ONONDAGA COUNTY – Going into February the Liverpool girls basketball team is well aware of how important the regular-season homestretch will be in terms of shaping the eventual Section III Class AAA playoff bracket.
Liverpool’s schedule includes consecutive games next Friday and Feb. 10 against Baldwinsville, followed on Feb. 14 by the rematch with Cicero-North Syracuse, whom it beat in January.
Even with that result, going into last week the Northstars remained in front in the state AAA rankings, sitting at no. 11 while Liverpool was placed at no. 14.
Both teams would play just once during this week, and both would win big.
Going first in last Wednesday night’s game against Henninger, Liverpool steadily put the Black Knights behind them, eventually prevailing by a score of 68-46.
The margin kept building throughout the contest, Liverpool ultimately in front 37-21 by halftime and then extending it to 58-31 before easing up in the fourth quarter.
A’briyah Cunningham is getting back to her usual range of production, finishing with 22 points, which Henninger’s Sinai Lee matched. But Cunningham got support from the rest of the starters as Gia Kinsey gained 15 points and Gianna Washington 10 points, with Gracie Sleeth adding nine points and Angie Kohler seven points.
A night later it was C-NS hosting West Genesee on Senior Night and, moving to 12-3 on the season, the Northstars put together a comprehensive effort to dismantle the Wildcats 79-35.
Not looking ahead to its own big game at Bishop Ludden next Tuesday night, C-NS was already in front 17-11 when it blitzed through the second quarter 23-6, only adding to its margin the rest of the night.
Leah Benedict led with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, but Jilly Howell and Grace Villnave were close behind earning 15 points. Kylah Bednar got eight points just ahead of Alexis Gasparini, Avery Rumble and Elyse Cook earning six points apiece.
Aside from meeting Ludden, C-NS also has a challenging game against state Class AA no. 7-ranked Rochester Aquinas next Friday just as Liverpool has its first encounter with B’ville.
