Jeff's Journal: EST First Half Thoughts

With how busy July has been between the league, tournaments/travel for tournaments, and work on various future events, my own coverage of the summer league has been a little more sparse than I'd like. Over the first 4 nights, some things have been sticking out as players become more comfortable & more accustomed to their teammates, opponents, and the style of play. A few highlights:

Playing team ball, more often than not, gets you wins. Look no further than this stat: the 4 teams that currently have records above the .500 mark also are the 4 teams that have the most assists. Unselfish play from players such as 6-0 Next Big Thing's Stephanie Jankovic, 4-2 Next Level's Grace Heeps, 4-2 Outwork's Brianna Rozzi, and 4-2 Rising Stars' Dolly Cairns, the players who tend to have the ball in their hands the most for their respective teams as point guards, have helped their teams become more fluid & productive on offense. An offense that gets everyone involved tends to turn into a defense that everyone is invested in, which has been the case in this situation - a big reason for the success of these teams thus far.

Teams whose players consistently attend, more often than not, become winning teams. It sounds simple, but for the 3rd straight year, it has become evident. It has been of huge benefit for undefeated Next Big Thing, as 7 of their 10 players have been in uniform for every official league game & no one has missed more than 1 night so far. Same for 4-2 Next Level, who was undefeated before losing two games on the last league night by a combined 6 points. 8 of the 11 on their roster have been there every night, with no one missing more than once. Teams such as Dynasty & Young Guns started off on the wrong foot in the summer, largely because the makeup of the teams looked different on each of the first 3 nights. Those two teams had their best-looking performances of the summer on the 19th, as teammates are now getting used to each other's tendencies. Although it was a late start, it could be a strong finish for them as they're now getting consistent showings from a solid core of players. Show Stoppers, much like the 'Too Easy' team last summer, has been plagued by this as well. Time will tell how the last three nights go for a team like that, as they have the talent to make noise, but haven't been able to put together a full 40 minute performance yet.

The quality of talent in the region's younger classes has scary potential. Over the first two years, some younger players have paved their way in the league and made noise. Two years ago, it was Grace Heeps, Sophie Tougas, and Kerry Flaherty as rising freshmen. Last summer, more rising freshmen jumped on the scene like Kelsey Wood, Julia DeBeatham, and Mikyla Mitchell. This summer, however, is different. Not only do you still have the youth of the aforementioned Wood, DeBeatham, and Mitchell - all going into their sophomore years - there are more emerging in the 2020 class, such as Millbrook's Erin Fox, Adirondack's Belle Kranbuhl, Hoosick Falls' Logan Thayne, and too many more to name. On top of that, the 2021 class could potentially have the most high-level talent throughout upstate NY out of any that I've been around for. Catholic Central's Sarah Mattfeld, Cambridge twins Lilly Phillips and Sophie Phillips, Melanie Hoyt (Stamford), Aysia Pink (Guilderland), and Jenalyse Alarcon (Troy), along with a few others, have made legitimate differences for their teams. Pink is tied for 1st in the league in scoring. Mattfeld is averaging 7.5 PPG & 4 RPG and scored 15 big ones in knocking Next Level from the unbeaten ranks. Sophie Phillips was the Next Level killer in the next game, scoring 14 including the game winning basket with 3 seconds left. Throw in players from the 2022 class such as Jackie Piddock (South Jefferson) and Amelia Wood (Averill Park) - the first year I've ever seen rising 8th graders legitimately good enough to compete against the best of those 3-4 years older - and you can see why I'm so excited about the future of girls' basketball in upstate NY.

Stephanie Jankovic - undervalued by many, but as valuable to her team as anyone in EST. The rising Averill Park senior has been known in the area for a couple years at this point, but her name isn't necessarily brought up by many when talking about the 'best' players in the 518. The way she has played this summer in EST should wake folks up that overlook her. Statistically, she's filling the stat sheet in a way that's almost unbelievable from your point guard. She's averaging 9.7 PPG (10th in EST) while shooting over 40% from the field, 8 RPG (3rd in EST), 4.5 APG (T-2nd), and 2.5 SPG (T-4th). This is while playing on a team that has consistently had 8-9 bodies in uniform, so she's not playing every second to get those numbers. On top of that, leadership qualities and intangibles have shone through. Her Next Big Thing team closely resembles the 'Outwork' team of 2015 that featured under-the-radar & undervalued older players with a mix of younger talent, and that team stunned opponents en route to the top seed. Jankovic has been a catalyst for 2017's lone undefeated team heading into the final two weeks. She's currently receiving attention from some Division IIs but doesn't hold an offer - with continued play like this, she could be breaking through sooner rather than later.

Dolly Cairns - from one of the region's best young players to one of the region's best players, regardless of age. It almost seems weird that Saratoga Springs' standout PG is a member of the 2020 class. It feels like she's been around forever, mainly because she has. She was starting on the varsity team as an 8th grader, and the buzz around her name was at a deafening tone in basketball circles even as a 7th grader. Cairns is the only member of the 2020 class in the 518 to hold a Division I offer. She's always played and acted mature for her age, and by now, she plays like a heady veteran even though she's not even old enough to get her permit. Dolly has been a puppet master of sorts while at the PG spot for her Rising Stars team, as she's able to dictate the flow of the game and the movements of the other 9 players on the court with the ball in her hands. Always an unselfish player, her willingness to occasionally take the game over by scoring - and knowing when to do that - has added another level to her game. She's 3rd in EST in scoring, averaging 14 PPG, and has shot 50% from the field, around 45% from the 3 point line, and 80% at the charity stripe. She's rebounding well from the guard spot, averaging just under 5 per game, and is slightly under 3 assists per game as well. Without even bringing up statistics, her impact on the game is very noticeable. The attention she draws opens it up for teammates, and she provides a calming presence on the floor for her 4-2 Rising Stars team. The guard/post combo of her and Shenendehowa 2019 Cat Almeida - also holding a few D1 offers - has been as potent of an inside/outside threat as there has been in the league, and with several other players stepping up on any given night, the Rising Stars team is a tough one to beat.

