday, the Bearcats lost 35-26, staying close until it was held to just one point in the fourth quarter. Pitts, in defeat, had 10 points, with Platler getting seven rebounds.
But Solvay did beat Cato-Meridian 39-28 on Saturday to finish its regular season 10-10. Pitts had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Platler piled up 15 rebounds as she and Bidwell both finished with eight points.
Jordan-Elbridge took a 63-49 defeat to Hannibal last Tuesday, this despite Ashlee Eaton’s career-best total of 23 points. Mollie Yard added 10 points as the Warriors’ Julia Shortslef led her side with 25 points.
Then the long skid nearly ended Thursday against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown as the Eagles bolted out to a 21-4 lead, only to give it all away and fall 48-46 to the Rebels. Yard had 18 points as Eaton earned 11 points.
