CENTRAL NEW YORK – In terms of intensity and passion, few area girls basketball games would match what took place last Thursday night when Marcellus played host to Westhill.
And the game proved worthy of the long-standing multi-sport rivalry between the two schools, with the Mustangs once again leaning on its star duo of Cece Powell and Tenly Baker to prevail 54-44.
The second quarter all but decided things as, down 9-8, Marcellus cranked up defensive pressure on one end and converted on the other, outscoring Westhill 16-4 in that frame.
That margin grew to 40-24 by the end of the third quarter, Powell eventually earning 25 points and Baker tailing close behind her as she got 20 points.
Sydney Medeiros led Westhill’s efforts, getting 17 points, but none of her teammates reached double figures, Eva Tarolli and Aaliyah Colon getting nine points apiece.
Back on Tuesday night several games were postponed but Bishop Ludden did take to the court and, again dominating the “Holy War”, routed Christian Brothers Academy 58-24.
A combined 31-11 run over the course of the second and third quarters assured that the Gaelic Knights did not get the same kind of scare as it did when it edged CBA 46-41 earlier in the month.
Ava Carpenter augmented her 18 points with six steals and five assists. Sophia Chemotti and Grace Olivia had 12 points apiece, Chemotti adding seven rebounds and four assists as Abby Reynolds had eight points and six rebounds. Elizabeth Gaughan contributed seven rebounds.
Now Ludden went on the road Friday night for a second meeting against state Class B no. 1-ranked Bishop Grimes, whom it beat 68-54 two weeks earlier – but the rematch proved quite different.
The Cobras rolled past the Gaelic Knights 62-41, doing so mostly with a defense that smothered Ludden and held it to just three field goals the entire first half.
Grimes’ top two scorers took turns putting the Gaelic Knights away. Sierra Shafer netted 15 points in the first half, two more than the entire Ludden squad, on her way to 23 points overall as Aaliyah Zachery earned 17 of her 19 points in the second half to prevent any possible comeback.
Reynolds was the only Ludden player to produce on a consistent basis, finishing with 18 points. Carpenter got 11 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Gaughan got 10 rebounds and Savannah Simmons had seven points.
West Genesee was overwhelmed last Thursday in a 79-35 loss to state Class AAA no. 11-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse, who would take on Ludden Tuesday night.
Bella Quinones returned to the Wildcats’ lineup and had nine points, with Jordyn Townes getting 10 points, but the Northstars used a 23-6 push through the second quarter to take charge as Leah Benedict led C-NS with 17 points helped by 15 points apiece from Jilly Howell and Grace Villnave.
Westhill rolled last Monday against Syracuse Academy of Science, putting away the Atoms 74-50 as it jumped out to a 21-7 advantage by the end of the first quarter and then kept adding to that margin the rest of the way.
Tarolli burned the Atoms for 25 points and 15 rebounds, adding three assists and three steals. Not to be left out, Kara Rosenberger managed 11 points, seven steals and six assists, while Maggie Vaughan got nine points. Medeiros and Sophia Lasher had seven points apiece, Medeiros earning six assists and Colon seven rebounds.
After its win over Westhill, Marcellus then romped past Jordan-Elbridge 58-18 on Saturday led by Powell’s 26 points to move its overall record to 10-4.
On that same day, Skaneateles lost 67-23 to General Brown, Brooke Wiley’s 21 points pacing the Lions as Allie Michel got eight points for the Lakers ahead of six points apiece from Finn Pas’cal (who also had eight rebounds) and Brooke DeRosalia.