Going into the holiday break, both of the Baldwinsville basketball teams were in good shape based on their work so far.
The girls Bees were 5-1 when it left for Orlando, Florida, where it would play three games in as many days during the KSA Events Pre-Holiday Tournament as part of the Orange Bracket.
In the opening round last Tuesday against Merritt Island Christian (Florida), B’ville prevailed 49-41, jumping out to a 15-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and leaning on its defense to protect that advantage the rest of the way.
Madison Polky and Olivia Davis led the Bees with 12 points, Davis hitting on a pair of 3-pointers. Maddie Simons chimed in with nine points and Nela Loftin added six points.
A day later, against Pitkin (Louisiana), B’ville lost 57-41 to the Tigers, a game broken open in the second quarter when Pitkin outscored the Bees 22-8.
Though unable to make it back, B’ville still saw Simons put up 13 points, while Davis had nine points. Polky and Natalie Hollingshead each finished with eight points.
Now aiming for third place in the bracket, the Bees met Washburn (Tennessee) last Friday and did claim that consolation final, prevailing 47-41 over the Pirates.
Hot outside shooting helped as Hollingshead, Davis and Polky each connected on three 3-pointers. Hollingshead went on to a season-best 16 points as Davis got 13 points and Polky had all of her nine points from those shots. Simons helped, too, earning seven points.
Back in Central New York, B’ville’s boys basketball team would take a 4-2 record into the East Syracuse Minoa Holiday Tournament after it rolled past Oswego 67-42 last Thursday night.
Having leaned so much on defense in the early portion of the season, the Bees proved productive on the other end, too, jumping out 17-5 in the first quarter and then outscoring the Buccaneers 41-23 over the course of the next two periods.
Tyler Nilsen led B’ville in the paint, notching 20 points. Outside, Nick Hollingshead and Matt Young hit eight 3-pointers between them, accounting for all of Hollingshead’s 15 points and most of Young’s 13 points.
