CENTRAL NEW YORK – Following two days of weather-related postponements, area high school girls basketball resumed last Saturday with Westhill and Bishop Ludden both facing tough home tests against undefeated foes, but only one of them winning.
It was Westhill getting past Indian River 47-42 and breaking up the visiting Warriors’ five-game win streak with two sustained runs that had different aspects to them.
First, it was the Westhill defense taking charge, limiting IR to three points in the second quarter and covering up for its own inconsistent attack as it led 18-17 at the break.
Then, after IR reclaimed the lead in the third period, Westhill picked up pressure in the fourth quarter, hit several key baskets and then did enough on the free-throw line to pull through.
Westhill outscored IR 21-11 in the final period as Tess Roesch got 12 points and six rebounds. Janiah Robinson augmented her 11 points with 14 rebounds as Lizzy McPeak got 10 rebounds while matching Jules Bleskoski’s six points and adding six assists. Izzy Young had eight points.
As that went on, Ludden, unable to make its planned weekend trip to Long Island, instead made up its snowed-out Dec. 15 showdown with reigning sectional Class A champion Cicero-North Syracuse and lost, 73-54, to the Northstars.
Ludden’s top player, Amarah Streiff, put up 13 first-quarter points as her side went in front 19-15, but from there the Northstars contained her well, the Colgate-bound senior managing just one field goal the rest of the way.
Olivia Cook’s 10 first-half points set the tone as C-NS grabbed a 36-27 lead by halftime and stretched the margin to 54-38 before Ludden’s 13-4 run made it close again in the fourth quarter.
But Sydney Nesci’s back-to-back 3-pointers sparked a 15-0 dash that ended the suspense, part of an effort where the Northstars connected 11 times beyond the arc, four each by Nesci and reserve Mallory Brooks.
Elizabeth Gaughan paced Ludden with 18 points and Bridget Dunham added 12 points. For C-NS, Nesci finished with 20 points as all of Brooks’ 12 points came from those outside shots. Cook finished with 13 points.
All of this was what made Ludden’s performance Wednesday at Rome Free Academy that much more impressive, the Gaelic Knights putting away the state-ranked Black Knights 71-58.
A 16-7 start was encouraging enough, but what Ludden did in the third quarter was truly special. Pressing on defense, forcing turnovers and getting easy baskets on the other end, it outscored RFA 26-4 over those eight minutes.
Streiff put up 22 points and seven rebounds, but had plenty of help. Freshman Ava Carpenter had 13 points and four assists, while Dunham had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
It didn’t stop there, either, as Sophia Chemotti amasssed 10 rebounds and seven assists, Jordyn Townes got 10 points and five rebounds and Abby Reynolds earned nine points.
Jordan-Elbridge took a 2-3 record into Tuesday’s game against Pulaski, where the Eagles prevailed 53-33 in a contest far more lopsided.
Most of the Blue Devils’ offense came in the fourth quarter after J-E had established a 42-15 margin, much of it built when it outscored Pulaski 23-6 in the second and third periods.
Ava Hildebrant led the Eagles with 17 points, followed closely by Abbie Ahern, who had 12 points. Brooke Chiaramonte (nine points) and Erin LaVancha (eight points) nearly hit double figures, too.
