CENTRAL NEW YORK – One theme that has continually emerged throughout the area high school girls basketball season is how teams have come close to signature victories but not quite attained them.
Jamesville-DeWitt had lacked a big win against league competition, but that changed when it took on Cortland and, with a superb fourth-quarter defensive performance, pulled off a 37-36 decision over the Purple Tigers.
Cortland entered the game 10-2, and steadily built a 24-16 advantage by halftime. Little changed in the third quarter, which gave no indication of how it would turn around.
In order to win, J-D had to shut out the Purple Tigers in the final period – which it did, eight minutes of continual stops that allowed the Rams to inch out in front and hang on.
Between them, Ava Sandroni and Aniyah Neal accounted for all but one of J-D’s field goals as Sandroni finished with 16 points and Neal added 15 points.
J-D blasted Oswego 54-19 on Thursday, giving up just four points to the Buccaneers in the second and third quarters as Bella Sindoni led the Rams with 12 points, Catherine DeForest and Grace Hobika adding seven points apiece.
Then there was Saturday’s game against West Genesee, where J-D scored just one point in the first quarter and were cold until the final period, when it outscored the Wildcats 15-3 and pulled out a 29-26 victory.
Sandroni led the comeback and finished with 14 points, nearly half the Rams’ output, and the defense did the rest, holding WG to just seven points the entire second half.
Even those with high-quality wins, like Bishop Grimes, have results such as the 51-50 defeat to Bishop Ludden on Jan. 21 where it rallied from a 15-point deficit, only to have Elizabeth Gaughan sink a half-court shot at the buzzer.
More frustration followed for the Cobras in last Monday night’s 62-60 overtime loss to Oneida where it built a 29-20 lead by halftime and extended that margin to double digits in the third quarter.
But the Indians rallied, erasing Grimes’ 39-33 lead in a high-scoring fourth quarter and, at 55-55, taking it to OT, where it inched out in front and managed to stay there, carried by Kaylin Curro, who amassed 33 points, adding 11 rebounds and six assists as Kennedy Curro earned 17 rebounds.
Natalie Musolino stood out for the Cobras, earning 22 points. Nayweil Ayeil had 13 points, with Althea Simmons getting 11 points and Jenna Sloan eight points.
Grimes got back in the win column Thursday, handling Phoenix 55-38 as it bolted to a 43-13 lead through three quarters, seeing Ayeil and Rosalie Vincent each getting 13 points as Sloan and Olivia Bitz had eight points apiece.
Then it all went south when Grimes went north Saturday and lost 61-31 to Indian River, outscored 35-10 in the second half as the state Class A no. 15-ranked Warriors avenged one of its two defeats of the season late in December. Adrien LaMora led IR with 26 points as, for the Cobras, only Vincent, with 11 points, hit double figures.
Fayetteville-Manlius had another chance to turn around its lack of success in close games, only to have it bite again last Wednesday in a 46-42 defeat to Auburn.
Seeking to win its 10th in a row, it appeared the Maroons would get thwarted when the Hornets went on a 14-4 third-quarter run and still led, 34-30, through three periods.
But Auburn would rally, led by Leah Middleton, who finished with 23 points, five rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists. Evie Kawa’s 15 points included three 3-pointers to lead the Hornets, with Ava Angello adding 13 points.
Now F-M looked to avenge its one-point Dec. 23 defeat to SCAC Metro division leader Cicero-North Syracuse, but instead lost 62-16, shut out in the first quarter and watching the Northstars outscore them 22-4 in the second to settle matters early
East Syracuse Minoa had its own game with Oneida and lost, 50-26, as Aniyah Jones and Angelina Polcaro had six points apiece, while Curro got 20 points for the Indians.
Then the Spartans fell to Fulton Thursday by that exact same 50-26 margin, with Jones getting seven points and Polcaro adding six points.
Christian Brothers Academy got the news that long-time head coach John Niland was retiring at season’s end. The Brothers fell 51-39 to Hannibal last Thursday despite 20 points from Chianna Williams.
