CENTRAL NEW YORK – Having risen near the top 10 of the state Class B rankings, the Marcellus girls basketball team knew that, to keep it up, it had to maintain its high level of play.
Westhill would challenge the Mustangs last Tuesday night, looking to avenge a 62-57 January defeat, and managing to pull it off with a late comeback to prevail 54-48.
Marcellus had won six in a row and were no. 14 in the state Class B rankings, two spots ahead of Westhill at no. 16, and those marks seemed justified when the Mustangs grabbed an early 15-9 lead and then held it through the game’s tense middle stages.
Still down 40-36 going to the fourth quarter, the Warriors cranked up its defense and fully contained Marcellus while, on the other end, Catherine Dadey led a timely scoring surge.
Dadey finished with 22 points, including four 3-pointers. Julianne Bleskoski got 10 points, with Tess Roesch getting nine points as Kate Heinrich and Janiah Robinson had six points apiece.
Westhill spread out its production a little more than Marcellus, who got 16 points from Annabella Mondello and 12 points from Hannah Rogalia, but just six points apiece from Katie and Emma MacLachlan, plus Cece Powell.
A night earlier, Westhill had handled Cazenovia 56-39, all but settling matters by dominating the Lakers 27-3 in the first quarter, but that wasn’t the big story.
Dadey, on Senior Night, needed 21 points to become the 15th Westhill player to reach 1,000 for her career, and did so it in the third quarter, earning a standing ovation and a commemorative banner.
For the night, Dadey had 25 points, with Heinrich getting 11 points as Robinson and Bleskoski earned seven points apiece.
Westhill made it three wins in four nights by defeating Weedsport 63-49, and Robinson had much to do with it, setting a new career mark with 26 points that took pressure off Dadey, who had 14 points as Heinrich added 10 points.
Marcellus played twice on the weekend, starting with a 63-32 romp over Skaneateles where a 20-2 second-quarter spurt decided matters. Katie MacLachlan had 17 points as Rogalia and Powell earned 10 points apiece, Maddy Ramsgard getting 13 points to pace the Lakers.
Then, in Saturday’s 65-40 win over New Hartford, the Mustangs got five 3-pointers from Katie MacLachlan on her way to 19 points overall. Rogalia earned 15 points and Powell earned 13 points, with Mondello adding eight points.
Skaneateles was dealt a setback last Tuesday when it lost, 42-36, to Chittenango, who prevailed despite the Lakers limiting the Bears to just two points in the first quarter.
Most of the lead was gone by halftime and Sknaeateles was outscored 17-4 in the fourth quarter, its offense not doing much aside from the 21 points by Ayla Pas’cal. Other than her, only Kathleen Reed, with six points, had more than one field goal, and Ramsgard was held to two points.
Jordan-Elbridge challenged Mexico last Tuesday and took a 40-30 defeat to the Tigers, the key sequence a third quarter where the Eagles were held to just two points.
Ava Hildebrantt had eight points, with Abbie Ahern contributing seven points, but J-E found it dificult to contain Mexico’s Briana Urquhart, who put up 18 points.
The Eagles rebounded Thursday to handle Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 69-43, mostly on the strength of a second half where it ouscored the Rebels 38-21.
Then J-E won 50-36 over Phoenix on Friday night all because it outscored the Firebirds 17-3 in the fourth quarter. Hildebrant led the late push, earning 19 points as Gabby Smart got nine of her 13 points at the free-throw line.