Grace Heeps, the facilitator. The transformation of Heeps' game from a young star at Columbia to one of upstate NY's most recognizable faces in girls' basketball has been evident. She jumped on the scene as a bigger, taller guard with parking lot range. Over the next couple years, her offensive game expanded with the ability to get to the rim or use an in-between game, and her court vision also became something to note. Now, Heeps has made the on-ball transformation into being one of the best at creating for others that there is to offer. In 2016, she was in the top 3 in scoring in EST. This year, the scoring has dropped considerably as she's become the league's leader in assists by a long shot. Her 6.3 APG leads 2nd place by nearly 2 per game. Her 10 assist game on July 19 set a new league mark for most in a single game. She followed it up with 7 more assists in the 8:30 game that night. For her 4-2 Next Level team, future Northfield Mount Hermon teammate Silke Milliman is tied for the league lead in scoring at 14.5. Belle Kranbuhl has taken many by surprise, becoming a dominant post presence as a rising sophomore and averaging 9.5 per game. Aubrey Halloran has enjoyed great success in EST, becoming an impact player at 7.8 PPG. Standout wings Jenna Zimmerman and Sophie Tougas are averaging 7 & 6.6 PPG, respectively. All are more than capable scorers, but Grace has made their lives even easier by knowing exactly when & where to get them the ball and putting her passes on the money. She is the straw that stirs the drink for a supremely talented group.

Speaking of Silke... she has proven to be as close to unguardable as anyone in EST. She has the height & frame of a true 4, at a full 6'2" and well-built, with the perimeter jumper of a 2. No defensive matchup has been able to keep her under wraps for long, as she's able to figure out her advantage and go to work. She steps out against posts; if they sag off, she'll hit the three (2nd on Next Level with 8 threes made), and if they step out, she'll use the handle to get by them & get to the rim. She has worked into the blocks and scored on post moves against smaller defenders, and she's been just as tough on the offensive glass at times, as she's been good for a couple baskets per game on second chance points. Having three offers coming into the summer league, a strong July on the circuit with NY Havoc has earned her three more offers from Fordham, Vermont, and Northeastern. That list should continue to grow quickly with what she brings to the table.

Chloe Chaffin and Brianna Rozzi have noticeably improved what they've needed to improve on, and Outwork is better because of it. Longtime Section IX standouts, they've dominated competition in their area for years. Chloe is as supreme of an athlete as there is in upstate NY, and Bri is a firecracker PG that can go off at any time. However, they both had weaknesses to their game. Chaffin's jump shot was suspect in the past, and Rozzi could be a high risk/high reward player. The improvement in Chloe's midrange & long range jumper has been evident. She's shooting with better mechanics and more confidence, and it's now something that defenses truly have to respect. She had a 22 point game back on July 17, primarily from jumpers. She followed it up that Wednesday with a 27 point outing, where it was put back on display. In her first year of EST in 2015, she made one three. In 2016, she made three. She's already knocked down six this summer, and she still has three more nights to play. Her counterpart, Rozzi, has taken a major step from being a scoring PG into a floor general that can still take over a game by scoring. Her assists have went up, her turnovers have went down, her field goal percentage has went up, and she's become a willing vocal leader for a team full of other Section 1 & 9 standouts. Defensively, she's transformed into a willing lockdown defender at the guard spot, and will take pride in frustrating her opponent. It was a great July for Bri and has been a great showing in her 2nd year of EST so far. As her maturation & development continues, look for her to become one of the shining stars of the 2019 class.


There could be several other things included in this rundown, but those are the top few that have stuck out over the June/July segment. As we hit the home stretch of the 3rd annual summer league, look for some more girls to come through and make their presence felt. Catch the action of the last three nights of EST - July 31, August 2, and August 9 - at Union College!

EST Recap - Monday, July 17

5:30

Next Level 48, Young Guns 34

A game that had all the makings of a blowout early got very interesting in the 2nd half as Young Guns shook off an abysmal shooting start to catch fire in the 3rd quarter, but a timely Next Level run in the 4th effectively shut down any question of who was coming away with the win. Next Level scored the first 11 points of the game, getting their first double digit lead on an Allison Moreau (Sauquoit Valley 2019) basket, while holding Young Guns scoreless for the first nine minutes of the game. It took an additional three minutes for Young Guns to make a field goal, when Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) hit a three to cut their deficit to 13-5. That was their only made basket of the half, but despite going 1/24 from the field in the first 20 minutes, they only had an 11 point hole to climb out of at the break. A hot start to the 3rd helped them climb out of the hole entirely - Lexi Van Vorst (Columbia 2019) and Aysia Pink (Colonie 2021) each hit a pair of threes in the quarter - and a Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) floater tied the game at 25 with two minutes left in the 3rd quarter. With Next Level holding just a two point lead through three quarters, they turned on the jets using a balanced effort to pull back away. They went on a 12-0 run to start the 4th, largely fueled by the strong play of Adirondack 2020 Belle Kranbuhl. The 6'2" rising sophomore scored 6 of the 12 and assisted on another basket, a three by Silke Milliman (Northfield Mount Hermon 2019). They were able to extend the lead to 16 on two separate occasions late in the 4th, their largest lead of the night. Next Level was spearheaded by Kranbuhl, who had undoubtedly the best game of her two years in EST, finishing with a game high (and EST career high) 17 points to go with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Milliman also contributed double digits, finishing with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Jenna Zimmerman (South Jefferson 2018) added 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Young Guns received a team high 12 points from Van Vorst, and Pink added 10.

