Cicero-North Syracuse (5-12) at Auburn (4-14)

Thursday, 7 p.m.

The Maroons lost a heartbreaker, 56-54, in the first meeting after outscoring the Northstars 26-11 in the third quarter.

Auburn's youth has been apparent for much of the season but the team has played better the past three outings. For much of the year, the Maroons relied almost exclusively on the outside shot. Lately, Auburn has distributed its scoring more evenly between 3s and points in the paint.

Point guard Kelly Grinnell has played much older than her freshman label. She leads the team in assists and is always a threat to shoot. Despite the guard play, Amanda Daum's presence at the forward position may be the reason the Maroons are playing better. Daum, who can step out and knock down the three as well, has played well inside and has scored in double figures the past four games.

Tully (10-9) at Weedsport (11-7)

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

This matchup could be a preview of the first round of sectionals. Weedsport rolled past Tully in a win on Jan. 24 but has lost two of three since. The Warriors did play better in their last game, a 47-24 blowout at Skaneateles.

It's been the same story all season - Weedsport's defense remains strong while its offense is anything but consistent.

Senior guard Jessica Hoffman is a key for the Warriors. When Hoffman controls the tempo and plays well, Weedsport typically wins. Hoffman is also a deadly shooter, one who may need to be more selfish on the offensive end.

Weedsport (12-6) at Pulaski (8-11)

Friday, 7 p.m.

With Weedsport's win against LaFayette Monday, the Warriors are only one game behind first-place Tully in the Patriot Conference. The Warriors have fared well against the division's elite and know they can knock off any team in sectionals.

It's still difficult to gauge how far Weedsport can advance because they rely so heavily on Adam Sweet's scoring. Justin McDeid and Brandon Pepin have had big games and are two of many Warriors who are called upon to help out in the points department.

When the Warriors lose, they typically have gotten off to sluggish starts. They even had to score 22 second-quarter points to overcome a sloppy 12-6 start against LaFayette. If Weedsport avoids turnovers and Sweet is hitting his jumpers, the Warriors are almost unbeatable. A sectional championship is a goal but they cannot afford to look beyond Pulaski, a team that can easily put 60-70 points on the scoreboard.

Port Byron (6-12) at Tully (14-4)

Friday, 7 p.m.

The Panthers are much a better team than their record shows. Port Byron has lost five games in a row by a combined 27 points. The Panthers are playing opponents closely but have faltered late.

Coach Chris Ford uses his bench a lot. The Panthers don't have a dominant scorer but possess a number of players that have stepped up, including Nick Janusz, Kevin Casler and Zach Reyer.

Although Tully is impressive, Port Byron only lost by two to the Black Knights in the first meeting. The Panthers should give Tully a fight and are due to pull out a victory in one of these close contests.