ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though it has undergone plenty of its own ups and downs, the Jamesville-DeWitt girls basketball team seemed to be finding its top form just when it is really needed.
And the Red Rams nearly got one of its best wins of the season Wednesday night against Bishop Grimes, only to have it taken away in the final seconds as the Cobras pulled out a 37-36 decision.
It marked the second time in less than two weeks that Grimes had a game decided at the buzzer, though it was a better outcome than when Bishop Ludden’s Elizabeth Gaughan hit a half-court shot to beat the Cobras 51-40 on Jan. 21.
Here, with 5.6 seconds left J-D clung to a one -point lead, 36-35, when it tried to throw the ball in bounds – but Grimes’ Rosalie Vincent.
Keeping calm, Vincent threw a long pass and found Natalie Musolino, who raced to the basket and converted a lay-up just as the horn sounded.
This culminated a fourth-quarter comeback. Once up 18-17 at halftime, Grimes was held to four points in the third quarter by a stingy Rams defense.
Yet J-D couldn’t get away, opening the door for Grimes to show a newfound late-game poise, capped by Musolino’s winning basket.
For the night, Musolino had 14 points, with Vincent getting eight points, Jenna Sloan nine points and Nayewl Ayeil six points. Bella Sindoni led a well-balanced J-D attack with 10 points, just ahead of Macy Durkin’s nine points, Ava Sandroni’s eight points and Aniyah Neal’s seven points.
Grimes had a far easier time of it in Saturday’s 67-32 win over Syracuse West where Musolino got 14 points, Althea Simmons had a career-best 13 points and Sloan added 11 points. Vincent earned eight points.
J-D had already won four in a row when it hosted East Syracuse Minoa Monday night and, with stifling defense, rolled past the Spartans 47-19.
Only surrendering a handful of baskets all night, J-D could get away with modest production on the other end. Sadie Withers was the only player on either side to score in double figures, her 12 points all stemming from four 3-pointers.
Neal finished with nine points, Sandroni and Grace Hobika each getting eight points as Victoria Payne produced six points. No ESM players had more than four points.
A night later, it was ESM breaking out against Oswego, the Spartans able to stage a second-half comeback to knock off the Buccaneers 42-32 for its fourth win of the season.
Things were tight in the first half and ESM trailed Oswego 20-17 at the break. But a productive third quarter allowed the Spartans to inch in front, and it limited the Bucs to just two points in the final period.
Natalie Quonce broke out in a big way, hitting on five 3-pointers and finishing with 17 points overall. Aniyah Jones added eight points, with Isabelle Chavoustie adding seven points.
Playing on Wednesday, Fayetteville-Manlius defeated Utica Proctor 37-21, its defense holding the Raiders to just nine points in the first three quarter, which made up for a modest offnese where Ava Angello led with nine points, Evie Kawa got eight points and Lauren Clark had six points
Christian Brothers Academy absorbed a 76-39 defeat to Westhill last Tuesday night as Chianna Williams got 10 points with Amelia Bonacci and Sydney Vaughan earning seven points apiece.
Catherine Dadey, with 20 points, led four Warriors players scoring in double figures as Tess Roesch got 17 points, Janiah Robinson 13 points and Kate Heinrich 10 points.