Next Level (3-0): Silke Milliman 11, Jenna Zimmerman 8, Grace Heeps 2, Allison Moreau 2, Belle Kranbuhl 17, Sophie Tougas 2, Aubrey Halloran 6. Totals: 16-11-48.

Young Guns (0-3): Julia DeBeatham 6, Mikyla Mitchell 4, Lexi Van Vorst 12, Aysia Pink 10, Lexi DeBeatham 2. Totals: 11-6-34.

Field Goals: Next Level 16/39 (Milliman 4/10, Sisto 0/2, Zimmerman 3/6, Heeps 0/1, Moreau 1/3, Kranbuhl 5/7, Brown 0/2, Tougas 1/1, Halloran 2/7), Young Guns 11/54 (Oeffler 0/6, J. DeBeatham 2/7, Mitchell 1/7, Van Vorst 4/10, Roberts 0/5, Pink 3/8, L. DeBeatham 1/8, Brophy 0/3).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 5/13 (Milliman 3/5, Zimmerman 2/4, Sisto 0/1, Heeps 0/1, Moreau 0/1, Halloran 0/1), Young Guns 6/27 (Van Vorst 3/9, Pink 2/4, Mitchell 1/4, Roberts 0/1, Brophy 0/1, J. DeBeatham 0/2, L. DeBeatham 0/2, Oeffler 0/4).

Free Throws: Next Level 11/20 (Kranbuhl 7/12, Halloran 2/2, Heeps 2/6), Young Guns 6/11 (Pink 2/2, J. DeBeatham 2/4, Van Vorst 1/1, Mitchell 1/2, L. DeBeatham 0/2).

Rebounds: Next Level 36 (Zimmerman 7), Young Guns 33 (Roberts 8).

Assists: Next Level 15 (Heeps, Milliman 4), Young Guns 6 (J. DeBeatham 2).

Next Big Thing 74, Dynasty 37

It was a nightmare game for Dynasty, as they found themselves unable to get into the flow of the game until the 4th quarter. They also ran into a buzzsaw in a Next Big Thing squad that, despite it just being the 2nd official night of EST games, played like they've been together for years. Holding a 14-6 lead after 1 quarter, Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018/Albany commit) scored 7 quick points in a 9-0 NBT run to push their lead to 17 early in the 2nd. A Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) three gave them a 20 point lead at 30-10, and they held a 35-15 edge at the break. It was far from over there, as they continued to use balance and an uptempo style to push the lead further. They led by 29 after 3 quarters, Lilly Phillips (Cambridge 2021) scored the first basket of the 4th on a Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018) feed, and it was over 30 the rest of the way. They pushed the lead all the way to 42 in the 4th quarter, doing so on a Renna Poulin (Tamarac 2019) basket. It was a perfect storm, with Next Big Thing playing nearly as well as they could and Dynasty playing nearly as poorly as they could. NBT had 21 assists on 29 field goals, and they held an incredible 57-22 rebounding edge. Graber finished with a double-double of 15 points/10 rebounds and added 3 assists. Jankovic almost messed around and had a triple-double, finishing with 12 points/9 rebounds/8 assists and 5 steals. Lilly Phillips contributed 13 points & 4 assists. Ford, Poulin, and Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020) all scored 9 points; Ford added 10 rebounds, Thayne 8, and Poulin 6. For Dynasty, Ashlyn O'Neil (Galway 2019) led the way with 9 points and Alivia Paeglow (Colonie 2019) added 8.

Dynasty (1-2): Alivia Paeglow 8, Victoria Konicki 2, Emily Zeyak 5, Kyara Triblet 2, Ahnalese Pearson 2, Paige Brinkman 2, Ashlyn O'Neil 9, EmmaLee Morgan 5, Lauren Obermayer 2. Totals: 16-3-37.

Next Big Thing (3-0): Kayla Doody 3, Julie Ford 9, Madison Graber 15, Stephanie Jankovic 12, Renna Poulin 9, Maggie Schuermann 4, Lilly Phillips 13, Logan Thayne 9. Totals: 29-8-74.

Field Goals: Dynasty 16/58 (Paeglow 4/8, Konicki 1/4, Zeyak 2/7, Triblet 1/9, Pearson 0/2, Brinkman 1/7, O'Neil 4/11, Morgan 2/6, Obermayer 1/4), Next Big Thing 29/74 (Doody 1/4, Ford 3/9, Graber 5/16, S. Jankovic 5/10, Poulin 4/9, A. Jankovic 0/2, Schuermann 1/6, Phillips 6/9, Thayne 4/9).

3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 2/11 (O'Neil 1/1, Morgan 1/3, Konicki 0/1, Zeyak 0/1, Triblet 0/1, Pearson 0/1, Brinkman 0/3), Next Big Thing 8/22 (Graber 3/8, Doody 1/2, Thayne 1/2, Poulin 1/3, Phillips 1/3, S. Jankovic 1/4).

Free Throws: Dynasty 3/7 (Pearson 2/4, Zeyak 1/1, Paeglow 0/2), Next Big Thing 8/12 (Ford 3/5, Schuermann 2/2, Graber 2/3, S. Jankovic 1/2).

Rebounds: Dynasty 22 (Paeglow, O'Neil 4), Next Big Thing 57 (Ford, Graber 10).

Assists: Dynasty 8 (Zeyak, Pearson 3), Next Big Thing 21 (S. Jankovic 8).

