Warriors Execute Late, Down Grimes Despite Wilkinson's 26

December 5, 2018

Westhill 48, Bishop Grimes 38

A light night on the schedule justified a trip to Syracuse, where perennially competitive programs Westhill and Bishop Grimes took the court in what was the game of the night in the area. A late run served as the knockout punch that visiting Westhill needed, as they were able to overcome a strong performance by a Grimes standout to break into the win column.

Sarah Snavlin knocks down a 2nd quarter three for Bishop Grimes.

The first half was a tale of two quarters, as Westhill was able to jump out to an early lead. Fluid half court offense, players moving without the ball and making the extra pass allowed them to get good looks. Mackenzie Martin (Westhill 2019; Fairfield signee) was a catalyst, getting others involved early by finding teammates out of the high post area, and then she started to score herself. She scored the last six points of the quarter, all around the rim, as Westhill went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-6 lead. The 2nd quarter was a role reversal, with the host Cobras coming out as the aggressor. They were able to put pressure on Westhill's defense, going downhill and forcing the Warriors to reach & foul. Grimes shot 6/8 from the line in the quarter, as Westhill committed their 5th team foul with over 4 minutes remaining. Abby Wilkinson (Bishop Grimes 2019; Salisbury commit) was the catalyst for the Cobras, scoring her team's last 9 in the quarter. The last two, a pair of free throws, gave Grimes a 20-19 lead at the break.

That halftime lead, Grimes' first since 2-0, was also short-lived. Jenna Larrabee (Westhill 2020) scored to give the Warriors a lead again and Martin tacked on a pair of free throws. After Wilkinson responded with a three, Larrabee scored again as Westhill was able to keep their bigs active coming out of the locker room. Another Martin basket off a Catherine Dadey (Westhill 2022) feed gave the Warriors a 6 point lead, which they took into the 4th quarter. A Dadey stepback three put more pressure on Grimes, as they fell behind 37-29 early in the 4th, but Wilkinson came back with a three of her own. Another one in the middle of the 4th cut the Cobras' deficit to 40-37, but it was all Westhill from there. They handled Grimes' full court pressure without turning it over and got good looks at the other end. Larrabee converted again, and then Martin added a layup after breaking the press. The next time down the court, Larrabee scored in the post early in the possession, and Erica Gangemi (Westhill 2020) iced it with a steal & layup to make the score 48-37 with 1:43 left. In all, the Warriors went on an 8-0 run - the last 6 coming in 37 seconds of play.

Jenna Larrabee was active around the rim and finished with 13 points for Westhill.

Mackenzie Martin finished with a team high 16 points in the win and filled the stat line. Jenna Larrabee added 13 despite dealing with foul trouble throughout - she picked up her 3rd with 6:30 left in the 2nd quarter and her 4th at the 3:25 mark in the 3rd - and Catherine Dadey chipped in with 10 while playing a solid floor general game. Abby Wilkinson was a constant source of production for Bishop Grimes, as she has been the last couple years. She finished with a game high 26 points, which puts her in position to reach the 1,000 point mark in their next game.

Mackenzie Martin made her presence felt throughout the game and finished with a team high 16 points.

#JeffsNotes

- This isn't news to anyone that has followed CNY girls' basketball over the last four years, but Mackenzie Martin can play, and she doesn't have to score to make an impact on the game. She did score in this game, finishing with a team high 16, and she did it in different ways - layups off cuts, second chance points, drives & finishes, jumpers - but everything else she does carries such an immense value. She was able to control the glass, especially on the defensive end where she grabbed boards both in & out of her area. Her court vision and passing ability might be the best part of her game, as her ability to hit cutters & open teammates with precision either facing up or off the dribble helps fuel Westhill as an unselfish team. As a longtime varsity standout and Division I commit (Fairfield), she seems to be taking the next step & becoming more vocal too. She won't be one of Section 3's leading scorers this year, but she is one of its best players & definitely will be one of its most valuable players to their team.

Catherine Dadey finished with 10 points for Westhill and contributed a solid, well-rounded game.

- I didn't mention her much in the recap, but I left impressed with what I saw from Catherine Dadey. The freshman is someone I've been watching intently for over a year now, between her high school, AAU, my events, fall leagues, and more. She has already earned a reputation as a knockdown shooter and Coach Ludwig certainly runs good action to get her quality looks off the ball, but she also was on the ball quite a bit as the PG. On a night where her perimeter J wasn't falling besides the big one early in the 4th, she was still able to put some points on the board either by creating for herself off the dribble or moving without the ball, making cuts to score & converting. More importantly, her court vision and composure with the ball in her hands were both on display. She received outlet passes and instantly looked up, hitting teammates on the money on long pitch ahead passes in transition. She hit Martin & Larrabee on post rim runs or dumpoffs on several occasions. She handled against Bishop Grimes' pressure without a problem, not turning it over and making good decisions while keeping the game at the pace Westhill wanted. It may not have been one of Catherine's best shooting games, but it was one of her better overall games that I've seen.

- Despite the loss, you have to love the energy & passion that Abby Wilkinson brings every time she's on the court. I'd much rather have to get someone to calm down than rev them up, and one thing you never have to worry about with Abby is waking her up. She has to shoulder a huge load offensively for this year's Grimes team, and she's doing that. Her 26 points Wednesday kept her right at her early season average. It's more than the scoring with Abby, though. Often when a player has to be such a key offensive component for a team, you'll see them relax on the defensive end - either to conserve energy, stay out of foul trouble, or both. You're getting none of that with Abby, who's no stranger to getting on the floor or diving out of bounds for a loose ball. She's a bit of a throwback with the blue collar edge she brings along with the ability to fill it up, and it's fun to watch.

Abby Wilkinson kept the Cobras in it until the end, dropping a game high 26 points.

- Last but not least - fun little chess match Wednesday. Bishop Grimes had an interesting defensive gameplan, throwing a guard like Jenna Sloan or Abby Wilkinson on Westhill forward Mackenzie Martin and showing deep help early clogging the lane. It paid major dividends in the 2nd quarter, as Westhill - who made a killing early off basket cuts and second chances - got stagnant offensively for the rest of the half. On the other end, Westhill ran great action to isolate matchups they wanted to exploit, either getting Martin in the high post, Larrabee in the low post, or Dadey coming off screens. When they executed in the half court, they were able to get quality shots. That made Wednesday's game a fun watch far beyond what was at the surface.