Stillwater on to Section II final
Maple Hill run ends in Class C semis
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. >> Stillwater came together on the offensive and defensive side of the ball to take a 57-43 victory over Maple Hill in the Section II Class C semifinal Thrusday at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
With the win, No. 2 seed Stillwater advances to face No. 4 Lake George for the Class C title at 2 p.m. Saturday back at the Civic Center.
It was the end of the line for No. 14 seed Maple Hill, who pulled two upsets just to reach the semis.
Stillwater head coach Dave Cook said defense was huge for his team in the first half when they weren’t scoring — and after that to keep them ahead.
“I think in the first half we got stops and that is what kept us in the game,” Cook said. “Once the ball started to go into the basket for us, we continued to get stops and that’s where the lead was stretched. This game was won on the defensive end of the floor; there is no question about it.”
Maple Hill jumped out to an early 10-9 lead after the first quarter, but it turned out to be Maple Hill’s last lead of the game.
Wildcats head coach Scott Hanrahan said the team struggled to put points on the board.
“I’m just disappointed we couldn’t get anything going offensively,” Hanrahan said. “That is a testament to the defense that Stillwater played. They came out and played good man to man, kept us spaced out and we never really got into a rhythm offensively. It was tough.”
Stillwater started to click on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball to take control in the second quarter. The Warriors held the Wildcats to only three points in the second and pushed ahead by 12 points.
The Stillwater defense was able to stop Maple Hill from putting together any kind of run. The 12 point
lead at halftime helped Stillwater to relax.
Stillwater was led by Jared D’Aloia’s 24 points while Ezra Echeandia and Zack Travis had 12 apiece. Those three also played well on the defensive end to not allow Maple Hill to
get a run going.
Austin Decker had 19 points to lead Maple Hill while teammate Nate Mannion had 12 points.
D’Aloia said it was huge for his team to make it to the finals.
“That was our goal since
the beginning of the year, the first practice and we just want to win it now,” D’Aloia said.
Cook said he is excited his team won and is ready for the next round.
“We are just so happy for these kids,” Cook said.
“This is a great group of kids that has worked hard for years and years and years when nobody was watching them and now they get to go to the finals, it is just fantastic for our kids, for our school, for community and we can’t
wait.”