6:30

Rising Stars 51, Show Stoppers 43

For the 2nd straight game on Court 1, a team's awful shooting start didn't prevent the game from becoming very interesting in the 2nd half. Show Stoppers found a way to lead after 3 quarters despite being blanked in the 1st, but a strong combined effort from a pair of local standout 2019s allowed Rising Stars to regain control. It took until the 8 minute mark of the 2nd quarter for Show Stoppers to make a mark on the scoreboard, when a Madison Hoyt jumper finally fell. Their defense allowed them to stay in the game in the 1st half, as they found themselves down only 6 at the break. The charge continued, thanks to a concerted effort from Hoyt, fellow Section IV representative Holly Manchester (Susquehanna Valley 2018), and Julianna Okoniewski (Bethlehem 2018). They combined for 17 of their team's 20 points in the 3rd, and an Okoniewski basket gave them a 31-28 lead in the final minute of the 3rd. Rising Stars regained control with a 10-2 run, most coming in the beginning of the 4th. Saratoga Springs 2019 Kerry Flaherty had a pair of baskets in the spurt, and had another one after a Hoyt basket to bring Rising Stars' lead back to 5. Show Stoppers challenged one more time, as Manchester scored 6 straight points on drives to the rim, but a Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019) bucket - the final 2 of her 7 points in the 4th quarter - gave her Rising Stars squad breathing room for good. Almeida, a 6'5" F who's recently received offers from Manhattan & Cal State Bakersfield to go with her previous Binghamton offer, led the Stars with 11 points and added 6 rebounds. Flaherty also had 7 in the 4th and finished with 9 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. They also received 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists from Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020). Manchester led all scorers with 14 points in defeat, and she added 4 steals. Hoyt and Okoniewski each came just short of a double-double - Hoyt had 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and Okoniewski finished with 10 points & 8 rebounds.

Rising Stars (2-1): Giuliana Pritchard 7, Cat Almeida 11, Allie Pacatte 7, Dolly Cairns 7, Grace Mahar 2, Makayla Blake 8, Kerry Flaherty 9. Totals: 19-9-51.

Show Stoppers (0-3): Holly Manchester 14, Madison Hoyt 10, Julianna Okoniewski 10, Maddy Malicki 1, Haley Steenland 6, Melanie Hoyt 2. Totals: 19-1-43.

Field Goals: Rising Stars 19/57 (Pritchard 3/6, Almeida 4/13, Pacatte 3/5, Ryan 0/3, Cairns 2/3, Mahar 1/4, Mattfeld 0/2, Blake 2/7, Flaherty 4/14), Show Stoppers 19/59 (Manchester 6/12, Ma. Hoyt 5/10, Okoniewski 5/14, Malicki 0/2, Steeenland 2/6, Pasinella 0/3, Sanford 0/10, Me. Hoyt 1/2).

3-Point Field Goals: Rising Stars 4/14 (Cairns 1/1, Pritchard 1/2, Pacatte 1/2, Flaherty 1/6, Almeida 0/1, Mahar 0/1, Mattfeld 0/1), Show Stoppers 4/20 (Manchester 2/4, Steenland 2/6, Okoniewski 0/1, Ma. Hoyt 0/2, Malicki 0/2, Sanford 0/5).

Free Throws: Rising Stars 9/16 (Blake 4/9, Almeida 3/3, Cairns 2/2, Pacatte 0/2), Show Stoppers 1/8 (Malicki 1/2, Manchester 0/2, Okoniewski 0/2, Sanford 0/2).

Rebounds: Rising Stars 40 (Cairns 10), Show Stoppers 36 (Ma. Hoyt 9).

Assists: Rising Stars 11 (Cairns 4), Show Stoppers 8 (3 with 2).

Outwork 49, Lockdown 42

It was an entertaining game from start to finish, with new faces to EST bolstering the level of play, but in the end, the most consistent face of them all in EST was too much for her opponent. A hot start from reigning MVP Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018/Fordham commit) - the league's all-time leader in points and games played - helped Outwork jump to a 22-9 lead after the first ten minutes. She had 11 in the frame, scoring in plenty of different ways. Lockdown started to get back into it in the 2nd quarter, receiving contributions across the board and 5 quick points from Jenalyse Alarcon (Troy 2021) to get it back within single digits. The Chaffin/Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020) tandem went to work early in the 3rd - two Chaffin baskets assisted by Fox and a Fox basket assisted by Chaffin were the first 6 points of the 3rd, helping Outwork get back up 15. A pair of free throws and a three from Erin Fouracre (Colonie 2018/Le Moyne commit), making her EST debut, cut Lockdown's deficit to 10, and a free throw from Amelia Wood (Averill Park 2022), a top rising 8th grader in upstate NY also making her EST debut knocked it to 42-33 after 3. Chaffin answered with a three, the final of her game high 22 points, to give Outwork a double-digit lead again. Despite Lockdown making one more push, with Alarcon & Fouracre teaming up to score 5 straight to cut the deficit to 47-40 late, it wasn't enough. Along with the game and season high 22 points, Chaffin added 12 rebounds for an impressive double-double and the first ever 20-10 game in EST. Fox, a 5'11" SF/PF, filled the stat line with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Fouracre led the way with 11 points for Lockdown, and Alarcon added 8. Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) had a team high 9 rebounds to go with her 5 points.

Outwork (2-1): Chloe Chaffin 22, Brianna Rozzi 7, Erin Fox 6, Maggie Malone 5, Briann Barringer 2, Lauren Hill 7. Totals: 21-2-49.

Lockdown (1-2): Brooke Curtin 6, Mallory Wood 2, Kelsey Wood 5, Taylor Hansen 5, Taylor Meacham 2, Jenalyse Alarcon 8, Amelia Wood 3, Erin Fouracre 11. Totals: 13-11-42.

Field Goals: Outwork 21/57 (Chaffin 9/19, Rozzi 3/9, Fox 3/9, Malone 2/7, Barringer 1/3, Vamvalis 0/4, Hill 3/6), Lockdown 13/36 (Curtin 2/9, M. Wood 0/3, K. Wood 1/4, Hansen 1/2, Meacham 1/3, Alarcon 3/4, A. Wood 1/6, Fouracre 4/5).

