Balanced Shen gets win
Lady Plainsmen respond to Niskayuna surge to reach ‘AA’ semifinal
Three straight impressive baskets from Olivia Olsen in the third quarter Thursday night had the underdog Niskayuna girls’ basketball team, and its fans, pumped up. Top-seeded Shenendehowa, however, responded the way a No. 1 seed should.
The Plainsmen answered with a quick 11-0 surge culminated by a rare four-point play from junior reserve guard Kaitlyn Watrobski. The Silver Warriors never shaved their deficit below 10 points again as Shenendehowa secured its berth in the Section II Class A A semifinals with a 59-42 victory.
“Credit Nisky. Every time we went up 15 or 16, they battled and came right back,” Shenendehowa coach Joe Murphy said. “They played hard and that is the benefit of playing that (first-round) game. Playoff basketball is different.”
The Plainsmen (19-2) collected their third win this season against Niskayuna (10-12) and advanced to Wednesday’s semifinal contest at Hudson Valley Community College against No. 4 seed Colonie.
Things certainly were not easy for Shenendehowa early on as an inspired Niskayuna squad battled. The Silver Warriors trailed 19-18 late in the second quarter before Shen ended the half on a 10-0 spurt capped by a 3-pointer from junior point guard Simone Walker.
“My girls are talented and my girls have the potential to win any game,” Niskayuna coach Sarah Neely said. “I told them that if they wanted it, everything had to come together for them. We really focused on our defensive intensity. I think that showed tonight.”
Olsen, who finished with a team-high 13 points, made a pair of incredible moves around the basket and scored to cut Shen’s advantage to 33-27 with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
Shen’s response began when 6-foot-5 senior center Cat Almeida drained a 3-pointer and ended when Watrobski hit a 3 from the corner and was fouled.
“The difference tonight was Cat and Kaitlyn,” Murphy said. “Cat established herself inside and Kaitlyn hit some big shots for us. She has been capable of doing that all year.”
“When you play (Shen), you never know who is going to step up and have a big night,” Neely said.
Almeida topped all scorers with 18 points. Watrobski matched her season high with 13 points, draining four 3-pointers.
And Murphy wanted the junior to shoot even more than she did.
“She hit two in a row and then passed up two wide-open shots,” Murphy said.
The Plainsmen moved the ball much better in the second half. Almeida made a great high-post feed inside to Jessica Wagoner, who converted her shot for a 48-36 edge.
“That was one of our focal points to get the ball inside,” Almeida said. “If they collapse inside, the shooters will be open.”
After a basket by Niskayuna guard Natalie Prian, Watrobski took a pass from Walker and drained her final 3-pointer of the evening.
Walker and Meghan Huerter both tallied seven points and Anna Milham and Bella Stuart contributed six points apiece for Shen.
“I think we got the nerves out in the first half and shook the rust off,” Almeida said. “We know how good we are. We had to play team basketball. No one was focused on individual stats. We were focused on the win.”
“It is great, and a little worrisome at times, because you don’t know where the points are coming from,” Murphy said. “It is great to have some balanced scoring this year.”
Tyra O’meally-turnball finished with nine points and seven rebounds for Niskayuna, which committed 22 turnovers.