TJ Kelley leads Waterford past Fort Plain in Class C semifinals, 54-52
GLENS FALLS, NY » TJ Kelley was able to help Waterford-Halfmoon Fordians turn the tables on Fort Plain in the third quarter in the Section 2, Class C semifinals on Tuesday evening at the Cool Insuring Arena. He hit a go-ahead three-pointer near the end of the period and Waterford never trailed the rest of the game after that shot, although it still came down to the end. Kelley surely would have preferred a buzzerbeater to win the game, but what did happen got his team the same result. Kelley was fouled with less than a second on the clock in a tie game, at the end of the fourth quarter.
“We were just trying to run the clock down and take the last shot. We got it, we were trying to get a foul called or a shot to go in. I was just trying to create contact,” said Kelley, whose foul shots gave Waterford a 54-52 lead and ultimate victory. “It feels great. We were down in the first half and we had played badly. Coach got on us at halftime, we found the fire to come back and found our way.” Kelley had a standout game with 27 points, including 3 threepointers and an 8-8 mark from the foul line.
The Fordians went into halftime trailing by 11 points, 32-21. They turned things around in the third and with 1:55 left in the period, Jake Houle tied the game at 38-38. A few seconds later Kelley hit one of the biggest three-pointers of his high-school basketball career, completely changing the momentum in the game for both teams. “It changed a lot, it really got us going. It’s crazy how when we’re down on ourselves and we come back after one shot that gets us so pumped up and ready to play,” he said.
Houle was able to contribute with 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Fort Plain’s Ethan Schoch tied the game at 52-52 with 25 seconds left in the game. That’s when Waterford decided to hold onto the ball for the last shot. Kelley had the last chance opportunity, who drove to the basket into a crowd of Hilltoppers and was able to draw the contact he needed with 0:006 on the clock. “It was a 5050, it could’ve went both ways,” Kelley said on the foul. All he had to do was hit the biggest free throws of his high school basketball career. He hit both. As
Fort Plain’s last-ditch full court lob fell short, Waterford celebrated with their coaches and student section.
“I like it. I like being the underdog and being able to show Section 2 who we are,” Kelley said on being an 11 seed making it to the championship game. “We’re gonna practice hard and focus on the next game.”
Waterford’s coach Brian Eastman talked about playing at the Cool Insuring Arena and how they managed to come back. “It’s different for the kids, to be up here playing on this court. It’s something that they’ve dreamed of,” he said. “We didn’t change the game plan, I just kind of gave them a little pep-talk.”
The Fordians will now face Lake George on on March 6, 2020 at 5:00 pm in the Class C finale at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
WATERFORDHALFMOON 54, FORT PLAIN 52
Cool insuring Arena Glens Falls, NY Waterford 16-5-22-11 :54
Fort Plain 14-18-8-12 :52 WATERFORD (16-6 Overall)
Points-Rebounds-Assists (Foul Shots)
Gavin Bodah 3-7-1 (16), Evan Fairclough 5-3-2 (3-3), Jake Houle 9-9-1 (12), T.J. Kelley 27-2-2 (88), Dominick Pontore 2-20, Michael Talavera 8-7-1
FORT PLAIN (17-6 Overall)
Points-Rebounds-Assists (Foul Shots)
Troy Butler 20-14-1 (88), Robert Jordan 11-12-1 (56), Ethan Schoch 8-4-1 (12), Levi Thomas 11-2-1 (34), Clayton Welch 2-5-1 (2-2)