3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 5/18 (Chaffin 2/5, Rozzi 1/2, Hill 1/3, Malone 1/5, Fox 0/1, Vamvalis 0/2), Lockdown 5/18 (Curtin 2/8, Alarcon 1/1, Hansen 1/2, Fouracre 1/2, M. Wood 0/1, K. Wood 0/1, Meacham 0/1, A. Wood 0/2).

Free Throws: Outwork 2/10 (Chaffin 2/4, Rozzi 0/2, Fox 0/2, Chevalier 0/2), Lockdown 11/25 (K. Wood 3/9, M. Wood 2/2, Hansen 2/4, Fouracre 2/4, A. Wood 1/2, Alarcon 1/4).

Rebounds: Outwork 37 (Chaffin 12), Lockdown 26 (K. Wood 9).

Assists: Outwork 13 (Fox 6), Lockdown 8 (3 with 2).

7:30

Next Level 46, Dynasty 43

For the 2nd straight game, an undefeated Next Level squad squandered a double digit lead. For the 2nd straight game, they were able to hold off their opponent and get the win, but unlike the 5:30 game, this one went down to the final possession. Strong starts from Silke Milliman (Northfield Mount Hermon 2019) and Alivia Paeglow (Colonie 2019) helped their Next Level and Dynasty squads get off on the right foot in the 1st quarter, but it was Next Level that continued in the next 10 minutes after leading by 1 going into the quarter. A 14-4 quarter, capped by a three from Aubrey Halloran (Albany 2018) on a Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon 2019) feed gave Next Level a 31-20 halftime lead. Another 7-0 run, capped by a Belle Kranbuhl (Adirondack 2020) basket, gave them their largest lead at 40-24 in the middle of the 3rd. It had the makings of a runaway - but Dynasty had other plans. A Paige Brinkman (Schalmont 2018) three off a Paeglow feed cut Dynasty's deficit to 12 after three quarters, and they were able to cause fits for Next Level on the defensive end in the final 10 minutes. Another Kranbuhl basket gave Next Level a 43-29 lead early in the 4th, but that would be the only field goal they'd make in the quarter as they shot 1/12 from the field. Five straight EmmaLee Morgan (Averill Park 2019) points started the Dynasty run, and another 9-0 spurt fueled by Paeglow and Bella Stuart (Shenendehowa 2020) brought Dynasty's deficit down to 2 in the waning moments, as a Paeglow basket made it 45-43. Forced to foul, they sent Jenna Zimmerman (South Jefferson 2018) to the line, who split a pair to give Next Level a 3 point lead with around 5 seconds remaining. After drawing up a play in the frontcourt, Dynasty's last second attempt was off, and Next Level escaped to go 4-0. Halloran had team highs of 12 points and 8 rebounds in another strong game in EST for her. Milliman added 9 points, and Kranbuhl had 6 points & 6 rebounds. For Dynasty, Paeglow led all scorers with 13 points on 6/10 shooting, and Morgan contributed 8 points & 6 rebounds.

Dynasty (1-3): Alivia Paeglow 13, Emily Zeyak 3, Ahnalese Pearson 6, Paige Brinkman 5, Ashlyn O'Neil 1, Bella Stuart 5, Emmalee Morgan 8, Kyara Triblet 2. Totals: 17-4-43.

Next Level (4-0): Silke Milliman 9, Kylie Sisto 4, Jenna Zimmerman 4, Grace Heeps 4, Allison Moreau 2, Belle Kranbuhl 6, Sophie Tougas 5, Aubrey Halloran 12. Totals: 18-6-46.

Field Goals: Dynasty 17/41 (Paeglow 6/10, Zeyak 1/4, Pearson 2/4, Brinkman 2/4, O'Neil 0/1, Stuart 2/6, Morgan 3/7, Obermayer 0/3, Triblet 1/2), Next Level 18/57 (Milliman 4/12, Sisto 2/6, Zimmerman 1/6, Heeps 2/6, Moreau 1/2, Kranbuhl 2/6, Brown 0/3, Tougas 2/10, Halloran 4/6).

3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 5/15 (Pearson 2/4, Morgan 1/2, Brinkman 1/3, Stuart 1/3, Zeyak 0/1, O'Neil 0/1, Triblet 0/1), Next Level 4/23 (Halloran 1/2, Zimmerman 1/5, Milliman 1/7, Tougas 1/7, Sisto 0/1, Heeps 0/1).

Free Throws: Dynasty 4/10 (Zeyak 1/2, O'Neil 1/2, Morgan 1/2, Paeglow 1/4), Next Level 6/18 (Halloran 3/6, Kranbuhl 2/9, Zimmerman 1/2, Milliman 0/1).

Rebounds: Dynasty 22 (Morgan 6), Next Level 36 (Halloran 8).

Assists: Dynasty 11 (Pearson 4), Next Level 12 (Heeps 6).

Next Big Thing 62, Young Guns 39

It was another breakout game for a NBT squad that has exceeded expectations in EST thus far, and although the winless Young Guns were able to hang around in the 1st half, the balance, teamwork, and uptempo style of NBT was too much to handle. An entertaining first 15 minutes saw a handful of lead changes, but a 17-6 2nd quarter - finished with a NBT 8-0 spurt - gave them a 34-21 lead at the break. After a Rhaymi Porter (Scotia-Glenville 2020) basket started the 3rd for the Young Guns, NBT went on another extended run, this one 10-0 to push their cushion to 44-23. Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018) scored 7 of the 10 points herself, and she assisted on the other three to Renna Poulin (Tamarac 2019). Young Guns played hard to the final whistle, but NBT was able to hold that lead for the remainder of the game, hovering between 17 & 25 the rest of the way. Poulin led all scorers with 17 points, and she added 8 rebounds and 3 assists. 7 came in the 1st quarter, and an additional 5 came in the important 3rd quarter. Jankovic had another big game for NBT, finishing with a double-double of 15 points & 11 rebounds at the guard spot. Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) joined them in double digits with 12, and Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018/Albany commit) added 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Aysia Pink (Colonie 2021) had a strong game in defeat for Young Guns, scoring 9 of her team high 16 points in the 1st quarter, and she added 4 rebounds. Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018) joined her in double figures with 10.

