The Cicero-North Syracuse girls basketball team has had the Fayetteville-Manlius number for nearly a decade.
However, the Hornets had a different feel to their home game against the Northstars on Friday.
It ended dramatically for FM as a sophomore Jordyn Shapiro delivered a thunderous shot to propel the Hornets to a 48-47 win.
“Our girls really worked hard for this win,” FM coach Anthony Bielak said. “They played amazing all game and set the tone defensively.
It was the first time from January 31, 2017 that the Hornets beat the Northstars, snapping a 16-game skid against their SCAC Metro Division rival.
“It always feels great to win, but to beat an incredible team like C-NS is incredible,” Bielak said. “It’s a significant win for us so far. It’s a real morale booster against a team that has great players and is well coached.”
The Hornets lost 47-46 in the final minutes of regulation. Bielak noted that the scoring game was built for the junior guard Lydia Land-Steves in the waning seconds.
Land-Steves finished with 18 points on the night, but the C-NS defense quickly doubled her.
Senior Taylor Novak he caught the ball and shot but missed. That’s when Shapiro got the rebound and followed with her game-winning bucket.
“Jordyn did great,” Bielak said. “She earned a starting spot last season and hasn’t looked back. She was in the right place at the right time. The same can be said for her defense and setting screens tonight. Hopefully that will give her confidence and see how good of a player she really is.”
Novack finished with nine points, while Jane Ryan and Macie Davey each chipped in eight for the Hornets.
“A lot of these girls have played together for years,” Bielak said. “You can’t quit them and the confidence never gives up. We’re doing everything we can to be the best. We’re trying to get better every day and we got better after this win.”
Leah Benedict scored a game-high 21 points for the Northstars. Meadow Werts added 13 points. C-NS knocked down 11 free throws as a team.
FM (3-3) hosts Henninger on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.
“We have a very tough schedule ahead of us,” Bielak said. “It will be a challenge but hopefully this win will take us forward in these games.
C-NS (4-3) takes on West Genesee on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
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