CENTRAL NEW YORK – Amid all the high-level girls basketball area teams are playing, what Cece Powell was doing at Marcellus still stuck out, the Mustangs star having netted 71 points in consecutive wins over Jordan-Elbridge and Hannibal.
Yet when the state Class B no. 13-ranked Mustangs met state Class A no. 24-ranked Westhill last Tuesday night, it was a collective defensive effort that keyed Marcellus prevailing 46-29 and putting an end to the Warriors’ six-game win streak.
Swarming all over the court, the Mustangs never allowed Westhill to put up more than nine points in any single quarter, the visitors getting just three field goals outside of Kara Rosenberger’s 14 points and Izzy Young’s nine points.
As for Powell, she frequently drew contact, but still managed 23 points thanks to 10 successful free throws. Leah Wood stepped up, earning 10 points, with Tenly Baker adding eight points.
Facing another tough challenge two nights later, Westhill fell 45-36 to reigning sectional Class B champion Cortland, who is up in the Class A ranks this winter.
Having lost to Indian River to stop a nine-game win streak, the state no. 11-ranked Purple Tigers unleashed its trademark defense on Westhill, playing the game at the tempo it wanted.
Gradually, this wore the Warriors down as Cortland outscored them 13-5 in the fourth quarter to break it open. Westhill produced little outside the 13 points apiece from Young and Rosenberger as Claire Turner led the Purple Tigers with 15 points.
Bishop Ludden entered last week 6-2, but enhanced that mark with an impressive road performance last Tuesday at state Class B no. 10-ranked Phoenix, the Gaelic Knights pulling away to beat the Firebirds 52-34.
Even with its own offense struggling against at tough Phoenix defense, Ludden shut down anything the Firebirds tried to establish it, limiting it to just five points in each of the first two quarters.
Then a 26-13 third-quarter burst decided matters, the Gaelic Knights seeing Ava Carpenter do everything as she piled up 12 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and six assists. Jordyn Townes had a team-best 14 points and Bridget Dunham added 10 points to go with six rebounds and five steals.
Ludden then got a big 64-59 win over host Utica-Notre Dame in last Friday’s opening round of the Juggler Classic. The Gaelic Knights built a 34-18 halftime lead, then surrendered all of it in the third quarter before pulling it out in the final minutes.
Overcoming 33 points by UND standout Ella Trinkaus, Ludden was more balanced. Dunham had 18 points and nine rebounds, with Elizabeth Gaughan stepping up for 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Carpenter got 13 points, six rebounds and five steals as Townes added 10 points.
Also impressive on Friday was Jordan-Elbridge, who routed Clyde-Savannah 79-32 to move its record to 7-3 as three different Eagles recorded double-doubles, complementing a game-high 22 points, six rebounds and five steals from Ava Hildebrant.
Makayla Penird had 18 rebounds to go with 16 points, five assists and three blocks. Abbie Ahern also had 18 rebounds, adding 11 points and five assists, while Erin LaVancha had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
West Genesee was toppled last Tuesday in a 59-40 defeat to Auburn, a game where the Wildcats started well, leading 16-15 through one quarter, but then scored just 10 total points in the next two periods.
Bella Quinones still finished with 16 points, with Maddie Snow adding nine points. Peyton Maneri again was Auburn’s driving force, earning 23 points while adding four rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Solvay saw its struggles continue last Monday with a 64-29 defeat to Tully, who improved to 8-2, already surpassing its win total of the previous year. Neonna Turk led the Bearcats with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.
Then Skaneateles added to those woes on Thursday night, the Lakers shutting down the Bearcats for long stretches of a 45-16 victory as Solvay had just three points the entire first half.
No one on Skaneateles stood out, either, but its balance proved sufficient, Ayla Pas’cal getting 10 points as Bella Pietropaoli and Kathryn Cowden each got nine points and Finn Pas’cal had eight points.
