Girls’ basketball

Locals hit the hardwood in league frays

By RICHARD A. ROSS

Bulldogs get important league road win at O’Neill

HIGHLAND FALLS, NY — The Lady Bulldogs took their act on the road to Division IV rival James I. O’Neill on January 7 and garnered a 41-27 win over the Raiders to boost their record to 7-1 (2-0 OCIAA).

April Ackermann led all scorers with 14 points. The athletic forward pulled down eight rebounds in the winning effort. Kate Fanning had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Autumn Darder came up with eight points and 13 rebounds. Elizabeth Cannon scored 13 for O’Neill (4-6, 0-2 OCIAA).

Both teams came out looking rusty and neither could score in the opening minutes. Sulllivan West trailed 8-4 at the end of the first quarter and 16-13 at the half. The team came alive in the second half to drive the win, which sets the stage for the upcoming home league contest against defending division and sectional champion John S. Burke Catholic. That game, scheduled for January 11, was postponed due to snow.

Eldred loses a shocker to Manor in late meltdown

ELDRED, NY — When you are winning by nine points at home with 55 seconds left, the last thing you can imagine is that you will find a way to lose. Such was Eldred’s fate as they squandered the late lead and succumbed to Livingston Manor 43-41 in an OCIAA Division VI game against Eldred (3-2, 1-1 OCIAA).

Manor’s late rally began with a shot by Jackie Trotti. Eldred turned the ball over and Carrie Lewis got the Wildcats within five. Unimaginably the Yellowjackets coughed it up again and Lewis went to the line and chalked up a pair from the charity stripe. Eldred committed its third straight turnover with Manor trailing by three when Lewis drilled a trey to tie it. Rose Curtis iced the unlikely comeback to give Manor the victory.

“It was beyond belief,” said Eldred’s center Jessica Cherry, who expects her team to rebound from the defeat.

Other girls’ action

John S. Burke Catholic 63, Liberty 10

S.S. Seward 82, Roscoe 29

Goshen 47, Monticello 40

Tri-Valley 75, Fallsburg 25

Tuxedo 58, Chester 17

Onteora 45, Marlboro 24

Minisink Valley 56, Cornwall 52