BALDWINSVILLE – As it started its season with four consecutive victories, the Baldwinsville girls basketball team discovered that it could really summon its best effort when under a severe challenge.

Such is what arrived on Dec. 18, when the Bees welcomed Fayetteville-Manlius to Baker High School and, despite a large second-half deficit, roared back to top the Hornets 37-28.

Even after it jumped out in front early, B’ville found itself mired in a mid-game slump, mostly caused by a tough F-M defense that set out to prove that its own 5-1 start was far from a fluke.

Trailing in the third quarter, the Bees leaned on the duo of Sydney Huhtala and Jayda Pyle to pull within one, 24-23, before the entire team proceeded to clamp down on the Hornets and hold it to four points in the final period.

Huhtala hit several key baskets as she finished with 17 points. Pyle added 11 points as Kyrah Wilbur was the only other Bees player to get a field goal. Ava Angello led F-M with 13 points.

At least so far, B’ville’s boys basketball team had not found the same good fortune as the girls, a point reinforced during its own Dec. 18 game against visiting F-M.

For much of the night, the Bees’ well-balanced attack matched that the Hornets produced as Greg Marinelli picked up 14 points and Jason Bifulco added 11 points.

However, it followed an 18-7 opening run by the Hornets that essentially made the difference as F-M prevailed, 55-44, led by Trevor Roe’s 20 points and Luke Davidson’s 18 points, mostly from five 3-pointers.

B’ville would face Nottingham and then rest before resuming action Jan. 4 against West Genesee, while the girls play this week at a tournament in Amsterdam against Shaker and Penfield.