SYRACUSE – Making a run to a Section III championship game from a double-digit seed is exceedingly rare. Having the same team do it twice is in its own special category.
That’s what Bishop Grimes girls basketball has pulled off, equaling its unlikely 2020 journey to the sectional Class B title game by rising from a no. 13 seed to upend three of the top five seeds in the tournament bracket.
And it was capped Sunday when the Cobras knocked off top seed Little Falls 49-44 in the semifinal game played at Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall.
Just as it had done in double overtime against no. 5 seed Homer, and just like it did upending no. 4 seed Westhill, Grimes brought its own relentless, hard-working style to the floor against a Mounties side that, at 22-0, was the last remaining unbeaten team in Section III girls basketball.
Of course, as senior Jenna Sloan pointed out, the Cobras had gone through a tough regular-season slate that perfectly prepared it for all the challenges the playoffs have thrown at them.
In the case of Little Falls, it was a side that took away most of Grimes’ offense throughout a low-scoring first half, leaving it to Sloan to get her team into gear.
A driving layup, followed by a 3-pointer, by Sloan gave the Cobras the lead for good in the second quarter, and she had nine points to help her side go to the break with a 17-13 advantage.
On every single possession, Grimes continued to pressure the Mounties wherever they tried to move the ball, leading to a series of rushed shots and turnovers as it waited for someone other than Sloan to start making baskets.
“Our team was nervous, and we just needed to settle down,” said Sloan.
Once it did, a trio of Cobras helped produce a victory. Both Nayeil Aweil and Natalie Musolino picked up each of their nine points in the second half, combining to diversify the Cobras’ attack.
Rosalie Vincent starred in the late going, too. After Little Falls cut the margin to eight late in the fourth quarter, Vincent, on consecutive possessions, earned a three-point play and hit a driving lay-up to make it 41-28, ultimately finishing her day with 10 points.
To complete this run to the title, Grimes will need to knock off another powerful opponent, no. 2 seed General Brown, in Saturday’s sectional final at 3 p.m. at SRC Arena.
The Lions routed Chittenango (61-15) and Oneida (56-28) before handling no. 3 seed Marcellus 66-50 in the semifinals. Sloan said she knows the challenge will be steep.
“General Brown is a good team,” she said. “We have to make sure we’re locked in and ready to go.”
