CENTRAL NEW YORK – The Fayetteville-Manlius and Bishop Grimes girls basketball teams both lost opening-round contests in the More Than A Game Holiday Classic, but the Hornets were able to rebound and salvage a split.
F-M fell 50-25 to state Class A no. 23-ranked Indian River in the first round, while Grimes fell 52-49 to Section IV’s Susquehanna Valley despite 15 points apiece from Olivia Bitz and Loyi Mugushu and 13 points from Aaliyah Zachery.
In the consolation round, the Hornets met Susquehanna Valley and prevailed 48-38, dominating at the start by racing out to a 17-5 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Eventually, the margin grew to 44-25 before F-M let up in the late going, having seen Evie Kawa put up one of the best performances of her career with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Ashley Schneider, with eight points, helped out, as did Morgan Goodman with her five points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Grimes, meanwhile, ran into Indian River and took a 48-36 defeat, unable to stop the Warriors’ Michaela Delles, who had 24 points and eight rebounds as Allison LaMora had nine points and 10 rebounds. Zachery, with 15 points, was the only Cobras player to score in double figures.
Back in Onondaga High School League action last Wednesday night, Grimes visited Chittenango and got a superb all-around effort in a 54-32 win over the Bears.
Leading 29-11 by halftime, the Cobras saw Zachery continue to show her star power, the seventh-grader pulling down 11 rebounds to go with 14 points and five assists.
Kierra Baxter, with 11 points, also hit double figures, with Adrianna Scollo stepping up for nine points as Mugushu had seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to go with her six points and Angelina Delledera had seven points.
Two nights later, Grimes hosted Bishop Ludden, who proved unstoppable for most of the night as it handled the Cobras and prevailed 83-29.
As if a 26-point first quarter was not enough, the Gaelic Knights kept adding to that margin, peaking with a third quarter where, again, it landed 26 points and held Grimes to nine.
Only Zachery, with 15 points, and Baxter, with seven points, produced much against Ludden, who got 24 points and six rebounds from all-time leading scorer Amarah Streiff as Bridget Dunham and Sophia Chemotti had 14 points apiece.
Much the same things happened to F-M Friday in a 67-33 defeat to Cicero-North Syracuse. The Hornets led 13-9 before the Northstars took charge in the second quarter and outscored them 36-8 in the second half.
Kawa had eight points, with Schneider adding seven points, but C-NS got a career-best 23 points from Brianna Weaver that included five 3-pointers as Kathleen Taru added 13 points.
