CENTRAL NEW YORK – Two area girls high school basketball teams found themselves in a tense struggle last Thursday night where every single basket had an increased importance.
when those shots count for more than two points, they can make a critical difference, as it did for Westhill when it pushed past Skaneateles in a 35-34 decision.
For much of the night the Lakers’ defense controlled matters, bottling up a potent Westhill attack and moving out in front, where it was when it scored again to make it 34-29 with more than five minutes to play.
But Skaneateles did not get another basket as Westhill picked up its own defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and bad shots just when the Lakers needed something different.
All this would have counted little had Sydney Medeiros not rescued Westhill. Fresh off helping in a second consecutive girls volleyball run to the state Class B finals, Medeiros hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 34-32, then another one with 1:45 left to give her side the lead for good.
This gave Medeiros nine points on the night to go with eight rebounds and four steals. Kara Rosenberger paced Westhill with 13 points, adding four steals, four asssits and three rebounds, while Eva Tarolli had seven points and six rebounds.
No Skaneateles player scored in double figures, though Finn Pas’cal got 10 rebounds and seven assists. Tobi DiRubbo led with eight points, but top scorer Allie Michel was held to six points, which Mia Johnson equaled. Brooke DeRosalia got nine rebounds.
Westhill started its 2024-25 season rolling past Syracuse West 74-49 last Tuesday night, jumping out in a big away as it led 49-16 going into halftime before easing up in the second half.
Tarolli amassed 16 points, six assists and two blocks. Medeiros and Nora Fitzgerald each got 13 points, Fitzgerald adding seven rebounds and Medeiros four steals. Rosenberget got 12 points, six steals and five assists as Sophia Lasher had 12 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Skaneateles lost 69-49 to Whitesboro last Tuesday night, the Lakers mostly quiet except for a 19-point third quarter where Michel continued to flourish on her way to 22 points. No other Skaneateles player had more than six points, though, and Whitesboro’s Maddy Montana burned the Lakers for 29 points, including four 3-pointers.
Playing on Saturday Westhill defeated Syracuse Academy of Science 68-49, roaring to a 56-26 lead through three quarters led by Rosenberger’s 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Tarolli amassed 15 points and 14 rebounds, with Medeiros getting 10 points and Aaliyah Colon adding eight points.
Marcellus played twice late in the week, and it started quite well last Thursday night putting away as it rolled past East Syracuse Minoa 69-47.
It was 21-8 by the end of the first quarter and the Mustangs kept on charging with the duo of Cece Powell and Tenly Baker both proving unstoppable again.
Powell hit 12 field goals, four of them 3-pointers, to gain 31 points overall, while Baker, who passed 1,000 career points a week earlier, tacked on 25 points. By contrast, Leah Chavoustie, ESM’ leading scorer, had just 10 points while Aniyah Jones was limited to eight points.
Far different, though, was Saturday’s game with Bishop Grimes, a major statement for the Cobras as a contender as it put together a fine all-around performance and handed the Mustangs a 62-54 defeat.
All game long it proved close, but it was the third quarter that was most important, the Cobras inching it advantage to 46-39 and not letting Marcellus make a sustained run to catch them.
Though Powell had 23 points and Baker added 13 points, Grimes’ top players equaled their production, Sicily Shaffer getting 22 points and Aaliyah Zachery earning 19 points, the pair combing to convert 14 free throws.
