ONONDAGA COUNTY – Twice in as many weeks, the Liverpool girls basketball team turned back the challenge of Bishop Ludden and, by doing so, reinforced its status as the Class AA favorites heading into February.
In the second of these games last Tuesday night, the state Class AA no. 9-ranked Warriors found the Gaelic Knights far tougher than in their Jan. 16 meeting, but a big start to the second half, along with a well-balanced attack, made the difference in a 74-62 victory.
They played at a quick pace from the outset, and Ludden, trailing 17-11 after one period, made up ground in the second quarter, only trailing 33-31 at the break.
Yet the Warriors overwhelmed Ludden during a 27-11 third-period push.Naveah Wingate and Kaylyn Sweeney had 18 points apiece and A’briyah Cunningham, with 16 points, was close behind, while Jakeira Stackhouse finished with 11 points.
For the most part, Liverpool limited Amarah Streiff’s shots as the Colgate-bound senior, the Gaelic Knights’ all-time leading scorer,k had 24 points, but 11 of them were free throws. Bridget Dunham got 12 points, with Ava Carpenter adding 11 points.
Two nights later, the Warriors were back home to face Baldwinsville, and the team offered its own tributes to the late Ava Wood, a B’ville student who lost her life the week before, with scoreboard messages and special T-shirts.
As to the game, Liverpool all but decided it in the first quarter, zooming out to a 25-3 advantage with near-perfect basketball on both ends of the floor.
It got more lopsided from there, the Warriors eventually prevailing as Wingate got 16 points and three others – Sweeney, Cunningham and Janea Hamilton-Brown – earned 10 points apiece. Gianna Washington had eight points as Stackhouse and Grace Sleeth added six points apiece.
Having watched all this, Cicero-North Syracuse finally made it back to league play last Friday at West Genesee and ran right over the Wildcats in a 55-20 romp.
Leading 19-5 after one period, the Northstars kept adding to that margin led by Brianna Weaver, who finished with 14 points. Kathleen Taru had 10 points as Jillie Howell got nine points.
