Phillips spurred Indians
Sophomore guard helped Cambridge win first state title
When Bob Phillips coached boys’ basketball at Salem, he brought his two young daughters to the games to watch. Lilly Phillips enjoyed the games and the atmosphere. Twin sister Sophie Phillips could not get enough of the games, studying and questioning all the things going out there.
“It is hard to explain. Soph just loves the game so much,” Bob Phillips said.
Sophie Phillips loves basketball, and what’s more, the 5-foot-11 sophomore point guard at Cambridge just so happens to be quite accomplished at the sport.
One year after feeling the sting of a Class C state semifinal loss at Hudson Valley Community College, Sophie Phillips helped secure a return trip to the state final four. The Indians managed to capture the program’s first Class C state championship as they were paced by Sophie Phillips, selected as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
“It is really crazy to still think about it. The whole thing doesn’t really seem possible, but we really did it,” said Phillips, who averaged 22.0 points per game in five games during March.
For her efforts, Phillips has been selected as the Times Union’s Female Athlete of the Month for March.
Cambridge (25-1) opened the month by capturing its
second straight Section II championship with a 55-49 victory over Wasaren League rival Hoosick Falls. Sophie Phillips pumped in a game-high 25 points and garnered the sectional MVP award.
As the Indians advanced to state regionals, the team did so without injured sophomore forward Fiona Mooney, who had suffered a broken wrist in February.
“As the point guard, I felt I had to be more of a leader — especially with talking more,” Phillips said. “Fiona brings a lot of energy to the floor, so without her out there, I felt I had to do more. Everyone on the team really stepped up.”
“Soph has a leadership skill. It is something she’s always had,” Bob Phillips said. “It is not so much with anything she says, it is how she handles herself on the court.”
Cambridge defeated Madrid-waddington (58-31) and Moriah (60-47) to earn a return trip to HVCC and the
state final four.
The Indians, with Mooney back in the starting lineup, produced a superlative second-half showing and blasted Maple Grove 75-43 in the semifinals. Sophie Phillips tallied 23 points, including making five 3-pointers.
The next day in the state final, the sophomore standout pumped in 24 points as the Indians beat Watkins Glen 57-43.
Bob Phillips watched both his daughters excel throughout the season as Lilly Phillips ranked second on the team in scoring.
When it comes to leading the Indians, he said Sophie possesses intrinsic qualities as a leader that are sometimes even hard for him to quantify and recognize.
“I think she senses things out there, like if we have somebody out or we’re not playing well,” Bob Phillips said. “Whether it is driving more to the basket, or taking a short jump shot, she just has that feel for the game.”
All five starters will return for Cambridge
for the 2019-20 season, and none of them will be seniors as this season’s unit featured four sophomores and one freshman.
“The goal now is for all of us to get better and see what we can do in the future,” Sophie Phillips said. “We’ve got a long time together with the same group of girls.”