CENTRAL NEW YORK – Put to the test in back-to-back tight contests, the Marcellus girls basketball team learned well from one and prevailed in the other – but needed a special night from Cece Powell to pull it off.
When the state Class B no. 17-ranked Mustangs edged Jordan-Elbridge 54-53 in overtime last Tuesday, it made up a bit for a 59-57 loss to General Brown on Dec. 29.
These two sides went back and forth the entire way. J-E led early, gave up that lead but went back in front with a strong third quarter where it put up 20 total points.
Then both teams battled for baskets late, Marcellus doing just enough to tie it, 46-46, and send it to OT, where in the four extra minutes Powell’s continued aggression made the difference.
No matter what the Eagles tried on the defensive side, Powell responded. She hit 12 field goals, two of them 3-pointers, and drained 15 free throws on the way to setting a career mark with 41 points, which she would follow up with 30 points when the Mustangs routed Hannibal 66-22, Tenly Baker adding 15 points.
J-E’s Abbie Ahern had 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four steals as Ava Hildebrant got 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Eagles roared back from this to rout Port Byron 73-33 a night later. Ahern got 26 points and 14 rebounds, with Erin LaVancha adding 12 points, 13 rebounds and five steals. Hildebrant got 19 points, five assists and four steals.
Then, on Saturday, J-E battled past Weedsport 62-44, with Ahern pulling off a rare 20-20 feat thanks to 22 points and 20 rebounds, adding six assists as Hildebrant gained 24 points and six rebounds. LaVancha added nine points.
More drama was in store last Wednesday as Westhill, winners of five in a row, nearly saw that win streak upended by Bishop Grimes, only to regroup in overtime and edge the Cobras 66-63.
After Westhill made its way to a 35-24 halftime lead, Grimes ate away at that margin throughout a tense second half. Despite all this, and getting the game to overtime 59-59, the Cobras only managed four points in the extra period and Westhill pulled it out.
Izzy Young had 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, plus Kara Rosenberger’s 16 point and six rebounds. Sophia Lasher (nine points, six rebounds) and Lizzy McPeak (eight points, seven rebounds) helped too.
Bishop Ludden won back-to-back weekend games, neither of them easy ones.
The Gaelic Knights had to rally in the fourth quarter to beat state Class C no. 9-ranked Hamilton 63-59, with Bridget Dunham hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute on her way to a team-high 21 points. Ava Carpenter had 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals, with Jordyn Townes adding 13 points.
A day later, Ludden won another close battle, 55-52, over Albany’s Catholic Central, this time hanging on late. Dunham put up 16 points, with Townes getting 11 points and Carpenter earning all 10 of her points at the free-throw line.
West Genseee also had an impressive start to 2024, handling East Syracuse Minoa 83-50 as head coach, Mariah Lamas, led the team and then, the very next morning, give birth to a baby boy.
Hitting on six of her team’s 13 3-pointers, Bella Quinones finished with 30 points overall, and three other Wildcats hit double figures, too, as Hannah Sparks had 13 points, Emily Schiffer 11 points and Madison Newkirk-Meyer 10 points.
With assistant coach Jason Dudzinski leading WG on Friday, it lost 64-39 to state Class AAA no. 7-ranked Liverpool, who was led by A’briyah Cunningham’s 27 points. Quinones produced 15 points and Na’deja Newkirk contributed 11 points for the Wildcats.
Skaneateles roared past Hannibal 51-21 in its first game of the new year, pitching a first-quarter shutout and going up 29-4 by halftime as Allie Michel, with 19 points, led the way. Ayla Pas’cal and Kathryn Cowden helped with 11 points apiece.
Solvay lost 59-22 to Phoenix last Tuesday despite Neonna Turk’s 12 points and 13 rebounds. The state Class B no. 10-ranked Firebirds got 14 points from Danielle Sussey and 11 points apiece from Sara Ruetsch and Lyla Duskee. A 58-38 defeat to Syracuse West followed on Thursday, with Turk again getting a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
