The massive field for the girls basketball Section III Class B playoffs included 23 teams, which meant that all the local sides who got into the tournament would have to win twice last week just to reach the quarterfinals.
Marcellus had the no. 3 seed and, on Saturday, entered the playoff fray in the second round where it took on no. 14 seed Central Valley Academy, who had ousted Utica-Notre Dame.
And the Thunder proved quite difficult to quiet, but with an all-out effort the Mustangs rescued things and, by a 54-47 margin, advanced to the sectional quarterfinals.
This entire game was played within close range. Up by one, 24-23, at halftime, Marcellus surrendered that edge and CVA went to the fourth quarter up 37-33.
But the combination of a home crowd and a well-balanced attack allowed the Mustangs to outscore the Thunder 19-10 the rest of the way.
Hannah Durand led with 13 points, with Katie MacLachlan getting 11 points. Emma MacLachlan had 10 points as Mei LaMarre and Sarah Fallon got eight points apiece.
Westhill, meanwhile, had seen a 10-game win streak get halted in last Monday’s regular-season finale when it could not hold a 32-31 halftime lead on Bishop Grimes and lost, 60-56, to the Cobras.
Now the Warriors had a no. 10 seed and needed to play an opening-round game, which it handled with ease last Thursday as it took out no. 23 seed Hannibal 62-33.
A 24-8 first quarter put Westhill in charge, Jenna Larrabee working her way to 23 points and Catherine Dadey earning 12 points as Erica Gangemi got six points.
If the Warriors could go on the road and prevail at no. 7 seed Mount Markham on Saturday, it would get an opportunity to knock off defending sectional champion South Jefferson in the quarterfinals.
It was close until the second half, when Westhill took over and topped those other Mustangs 61-39, Larrabee getting 18 points and Dadey 14 points as Mary Gibson stepped up with nine points.
Skaneateles and Solvay also had to navigate through Thursday’s opening round – the no. 22 seed Lakers at no. 11 seed General Brown, the no. 17 seed Bearcats at no. 16 seed Holland Patent,
But it was the lower-seeded Skaneateles side that won, 52-50, over the Lions, hanging on at the end as Maeve Canty put in 19 points and Maddy Ramsgard got 13 points.
Tatumn Pas’cal, with eight points, and Kate Aberi, with six points, helped out, the Lakers overcoming a fine effort from GB’s Kori Nichols, who had 24 points, six rebounds and five steals.
Solvay was not as fortunate, falling 53-41 to a Golden Knights side that jumped on them 15-5 in the first quarter and eventually led 46-27 through three periods.
Tazz Pitts led the Bearcats with 19 points and seven rebounds, but no other Solvay player had more than four points as Myah Platler got 11 rebounds. HP’s Haedyn Roberts had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
In Saturday’s second round Skaneateles sought another upset as it faced no. 6 seed Syracuse Academy of Science. With a berth in the quarterfinals against Marcellus on the line, the Lakers saw its season end with a 48-32 defeat to the Atoms.
SAS took control when Skaneateles was held to four points in the second quarter. Canty did get 15 points, with Pascal adding seven points and Emma Keady six points, but the Atoms won as Xyel Bradford led them with 18 points.
Meanwhile, up in Class A Bishop Ludden held the no. 7 seed, meaning it would have to win a first-round game agianst no. 10 seed Oswego in order to set up a quarterfinal against no. 2 seed and defending champion Jamesville-DeWitt.
The Gaelic Knights passed this initial test, pulling away to top the Buccaneers 66-47 as it built a 38-30 advantage by halftime, then erased any doubts by closing the game on a 15-4 run.
Again having her way, Amarah Streiff torched the Oswego defense with 29 points, helped by Lauren Petrie, whose 19 points mostly consisted of five 3-pointers. Keiara Odume contributed 10 points.
And through the entire week, West Genesee rested, waiting, as the no. 3 seed in Class AA, for Tuesday’s sectional quarterfinal against no. 6 seed Fayetteville-Manlius.