Young Guns (0-4): Molly Brophy 2, Rhaymi Porter 5, Mikyla Mitchell 2, Haedyn Roberts 4, Aysia Pink 16, Lexi DeBeatham 10. Totals: 13-9-39.

Next Big Thing (4-0): Kayla Doody 3, Julie Ford 8, Madison Graber 12, Stephanie Jankovic 15, Renna Poulin 17, Anna Jankovic 4, Maggie Schuermann 3. Totals: 24-6-62.

Field Goals: Young Guns 13/53 (Brophy 1/3, Porter 2/7, J. DeBeatham 0/6, Mitchell 1/7, Van Vorst 0/7, Roberts 1/6, Pink 5/10, L. DeBeatham 3/7), Next Big Thing 24/57 (Doody 1/5, Ford 3/8, Graber 5/11, S. Jankovic 6/0, Poulin 6/10, A. Jankovic 2/7, Schuermann 1/3, Phillips 0/2, Thayne 0/1).

3-Point Field Goals: Young Guns 4/15 (Pink 2/5, Porter 1/1, L. DeBeatham 1/1, Mitchell 0/1, Van Vorst 0/3, J. DeBeatham 0/4), Next Big Thing 8/23 (Poulin 3/5, Graber 2/5, Schuermann 1/1, S. Jankovic 1/2, Doody 1/3, Ford 0/1, Phillips 0/2, A. Jankovic 0/4).

Free Throws: Young Guns 9/11 (Pink 4/4, L. DeBeatham 3/3, Roberts 2/2, J. DeBeatham 0/2), Next Big Thing 6/9 (Poulin 2/2, Ford 2/3, S. Jankovic 2/4).

Rebounds: Young Guns 26 (Porter 6), Next Big Thing 46 (S. Jankovic 11).

Assists: Young Guns 9 (J. DeBeatham 5), Next Big Thing 15 (Doody 4).


8:30

Outwork 60, Show Stoppers 53

Huge games from a couple returning members of last year's championship Outwork team, plus a breakout game from a new member, helped an undermanned squad break away and take home their 2nd victory of the night. They took the lead early and held it for good, as a Maggie Malone (Cornwall 2019) basket not only gave them a 5-4 lead, but it was in the beginning stages of a 14-0 run, culminating with a Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018/Fordham commit) bucket that gave Outwork a 16-4 lead. Show Stoppers answered with a 9-0 run of their own to get back into it. Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018/LIU Brooklyn commit) had 5 of them, and her basket at the end of the run cut their deficit to 3. Their balance was met by a strong 2nd quarter from Outwork's Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020). The rising Section IX talent had 8 of Outwork's 12 in the quarter, allowing them to keep a 28-24 cushion at the break. Fox passed the baton off to Malone at halftime, and she ran with it. While a tough Show Stoppers team was able to hang around, the story of the 2nd half was Malone. The 5'9" rising junior found ways to score in the half-court or on the break, with the jumper or with the drive. She scored the first 11 points of the 2nd half for Outwork, and it took everything the Show Stoppers had to keep up. Malone continued her onslaught in the 4th, now with help from Fox & Chaffin. After a Sam Pasinella (Mechanicville 2018) bucket cut Show Stoppers' deficit to 45-40, it was Malone starting what turned into a back-breaking 13-2 run with a basket off a Chaffin feed. Fox then scored back-to-back times, and after a Melanie Hoyt (Stamford 2021) basket for Show Stoppers, 7 more Outwork points from Malone (off a feed from Chaffin, the final of her 7 assists), Chaffin, and Fox gave Outwork their largest lead at 58-42. Show Stoppers tried to make one final push after another Chaffin basket made it 60-47, with steals leading to Sanford threes on back-to-back possessions, but it was too little, too late. Malone pumped in a game and EST career high 24 points on 10/17 shooting. Fox added 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals - the 18 being her EST high - and Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019) played a strong game as a floor general and finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Chaffin had 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 steals. Despite scoring just 1 point, Lauren Hill (Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) - a 5'8" guard - pulled down an EST season high 15 rebounds. Sanford led Show Stoppers with 15 points and 4 rebounds, and Pasinella contributed 1 points. Madison Hoyt (Stamford 2019) and Julianna Okoniewski (Bethlehem 2018) again had solid games, finishing with 9 points apiece. Hoyt added 8 rebounds.

Show Stoppers (0-4): Holly Manchester 3, Madison Hoyt 9, Julianna Okoniewski 9, Sam Pasinella 11, Shyla Sanford 15, Melanie Hoyt 6. Totals: 22-3-53.

Outwork (3-1): Chloe Chaffin 6, Brianna Rozzi 11, Erin Fox 18, Lauren Hill 1, Maggie Malone 24. Totals: 23-11-60.

Field Goals: Show Stoppers 22/58 (Manchester 1/6, Ma. Hoyt 4/8, Okoniewski 4/10, Malicki 0/2, Steenland 0/3, Pasinella 4/10, Sanford 6/12, Me. Hoyt 3/6, Frodyma 0/1), Outwork 23/52 (Chaffin 3/12, Rozzi 4/7, Fox 6/10, Hill 0/3, Malone 10/17, Chevalier 0/3).

3-Point Field Goals: Show Stoppers 6/16 (Sanford 3/8, Ma. Hoyt 1/1, Manchester 1/2, Pasinella 1/2, Malicki 0/1, Steenland 0/2), Outwork 3/10 (Malone 2/4, Rozzi 1/2, Fox 0/1, Hill 0/1, Chaffin 0/2).

