ONONDAGA COUNTY – It’s the kind of result that’s not easily forgotten, on either side.
Down big going into the fourth quarter, the Skaneateles girls basketball team made it all the way back to stun rival Marcellus last Monday night in a 41-38 decision.
Even with a 7-2 record, the Lakers had not recorded many signature wins, and the Mustangs seemed ready to keep it that way, playing sensational first-half defense to take control of the game.
But having built a 24-11 halftime advantage, Marcellus could not keep Skaneateles quiet, and that margin began to shrink, then disappeared during a rough fourth quarter.
Now it was the Lakers making all the stops, closing 16-3 led on offense by Maddy Ramsgard, whose trio of 3-pointers led to 16 points overall as Ayla Pas’cal, with eight points, offered support.
No one else on the Mustangs gave much help to Bella Mondello or Cece Powell, who accounted for all but three of Marcellus’ field goals as Mondello finished with 16 points and Powell got 15 points.
Three days later, Marcellus met Homer and did not establish the same kind of margin early, and played a far better second half on the way to defeating the Trojans 48-41.
Again, Powell took over the attack, her 26 points accounting for more than half Marcellus’ production. Corrine Aldrich, with eight points, and Mondello, with seven points, helped out.
Marcellus has a rematch with a Westhill side it beat Dec. 22, and the Warriors are primed for payback after a week where it won three times by comfortable margins.
Routing Solvay 59-15 last Monday night, the Warriors were up 23-2 after one quarter and 38-5 by halftime as Tess Roesch, with 20 points, outscored the Bearcats by herself. Janiah Robinson had nine points as Jules Bleskoski got eight points, six rebounds and five assists.
Westhill’s fun continued a day later when it beat Syracuse West 76-24, a game where Robinson would take her turn outscoring an opponent, finishing with 29 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Eva Tarolli stepped up, getting 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Izzy Young had eight points. Bleskoski had six points, as did Nora Fitzgerald and Lizzy McPeak.
In Thursday’s game against Hannibal, Westhill built a 27-7 lead by halftime and went on to prevail 47-33, led by Robinson’s double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds as Bleskoski, constantly fouled, hit 14 of her 18 points at the free-throw line. Young added eight points.
Solvay lost, 24-9, to Cincinnatus last Wednesday night, and then had to face Skaneateles on Friday, not able to keep up as the Lakers prevailed by a score of 57-26.
Ramsgard, with 13 points, and Ayla Pas’cal, with 12 points, led the way as Finnly Pas’cal added seven points. Neonna Turk gave the Bearcats 14 points and 10 rebounds.
