For all kinds of reasons, area high school girls basketball teams were quite happy to take the court this month in a season abbreviated – and nearly canceled – by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the case of Fayetteville-Manlius, the excitement had both collective and indivdual benefits, all of which was on display during last Thursday night’s season-opening 66-32 win over Henninger.
Through December and January, F-M senior Lexie Roe, who is headed to Niagara University, wondered if she would get the opportunity to reach a career milestone.
Then basketball was cleared to start, and it happened in the first half against Henninger. Earning 20 points in those first two quarters, Roe surpassed the 1,000-point mark.
All told, F-M blanked the Black Knights 24-0 in the first quarter, led 52-15 through three periods and had Roe finish with 24 points. Ten different Hornets got at least one field goal as Lilly Coleman, Madison Kirkpatrick and Halle Daino got six points apiece.
Back on the court to host Baldwinsville two nights later, the Hornets ran into all kinds of difficulty as it fell to the Bees 75-31.
Other than Roe, who had 17 points, only Kirkpatrick produced more than one field goal for F-M. B’ville spread its production around as Kyrah Wilbur had 15 points, with Sydney Huthala and Hannah Mimas each getting 13 points.
Two other teams debuted last Thursday, including Christian Brothers Academy, who in March 2020 dethroned Jamesville-DeWitt as Section III Class A champions.
Without a departed senior class that included all-time leading scorer Brooke Jarvis, the Brothers met an immediate setback when it lost, 53-47, to Syracuse Academy of Science.
Leana Heitmann, with 13 points, paced CBA, with Emily Ball and Amelia Bonacci each getting 11 points. For the Atoms, Aniyah Powell led with 17 points, helped by 13 points from Alexius Pierce and 12 points from Aneesha Millhouse.
Two days later, CBA was overwhelmed 63-27 by Notttingham despite Bonacci’s 18 points. Amaya Williams got 20 points to lead the Bulldogs as Zyohna Glen got 10 points and 14 rebounds.
As for East Syracuse Minoa, it debuted against a Liverpool team which already had played two nights earlier and lost to Baldwinsville.
A poor first half proved costly for the Spartans in a 59-39 defeat to the Warriors, ESM falling behind 32-13 before going on a third-quarter spurt, cutting the margin to 42-32.
Though it struggled again late, the Spartans still had Angelina Polcaro pour in 11 points and Raychel Underwood add nine points. Naveah Wingate led Liverpool with 19 points.
Bishop Grimes made an inspired run to last winter’s sectional Class B final before falling to South Jefferson and then seeing the senior trio of Lora Marial, Rhonee Shea Pal and McKenna Squier graduate.
Tested last Saturday against Bishop Ludden, the Cobras led 27-22 at halftime, only to have the Gaelic Knights outscore them 26-9 in a decisive third quarter as Grimes lost by a 65-43 margin.
What was more, the Cobras witnessed Ludden’s star sophomore forward, Amarah Streiff, reach 1,000 career points with 13 of her 28 points in that third period, helped by Ke’iara Odume (17 points) and Kaitlyn Kibling (14 points).
By contrast, only Jenna Sloan, with 14 points, hit double figures for Grimes, with Naywel Ayeil adding nine points and Althea Simmons getting six points.