Free Throws: Show Stoppers 3/7 (Pasinella 2/3, Okoniewski 1/2, Sanford 0/2), Outwork 11/19 (Fox 6/11, Rozzi 2/2, Malone 2/2, Hill 1/2, Chaffin 0/2).

Rebounds: Show Stoppers 8 (Ma. Hoyt 8), Outwork 37 (Hill 15).

Assists: Show Stoppers 16 (Manchester 7), Outwork 12 (Chaffin 7).

Rising Stars 51, Lockdown 38

A big 3rd quarter run gave Rising Stars some cushion in a game that was a tug-of-war for the first 25 minutes, and they were able to hold off any challenge from a fatigued Lockdown squad in the nightcap. It was a back-and-forth start, with 8 lead changes in the 1st half. Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020) got off to a strong start, scoring 7 points in the opening stanza, and Rising stars led 13-12. Lockdown went on a run to start the 2nd, scoring 12 of the first 16 points and eventually saw their largest lead of 27-21 on an Amelia Wood (Averill Park 2022) 3 point play. A Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019) free throw for Rising Stars tied it up at 29 going into the half. After a pair of Mallory Wood (Averill Park 2018) free throws started off the 3rd for Lockdown, it all went downhill for her team. A Julia Ryan (Shenendehowa 2018) three gave Rising Stars the lead for good at 32-31, and it started a 12-0 run culminating in another Cairns basket. After Jenalyse Alarcon (Troy 2021) briefly stopped the bleeding with a basket for Lockdown, Kerry Flaherty (Saratoga Springs 2019) responded with a jumper and 2 free throws to push their lead to 45-33. Lockdown's offense went stale for the rest of the game, as a Taylor Meacham (Berne-Knox-Westerlo 2020) drive and finish with 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter proved to be the last field goal they'd make, so even though Rising Stars only went 1/8 in the 4th, it didn't come back to haunt them. Cairns, a standout 2020 PG with an offer from Albany, led all scorers with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. High school/AAU teammate and fellow longtime area standout Flaherty added 10 points. The two combined to shoot 10/16 from the field. Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam 2018) added 7 points and 7 rebounds. Lockdown got a team high 11 points from Alarcon, and Mallory Wood added 8. Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) had 11 rebounds to go with 4 points.

Lockdown (1-3): Brooke Curtin 5, Mallory Wood 8, Kelsey Wood 4, Taylor Meacham 5, Jenalyse Alarcon 11, Amelia Wood 5. Totals: 14-9-38.

Rising Stars (3-1): Mary Kate Palleschi 2, Giuliana Pritchard 7, Cat Almeida 1, Allie Pacatte 6, Julia Ryan 3, Dolly Cairns 18, Sarah Mattfeld 4, Kerry Flaherty 10. Totals: 20-6-51.

Field Goals: Lockdown 14/49 (Curtin 2/8, M. Wood 2/4, K. Wood 1/10, Hansen 0/4, Meacham 2/7, Alarcon 5/11, A. Wood 2/5), Rising Stars 20/46 (Palleschi 1/2, Pritchard 3/7, Almeida 0/6, Pacatte 3/4, Ryan 1/4, Cairns 6/10, Mahar 0/1, Mattfeld 2/6, Flaherty 4/6).

3-Point Field Goals: Lockdown 1/14 (Curtin 1/6, M. Wood 0/1, Alarcon 0/1, Meacham 0/2, K. Wood 0/4), Rising Stars 5/12 (Cairns 3/4, Pritchard 1/2, Ryan 1/2, Almeida 0/1, Pacatte 0/1, Flaherty 0/2).

Free Throws: Lockdown 9/17 (M. Wood 4/5, K. Wood 2/4, Alarcon 1/1, A. Wood 1/1, Meacham 1/4, Hansen 0/2), Rising Stars 6/16 (Cairns 3/6, Flaherty 2/2, Almeida 1/2, Palleschi 0/2, Mahar 0/2, Mattfeld 0/2).

Rebounds: Lockdown 26 (K. Wood 11), Rising Stars 29 (Pritchard 7).

Assists: Lockdown 3 (M. Wood 2), Rising Stars 8 (Pritchard 2).

2017 Opening Night Full Recap

For the 3rd straight year, the last week of June meant one thing - many of the region's top girls' basketball players planned to invade Union College for the opening night of the Empire State Takeover summer league. That they did, and the stars were shining brighter than ever on this night. Between big-time performances from big-time players and a couple games for the ages, June 28 was a night to remember for EST. More about it below!


Rising Stars 62, Dynasty 40

A strong - and nearly full - Rising Stars team was able to shake an undermanned, but tough Dynasty squad with a huge 2nd half. After leading by only 2 at the break, Rising Stars turned on the jets and shot 50% after the break. They received double digit scoring from three different players in their season opener; Dolly Cairns, a rising sophomore at Saratoga Springs that already holds an offer from Albany, led the way with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Sarah Mattfeld, a rising freshman at Catholic Central & one of the headliners of a very strong 2021 class in upstate NY, scored all 11 of her points after halftime, and Cat Almeida, a 6'5" rising junior at Shenendehowa that holds a Binghamton offer, added 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. For Dynasty, Columbia 2018 Emily Zeyak led all scorers with 15 points, and she added 4 rebounds and 2 steals.

Dynasty (0-1): Madison Greco 7, Alivia Paeglow 4, Emily Zeyak 15, Ahnalese Pearson 3, Paige Brinkman 4, Ashlyn O'Neil 7. Totals 12-10-40.

Rising Stars (1-0): Mary Kate Palleschi 5, Giuliana Pritchard 6, Cat Almeida 10, Dolly Cairns 15, Olivia Langdon 2, Grace Mahar 7, Sarah Mattfeld 11, Harmony Philo 6. Totals 22-12-62.

