BALDWINSVILLE – As it blazed to a 4-0 start the Baldwinsville girls basketball team was quite aware that any path to the top of the area Class AAA ranks still went through its two neighbors, Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse.
It was C-NS who arrived to Baker High School last Tuesday night to open its season and, in a back-and-forth battle, had the final and most important surge in overtime to defeat the Bees 59-50.
While basketball is often a game where sustained scoring runs took place, this one had several spurts, such as B’ville going on a 14-0 tear to answer an 11-0 Northstars run which spanned the first and second quarters.
Led by Natalie Hollingshead’s 11 points (all in the second period) the Bees led by as much as 12 and went to the break in front 29-21, and still carried a 39-33 lead late in the third quarter when a drought hit at the worst possible time.
For more than seven minutes B’ville was shut out, C-NS snatching a 42-39 lead yet unable to get away because the Bees’ defense made several key stops.
Olivia Davis tied it 42-42 with a 3-pointer with 1:40 left to break the drought, leading to a tense exchange down the stretch, a three-point play by the Northstars’ Leah Benedict answered by a 3-pointer from Maddy Polky.
With 30 seconds to play Meadow Werts converted to put C-NS back up 47-45. Working down the clock, the Bees passed it around until Davis drove and hit a lay-up with five seconds left.
When Werts could not hit a close-in shot as time ran out, it went to overtime 47-47, but he four-minute extra period belonged to C-NS as a go-ahead Werts 3-pointer was followed by baskets from each of the Northstars’ other four starters.
Hollingshead finished with 17 points and Polky got 16 points, with Davis adding seven points. Benedict led all scorers with 19 points helped by Werts, Olivia Cook and Jilly Howell getting 10 points apiece.
Looking to bounce back, B’ville met Christian Brothers Academy Friday to conclude its season-opening six-game homestand and quickly regained its winning form, defeating the Brothers 52-37.
Here the two sides were close throughout the first half and went to the break tied 21-21. Whatever was changed before the third quarter worked for B’ville as it nearly doubled its point total and used a 20-7 surge to move in front for good.
Davis hit a trio of 3-pointers and led the Bees with 17 points. Polky and Hollingshead also hit double figures with 11 points apiece as Capri Hartman earned seven points and Beverly Marinelli got six points.
B’ville’s first road game of the season takes Tuesday at Henninger before it returns home Thursday to face East Syracuse Minoa.
