ONONDAGA COUNTY – Right from the outset, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team would get a reminder of how much more of a challenge it would face without Jessica Cook in the lineup.
Cook, who led the Northstars to the 2020 Section III Class AA title and an undefeated season last winter, is now at the University of Toledo.
Plenty of familiar names return, and it nearly led to a season-opening victory against visiting Bishop Ludden on Dec. 10, but the effort fell just short in a 54-50 loss to the Gaelic Knights.
Ludden had already played twice, winning both, and featured, in junior Amarah Streiff, one of the area’s top talents. Together, the Gaelic Knights kept C-NS relatively quiet in the first half.
Then, trailing 25-17 at the break, the Northstars made up most of the ground in the third quarter, led by veterans Alexa Kulakowski and Alita Carey-Santangelo.
Kulakowski hit three 3-pointers and would get 18 points overall, followed closely by Carey-Santangelo’s total of 16 points as Kathleen Taru added nine points.
Still, Ludden held on, led again by Streiff, who had 22 points, four rebounds and three steals, and Kaitlyn Kibling, who had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, plus five assists.
Liverpool had also lost its season opener, surrendering a big halftime lead to Rome Free Academy on Dec. 9, and found itself in a tight battle with Jamesville-DeWitt Tuesday night.
Then, with a 15-4 run through the third quarter, the Warriors were able to take charge, eventually defeating the Red Rams 52-38 with a well-balanced attack.
Naveah Wingate and Gianna Washington both finished with 13 points, and Julia Wike was close behind, earning 11 points as Jakeira Stackhouse got seven points. Only one J-D player, Aniyah Neal, was in double figure, also getting 13 points.
