Junior's 22 points push Tully girls basketball past Onondaga (30 photos)

Tully coach Jeff Russell said the junior Ella Pole he is a hard worker who loves the game of basketball.

Russell said Polak is constantly working on his shot with JV coach Don Mohat before school starts. The junior even takes some extra time after practice to hone her craft.

“He’s just that kid who’s always in the gym,” Russell said. “He works very hard in practice. He’s such a smart kid, physically and intellectually, and he asks as many questions as possible.”

On Thursday night, Polák’s 22 points propelled the Black Knights to a 55-34 win over Onondaga in an OHSL Patriot American Division game.

The junior, who knocked down five 3-pointers on the night, knocked down four of them in the first half.

“She hit some big shots right out of the gate,” Russell said. “She just shot really well and had a solid game. She was driving to the basket and making layups, drawing fouls and shooting.”

Tully jumped out early to take a 34-16 halftime lead against the Tigers.

Onondaga made things interesting in the second half, cutting the lead to as few as 12 points, but the Black Knights made defensive adjustments to take a 12-8 lead into the fourth quarter.

“It felt like it was closer than it was,” Russell said. “We won every quarter except the third. We gained ground in the fourth to put the game out of reach.”

The turnovers could have doomed the Black Knights, but Russell mentioned to his players that “good teams always find a way to win, even on an extraordinary night.”

“We played a good game, not a great game. Getting up early in the first half helped us,” Russell said. “We improved our zone defense at the end to keep (Onndaga) off balance.

Anna Congelli scored 14 points for Tully.

Sydney Cox led the Tigers with a double-double (18 points, 13 boards) and three steals. The senior guard scored 12 of his 18 points from beyond the arc.

“Onondaga is a good team,” Russell said. “They can get in your face and push hard. They’re physical underneath.”

The Black Knights, now 13-1 on the season, will face Hannibal on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

“We’ve played teams that have stayed on our schedule before,” Russell said. “Every game at this time of year can be a battle so we have to play our best.

Onondaga (8-3) hosts Weedsport on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.