Syracuse, N.Y. – Only five undefeated girls basketball teams remained in Section III heading into Thursday night, but after a dominant performance by Marcellus, there are just four left.
The Mustangs (9-0) kept Christian Brothers Academy (9-1) off the pace all night, and even though both teams posted season lows, Marcellus led from start to finish to win 49-31. Cece Powell and Tenly Baker combined for 32 points and Marcellus held CBA senior point guard Cara Macaluso to just one point.
“We’ve just been preparing our defense all week, our man, making sure our help is good,” Powell said. “I think that was huge for us because we knew if they were going there was someone else to stop them.
Marcellus held CBA to just four points in the first quarter and 15 at halftime. CBA converted just one 2-pointer in the second half, a bank shot at the clock buzzer by Ryann Murphy.
The Mustangs knew the Brothers wanted to drive and stopped them at every turn.
“We just have to learn how to play offense together and they know that,” CBA head coach Mike Cariseo said. “We’re stagnant against man-to-man defense, so we’ll work on that in practice.”
Although Marcellus never really quit until the final minutes, CBA never threatened to make a comeback. Most of his scoring came from foul shots and 3-pointers. The brothers attempted intuitive shots for Macalus, their second-leading scorer, but nothing went over the net.
“Cara has to be that person,” Cariseo said. “And she had a really tough match today.
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Marcellus vs Christian Brothers Academy girls basketball
On the other hand, Powell created a lot of good scoring opportunities. She soloed three rebounds and went coast-to-coast for two easy points.
After scoring 17 points Thursday, Powell is now just 23 points away from becoming the 15th player in Section III girls basketball history to reach 2,000 career points. Utica Notre Dame’s Ella Trinkaus reached the milestone on Dec. 28. On the boys side, Jordan-Elbridge’s Nolan Brunelle is just 56 points away from becoming the 11th player in Section III boys basketball history to reach 2,000 career points.
While Powell hurt CBA with her speed, Baker dominated in the paint. She hit four buckets in the fourth quarter to close the game — one on a deep 3-pointer, one right off the rim of her own miss, one in mid-range and another on a block.
“I’m just sitting on the three-point line and watching him go to work,” Powell said. “I’m not really doing anything but rooting for her.
Through nine games this season, Marcellus has dominated its local competition, winning eight games against Section III foes by an average of 31 points and holding each team under 50 points. Thursday’s 18-point margin was the tightest Section III game the Mustangs have played all year.
CBA plays at home against Fulton (7-1) on Monday at 6:45 p.m. Marcellus will look to extend its 10-0 start and Powell will look to reach 2,000 career points at home against Homer on Saturday at 5 p.m.
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