CENTRAL NEW YORK – This was the girls basketball game everyone wanted to see last winter.
Absent any post-season, Marcellus won all 11 of its games early in 2021, while Bishop Ludden put up a perfect 9-0 mark. Yet the two sides were unable to face each other.
Maybe that had something to do with the Mustangs and Gaelic Knights squaring off early in the 2021-22 season, tipping off Wednesday night after it was postponed late last week.
Marcellus had already played once, going to Auburn last Wednesday and using a decisive third quarter to work its way to a 66-56 victory over the Maroons.
From the outset, the pace was quick, and Auburn kept up, finding itself tied 37-37 at halftime. During the third quarter, though, the Mustangs held the Maroons to five points.
Building a 52-42 advantage, Marcellus held on late behind 22 points from Katie MacLachlan and 16 points from Hannah Rogalia. Emma MacLachlan got 10 points and Annabella Mondello added seven points. To pace Auburn, Leah Middleton had 23 points and Peyton Maneri got 22 points.
Also in local girls basketball, Jordan-Elbridge got off to a rough start, the Eagles overwhelmed last Thursday in a 62-21 defeat to Union Springs.
Skaneateles and Solvay both lost their season openers on Friday, with the Lakers falling 48-45 to Homer and the Bearcats taking a 51-27 defeat to Phoenix.
In the Lakers’ case, Faith Wagner’s 16 points and Ayla Pas’cal’s 10 points were not quite enough as Homer got 18 points from Catherine Apker and 13 points from Keira Miller. Emily Rolince and Neonna Turk each had seven points for the girls Bearcats as Margaret Kemp had six points and 10 rebounds.
Playing again on Saturday, Solvay fell to Syracuse West 58-30, but Skaneateles prevailed 54-44 over Moravia as Maddy Ramsgard put up 16 points and Kathleen Reed picked up 13 points.
