Leading off today: Were it not for the four-plus months of winter still ahead, Cicero-North Syracuse might as well have started softball practice on Nov. 29, because that's the day it looked as though the girls basketball season might have ended.

   But a funny thing has happened to the Northstars since two-year starting point guard Morgan Nandin broke an ankle. They've pushed their record to 4-0 now, including a 48-34 triumph over Rush-Henrietta yesterday in the Syracuse vs. Rochester Shootout at Pittsford Sutherland.

   Sans the graduated Shenise Johnson, Rush-Henrietta is no threat to win a fourth straight New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA championship. But the Royal Comets and defending Section 3 champion Syracuse Corcoran — a 55-49 loser to C-NS last week — will both be contenders in their respective regions, so the Northstars obviously have to be taken seriously despite the injury on the heels of a 19-4 season that ended with a loss to Oswego in the sectional semis.

   "I'd say we're better together, more of a team and more of a complete package than we were last year," senior guard Marybeth Egan said after the R-H game. "Offensively we share the ball and look for each other, and we're balanced. . . . Our potential is that we can go very far."

   The confidence is merited when you have a gifted 6-foot-3 freshman center. Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked 11 shots against Rush-Henrietta, and Egan added 12 points as C-NS demonstrated ability inside and on the perimeter.

   "We're deep and we have a 'bail-out' player," coach Eric Smith said. "We can throw it into Bree and she can get us points when we're not getting any. And defensively she'll bail us out when we get beat on the dribble."

   But the Northstars actually don't have too many worries in that department. The clearly miss the 5-foot-5 Nandin, who broke her ankle a minute into a game with Utica Proctor, but sophomore Kelsey Mattice is handling the point OK for now while Egan and Ashley Waldron provide stability.

   C-NS will be deep and experienced come mid-February. If Nandin gets back on the court, they could be championship material.

   More highlights from the Syracuse vs. Rochester Shootout:

   Oswego (7-0) scored the final seven points to defeat Fairport, 58-57. Trailing 57-51, Brooke Reifinger made a layup, Cari Reed (17 points) hit a three-pointer and Chris Scaccia (10 points) stole the ball with 3.2 seconds left and was fouled. She made both free throws.

   Mexico dominated Greece Arcadia, 62-46 on the strength of Evie Josbena's, 15 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Chrissy Sawyer added 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Angie Josbena had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

   Syracuse Corcoran topped Pittsford Mendon, 55-50, as Irene Hudson posted 13 points and 14 rebounds.

   Pittsford Sutherland beat Jamesville-DeWitt, 55-44, with a 21-8 third-quarter run. Bridget Ryan had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Jess Graen chipped in with 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocked shots.

   Greece Athena went on a 20-7 first-quarter run and beat Liverpool, 59-30. Nicole Bini scored 16 of her 19 points in the first half.

   PSAL-CHSAA Challenge, Day One: Boys & Girls senior guard Lamont Samuell Jr. hit a layup with 34.5 seconds left to give the Kangaroos their first lead of the

second half and set up a 58-55 upset of Christ The King at St. John’s University in the PSAL-CHSAA Challenge.

   Samuell, who attended Robeson as a sophomore and Adelphi Academy as a junior, scored a game-high 19 points, including two free throws with nine seconds left.

   Zachary Braziller of Five Boro Sports blogged some thoughts on the first-day of the nine-game event and calls the 'Roos' victory the finest moment in the five years of the tournament.

   Milestone alert: Newark senior Alyssa Fenyn scored 31 points in a 78-24 rout of Midlakes to go over 2,000 career points. In the same game, teammate Marissa Bunce hit for 19 points to reach 1,000 for her career.

   Timing being everything, The Advance touched on the issue of scoring milestones last week in anticipation of Sean Caputo of Petrides reaching 1,000 points in Tuesday's game against Susan Wagner.

   As is noted in the story, many teams play more games now than they did 20 years ago. A three-year varsity player can reach 1,000 career points by averaging as few as 13 points a game. The story points out John Engles was once atop the all-time Staten Island list with 1,399 points in 65 games. Since St. Peter's now plays an extended CHSAA postseason, he probably would have had 15 games added to his career.

   Staten Island's 1,000-point list had 17 members as of 1977 and has added 62 players in 31 years since.

   Niagara Falls edges Nichols: In a battle between the Buffalo area's best boys basketball teams, Niagara Falls beat Nichols, 57-56, on sophomore Kenny Stokes' layup with 25 seconds left.

   Nichols had two shots to win, but Chris Stegeman’s long jumper missed and a follow by 6-9 junior Will Regan rolled off the rim.

   "An incredible game — just so much fun,” Nichols coach Greg Plumb told The Buffalo News. "This early in the season, with everyone in the stands on their feet, how can’t you have fun? Obviously we lost, but it’s one of those character things for us. It’s early in the season, and it’s all about February."

   The Wolverines were led by sophomore Jordan Street, who scored all of his team-high 14 points before halftime. Regan led Nichols with 21 points.

   Three-sport athlete dies: "Molly Slator is playing ball with the angels.”

   Slator’s father, Dan, wrote those words on his CaringBridge.org blog about his daughter, a junior soccer, basketball and softball player at Stockbridge Valley.

   Molly Slator died yesterday from non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer.

   “The one big thing I’ve been telling people is, though cancer took her life, cancer didn’t beat her,” Stockbridge Valley softball coach Chris Peto told The Observer-Dispatch. “She did it on her own terms.”

   The police blotter: Shaquana Beamon of Roslyn Heights will appear in court Tuesday to respond to charges that she bit a Roslyn High employee on the arm and leg while he was dispersing a crowd at a basketball game on Thursday.

   Beamon, 20, was arrested after the alleged biting, which caused the victim to sustain bruising and swelling, police said. A person who punched the victim in the side of the head remains at large, police said.

   Beamon was charged with second degree assault, a felony.

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