Baldwinsville girls hoops mounts furious 4th quarter comeback vs. Liverpool: ‘The kids turned it up’

Baldwinsville—For 26 minutes on Friday night, the Bees’ finest season since 2019 looked destined for a deflating finish. Liverpool had controlled the middle quarters, built a 16-point cushion with six minutes left, and appeared ready to hand Baldwinsville a sobering final-regular-season setback.

Instead, the Bees authored one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the year, storming back to stun the Legends 68-63 and polishing off a 16-3 campaign that now carries serious momentum into sectionals.

“We went into a diamond press and we got some steals,” head coach Kathy Morse said of the game-changing adjustment. “We started playing better defense. We were kind of lacking on defense in the first three quarters, but the kids turned it up. They didn’t give up.”

The tactical tweak ignited a back-court frenzy. Baldwinsville’s diamond press forced turnovers in bunches, while a perimeter-oriented attack shredded Liverpool’s 1-3-1 zone. The Bees buried four fourth-quarter three-pointers, turning a double-digit hole into a deafening home-court celebration.

Senior guard Natalie Hollingshead authored the offensive eruption, pouring in 14 of her game-high 25 points over the final six minutes. The outburst more than doubled her season average of 12 per game and featured a trio of momentum-swinging triples.

“Natalie really stepped up at the end,” Morse said. “She had most of her points in the fourth quarter and took it upon herself to bring the team together and get them going.”

Juniors Sicily Shaffer (18 points) and Beverly Marinelli (10 points) provided critical support, while seldom-used reserve Addison Burkhard delivered the intangible spark Morse called “the hero tonight.”

Liverpool, which closes its regular season at 10-9, received 19 points from senior Graceanne Sleeth and 14 apiece from Angeliena Kohler and Lyric Noel. The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Legends.

Baldwinsville, winners of six of its last seven, now turns its attention to the postseason, carrying both confidence and chemistry after a comeback Morse believes can galvanize a deep run.

“When they all came together and just decided that they were going to try to win this game, it was really great,” she said. “I think that carries us into sectionals.”