Basketball
needed to and then it was topped off by making free throws. I think Amelia went 4-for- 4, the one to tie, the one to go ahead and then two more after that.
“Those late game situations are great for our young kids to understand that we’re going to make mistakes, we did make a lot of mistakes and even in those late game situations we have to find a way to identify what we did wrong and try not to repeat that as we move forward into the postseason.”
In the one and only meeting between the top two squads in their respective Suburban Council divisions, the Warriors (13-2 Suburban Council, 17-2 overall) came out with a smothering defensive effort in the first half, holding the Blue Streaks (12-3 league, 14- 5 overall) to just three successful free throws in the second quarter during a 16-3 run and a commanding 2713 halftime lead.
“We knew coming into this game how prolific their offense and their guards are and well they play together as a team,” Organ said. “We had a couple really good set of practices building into this game and give our kids a lot of credit, they bought into the game plan defensively, and they went out there and executed it.”
The 14-point lead evaporated in the third as Saratoga created its own run, 14-6, as junior Dolly Cairns and Holy Cross-bound senior Kerry Flaherty found their shooting touches to pull within six points.
“Coach (Organ) said in the locker room that Dolly (Cairns) and Kerry ( Flaherty) are going to come out with a tremendous effort,” Amelia Wood said. “We knew they were going to come out, we got down, got a time out. He (Coach Organ) said we have to pick up our defense and we picked it up again.”
Just as the Blue Streaks went scoreless for more than four minutes of the first quarter, the Warriors struggled in the third with the same shooting woes.
In the fourth, Caroline Lafountain tied the contest for the first time for Saratoga with a three-pointer for a 37-37 tie. The Blue Streaks would take their first lead of the game when Lauren Patnode put in a bucket from under the basket, assisted by Cairns who had the ball knocked away near the baseline. Patnode’s quick hands maintained possession and quickly sent the ball up and in for the 40-39 lead with 3:01 left in the contest.
After a three-pointer by Anna Jankovic, Flaherty tied the contest once again at 42 apiece with a bucket from the baseline once again with 1:47 left.
The two teams traded shots, turnovers and fouls until Michelina Lombardi sank the second of two free throws with 37 seconds left for the precious 1-point lead, 43- 42.
ABlue Streak steal by Flaherty with 13 seconds left led to another foul and trip to the line where she sank both for a 44- 43 lead.
From there things went quickly and came to a screeching halt as Amelia Wood was fouled on two separate occasions, once with 10 seconds left and again with less than a second on the clock.
She sank all four opportunities.
“Dolly (Cairns) and Kerry ( Flaherty) they’re really good, so we had a defensive plan on them,” Amelia Wood said. “I had four fouls, so I couldn’t foul, so I had to be careful with my fouling. My sister (Kelsey) had four fouls and she got five, so we were down one of our great players, so all 14 of us just had to pick it up and we did it.”
Organ had faith in the younger Wood sister.
“She’s a ninth-grader, a second-year varsity player,” Organ said. “She has done a great job improving and being able to take constructive criticism and trusting Coach (Scott) Keegan and trusting the things that we’re asking her to do. She’s done a great job with that.”
With less than a second left, Saratoga was able to inbound the ball and Cairns was able to put up an off-balance three-point shot that
missed its intended target.
This time only the horn sounded and not a whistle and both referees left the floor at the Saratoga end immediately, including with the game basketball. Both teams were left stunned for a moment as there was no clarification if Cairns was fouled or not. With no one to make the call, the game was final.
“Saratoga is a good team, a really good team,” Amelia Wood said. “We’ve been watching film on them; we knew that we had to pick it up.
“We had a lot of people who didn’t believe in us. We had to pick it up. (Coach) Organ and Keegan told us that a lot of people are doubting us, so that made us mad. We just picked it up and won, lucky win.”
The late season battle could be a key to both teams advancing through their separate, but respective playoff brackets.
“I think it’s a great test, moving forward both teams will take away the good and
the things that they have to improve upon,” Organ said. “This is the Suburban Council; it’s a tough night-in, night-out game after game contest.
Very rarely do you have any kind of off nights and having a really competitive game against a great team this late in the season can do a lot for your confidence, but ultimately when we step to the floor for our next practice we’re focused about Columbia. We have to go on the road and finish out the regular season, game No. 20 and we have to have a great effort. There can be no emotional letdown when we go and play them on their floor.”