‘TOGA LAST-SECOND COMEBACK COMES UP SHORT
Early foul trouble, deficit, last-second miss ends girls season
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. » Early foul trouble took Kerry Flaherty not only out of her game, but out of the Saratoga Springs lineup Wednesday night at the Blue Streaks out of its rhythm as Bethlehem took advantage, building a lead and holding on for a 5452 Class AA quarterfinal win at Shenendehowa High School.
Flaherty picked up her third foul late in the first quarter and was then sequestered to the Saratoga Springs bench for the entire second quarter as the Eagles (135) went on a 14-4 run.
“I like never foul, those weren’t even fouls, so i was confused,” Kerry Flaherty said. “It was just painful to watch because I could go out there and do what I do, get my teammates open.
“I came out in the second half aggressive and wanting to play because I’ve been sitting, so I just wanted to give it my all and it wasn’t enough.”
The Blue Streaks (15-7) clawed their way back into the contest, cutting into the lead throughout the second half with the addition of Flaherty in the line-up.
“It got real, that we could lose this game and we didn’t want to lose at all,” Flaherty said. “We lost to them in the beginning of the season to them and beat them two years in a row before that.
“We knew they were a beatable team and that third quarter just proved that we had our showing.”
Flaherty also had a solid look at the Bethlehem during her time on the bench.
“I just knew who I was guarding I was quicker than and I could steal it. I just wanted to give it my all because it was the senior’s last game and meant something to them.”
Cairns was her usually self,
running the offense and continuing to shine in the second half with her partner-in-crime Flaherty back on the floor. Cairns drilled two three-pointers to bring the Blue Streaks within a bucket with 42 seconds left.
“I knew someone had to make a play and my defender that was guarding me her hands were down and I just took my shot and I was feeling it,” Dolly Cairns said.
After Bethlehem was unable to seal the contest from the free throw line on two occasions a Saratoga time out allowed them to have a shot with an inbounds pass near their bench. The first attempt came up short and the Blue Streaks were given a reprieve with one second left and using a final time out.
It was up to Cairns to inbound the ball to a teammate and hope for a successful turn and shoot. It took two attempts. “I was just looking to lob it to someone for the quick tip in,” Cairns said. “I had to throw it off of her leg at first and then nothing was really there.”
Meanwhile Flaherty was trying to create space in front of her bench for the final play.
“It was all congested so then I decided to have someone set me a screen and I would curl, but it came up short.”
The ball never reached the rim and there wasn’t a whistle on the play, ending the Blue Streaks season.
“We dug ourselves in a hole, we tried to recover from it, but we couldn’t fully get out of it,” Cairns said “I’m proud of them, I couldn’t ask for a better team. I love playing with these girls, I’m proud that we made it even this far.”