CCS girls roll into state semifinals

Catholic Central School head coach Audra DiBacco and her team celebrate a 64-63 win over Columbia during their Section II Class AA final basketball game on March 10 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) (Courtesy photo of Cindy Schultz)

The Catholic Central School girls’ basketball team opened their Class AA state playoff game against Nottingham by scoring the first 20 points and the Crusaders cruised to a 66-37 win on March 15 at Onondaga Community College.

El’ Dior Dobere led CCS with 22 points, but there was cause for concern during the game when senior forward Tanavia Turpin left with an injury in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Catholic Central, which won the Class A state championship last year, faces top-ranked Baldwin (21-2) in the state semifinals on March 22 at at 10 a.m. at Hudson Valley Community College.