CENTRAL NEW YORK – Going into the holiday break the Bishop Grimes girls basketball team had an increased sense of belief in what it could accomplish – along with a no. 2 spot in the state Class B rankings based on what it had already accomplished.
Grimes had an 8-1 record built up against quality competition, with the eighth of those victories perhaps the best of all given what the Cobras had to do to defeat New Hartford 61-53 on Dec. 21.
Staked to an early lead, Grimes saw it get away in a second quarter where plenty of mistakes and hot New Hartford shooting meant a 31-29 halftime deficit.
But in the third quarter the Cobras completely shut down New Hartford and, with the offense led by Sicily Shaffer, didn’t let up until it had outscored them 20-3 in that frame, all but deciding matters.
Shaffer set a new career mark here, the sophomore pouring in 31 points and getting ample support from Aaliyah Zachery, who managed 16 points. That helped overcome a New Hartford effort led by Tara Fobare’s 19 points.
Two nights earlier, Grimes played at Cazenovia where it leaned heavily on its defense to beat the Lakers 48-31.
Hot at the outset, Grimes built a 20-10 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Then it spent the rest of the game cultivating that margin largely through containing the Cazenovia attack for long stretches.
Nearly all the offense came from three players. Zachery led with17 points and Shaffer had 15 points, Kierra Baxter adding nine points as, for the Lakers, only Ella Baker (14 points) hit double figures.
Though it entered its Dec. 19 game against Baldwinsville with a 1-3 record Fayetteville-Manlius was not the least bit afraid of dealing with the 6-1 Bees.
In fact, the game was tight most of the way, with the lone exception a second quarter where B’ville outscored the Hornets 19-12, ultimately accounting for the margin in a 54-47 defeat.
Lydia Land-Steves led F-M with 15 points. Jane Ryan gained 10 points, with Jordyn Shapiro adding nine points, Taylor Novack seven points and Macie Davey six points. B’ville was led by Natalie Hollingshead’s 15 points and Beverly Marinelli’s 13 points.
Though its Dec. 21 game with Hamilton was much closer F-M still lost 45-36 to the Emerald Knights, getting little production beyond Land-Steves’ 22 points as the rest of the Hornets combined for just four baskets. Adrianna Catania (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Reagan Hope (eight points, 12 rebounds) led Hamilton.
East Syracuse Minoa took a 45-35 defeat to Nottingham on Dec. 20, the Spartans a first-hand witness to the Bulldogs’ vast improvement as it moved its record to 5-1.
Up 11-6 after one period ESM was held to four points the rest of the half, Nottingham getting out in front and staying there behind 15 points from Keymora Woods and 13 points from Justyce Moore. The Spartans only had two baskets aside from Aniyah Jones’ 19 points and Isabella Kroll’s 11 points.
That same night Jamesville-DeWitt and Christian Brothers Academy would both gain victories, the Red Rams leaning heavily on defense to defeat Fulton 49-22.
J-D grabbed a 17-7 edge on the Red Dragons by the end of the first quarter and just kept building from there, Fulton getting just five points in each of the last three periods.
By herself Ava Sandroni, with 22 points, matched the Red Dragons’ entire output, adding seven rebounds and four assists. Samantha Wheeler had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, Savannah Schnorr adding 11 points and six rebounds.
CBA was just as impressive dismantling Jordan-Elbridge 60-22, never giving up more than six points in any single quarter and peaking with a 17-4 third-quarter surge.
Liana Thomas paced the Brothers with 17 points, while Maya White picked up 12 points. Ultimately, all 11 players that saw action got on the scoresheet as Cara Macaluso had eight points and Mari Catherine Giamartino six points.
