CENTRAL NEW YORK – The Marcellus girls basketball team moved away from a series of modest victories with a far more definitive effort Thursday night against long-time rival Skaneateles which resulted in the Mustangs bashing the Lakers 72-28.
A Marcellus offense which had struggled in recent games was sharp from the outset, building a 21-8 advantage by the end of the first quarter, but the real surge came in the second period, the Mustangs outscoring Skaneateles 26-2 to end all doubt about the outcome.
Cece Powell’s 25 points almos equaled the entire Lakers roster. Tenly Baker added 14 points, with Megan Frost gaining nine points as Leah Wood had six points. Allie Michel paced Skaneateles with 12 points.
Two nights earlier, Marcellus battled its way past Christian Brothers Academy 43-28 in a game completely ruled by its defense, which held the Brothers to just six total points in the second and third quarters after it trailed 11-9 through one period.
Powell finished with 17 points, helped as much by Wood gaining nine points as by Baker, who got eight points. On CBA’s side, only Ryann Murphy, with 10 points, scored in double figures.
Skaneateles, who started the week 5-4, nearly was stunned by 1-7 Chittenango last Tuesday night but held on for a 37-33 victory over the Bears.
A low-scoring first half favored neither side. Then, ahead 18-14 at the break, the Lakers nearly doubled its point total during the third quarter, extending its margin to 34-27, enough to withstand a late scoring drought.
Michel had 11 points, with Finn Pas’cal getting seven points and Brooke DeRosalia six points. For Chittenango. Abby Scheidelman had 20 points and Ella Sylstra added nine points, the Lakers holding the rest of the Bears to just two total field goals.
Moving on to Friday night’s action, West Genesee who entered its game at Henninger with a 4-6 record moved closer to the .500 mark smashing the Black Knights 73-45.
Topping its 65-41 win over Henninger earlier this season, the Wildcats led 41-29 at halftime and used a 17-6 third-quarter push to decide matters led again by the duo of Jordyn Townes and Bella Quinones, Townes getting 24 points and Quinones 23 points as they combined to hit on seven 3-pointers.
This happened as Westhill, coming off a loss to Bishop Ludden earlier in the week, was stunned 40-39 by Phoenix, who ignored its 2-6 record by playing superb defense all night.
Not quite able to overcome a 22-18 halftime deficit, Westhill only had Eva Tarolli, with 12 points, hit double figures. Sydney Medeiros had seven points and Nora Fitzgerald six points as Phoenix got 11 points from Maura Catanzano, nine points from Lyla Duskee and eight points from Hannah Caltabiano. Miley Esposito added nine rebounds.