Field Goals: Dynasty 12/50 (Greco 2/3, Paeglow 1/5, Konicki 0/5, Zeyak 4/13, Pearson 1/3, Brinkman 1/6, O'Neil 3/6, Stuart 0/4, Smith 0/2, Daubon 0/3), Rising Stars 22/52 (Palleschi 2/7, Pritchard 3/6, Almeida 3/5, Pacatte 0/3, Ryan 0/4, Cairns 4/7, Langdon 1/4, Mahar 2/5, Mattfeld 5/6, Philo 2/5).

3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 6/20 (Zeyak 2/5, Greco 1/1, Pearson 1/3, O'Neil 1/3, Brinkman 1/4, Stuart 0/1, Smith 0/1, Zeyak 0/2), Rising Stars 6/13 (Cairns 3/4, Philo 2/3, Mattfeld 1/1, Palleschi 0/1, Pacatte 0/2, Ryan 0/2).

Free Throws: Dynasty 10/15 (Zeyak 5/9, Greco 2/2, Paeglow 2/2, Brinkman 1/2), Rising Stars 12/16 (Cairns 4/4, Almeida 4/5, Mahar 3/4, Palleschi 1/2, Mattfeld 0/1).

Rebounds: Dynasty 22 (Zeyak 4), Rising Stars 39 (Pritchard 7).

Assists: Dynasty 7 (Pearson 3), Rising Stars 14 (Pacatte, Ryan 3).


Next Big Thing 72, Show Stoppers 39

A huge 2nd quarter for the team in purple turned the opener for both teams into a blowout, and NBT was able to continue its barrage as the game went on into the largest offensive output a team has ever produced on opening night. Balance was the story for NBT, showing willingness to make the extra pass to get easy baskets throughout the game. Julie Ford, a rising senior at Cooperstown who recently made her verbal commitment to Albany, led all scorers with 17 points and added 8 rebounds & 2 blocks. Schalmont 2018 Madison Graber added 16 points, and Averill Park 2018 Stephanie Jankovic contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Madison Hoyt (Stamford 2019) and Molly Kirby (Bethlehem 2018) paced Show Stoppers with 8 and 7 points, respectively.

Next Big Thing (1-0): Kayla Doody 6, Julie Ford 17, Madison Graber 16, Stephanie Jankovic 11, Renna Poulin 6, Anna Jankovic 3, Lilly Phillips 1, Logan Thayne 8, Sophie Phillips 4. Totals: 29-9-72.

Show Stoppers (0-1): Madison Hoyt 8, Julianna Okoniewski 6, Molly Kirby 7, Maddy Malicki 5, Sam Pasinella 4, Shyla Sanford 3, Melanie Hoyt 2, Lexi Mercier 4. Totals: 14-10-39.

Field Goals: Next Big Thing 29/56 (Doody 2/4, Ford 7/13, Graber 6/15, S. Jankovic 5/9, Poulin 3/5, A. Jankovic 1/2, L. Phillips 0/1, Thayne 4/5, S. Phillips 1/2), Show Stoppers 14/53 (Ma. Hoyt 3/8, Okoniewski 3/7, Kirby 2/7, Malicki 1/4, Steenland 0/4, Pasinella 1/3, Sanford 1/7, Me. Hoyt 1/4, Mercier 2/9).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Big Thing 5/11 (Doody 1/1, A. Jankovic 1/1, S. Phillips 1/1, Graber 1/3, S. Jankovic 1/3, Ford 0/1, Poulin 0/1), Show Stoppers 1/10 (Malicki 1/3, Kirby 0/2, Steenland 0/2, Sanford 0/3).

Free Throws: Next Big Thing 9/13 (Ford 3/4, Graber 3/4, Doody 1/1, L. Phillips 1/2, S. Phillips 1/2), Show Stoppers 10/16 (Kirby 3/4, Ma. Hoyt 2/2, Pasinella 2/2, Malicki 2/4, Sanford 1/4).

Rebounds: Next Big Thing 39 (Ford, Thayne 8), Show Stoppers 27 (Okoniewski, Me. Hoyt 6).

Assists: Next Big Thing 16 (Doody, S. Jankovic, S. Phillips 4), Show Stoppers 7 (Kirby, Malicki, Sanford 2).


Outwork 55, Young Guns 36

A 24-9 3rd quarter turned a competitive game into a blowout, as an Outwork team with 4 returners from last year's championship team was able to outgun an undermanned Young Guns group. Outwork was able to push the lead to as great as 26 in the 2nd half before the lid came off the rim for Young Guns. Sam McKenna, a rising junior at Millbrook, led a balanced Outwork attack with 11 points in her EST debut. Maggie Malone, also a rising junior at Cornwall, added 10 points and 6 rebounds. Goshen 2020 Erin Smith scored all 8 of her points in the runaway 3rd quarter for Outwork. Young Guns was paced by local 2020 standout guards Julia DeBeatham (Shaker) and Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville), who had 9 & 8 points.

Outwork (1-0): Chloe Chaffin 6, Brianna Rozzi 1, Erin Fox 7, Rebecca Townes 2, Maggie Malone 10, Erin Smith 8, Sam McKenna 11, Anna VanRoy 5, Grace VanRoy 5. Totals: 21-7-55.

Young Guns (0-1): Molly Williams 6, Rhaymi Porter 5, Julia DeBeatham 9, Alaina Holmes 5, Mikyla Mitchell 8, Haedyn Roberts 3. Totals: 15-2-36.

Field Goals: Outwork 21/55 (Chaffin 3/8, Rozzi 0/6, Fox 2/3, Townes 1/2, Malone 4/6, Smith 3/9, McKenna 4/10, A. VanRoy 2/6, G. VanRoy 2/5), Young Guns 15/44 (Williams 3/8, Oeffler 0/4, Porter 2/5, DeBeatham 4/11, Holmes 2/5, Mitchell 3/9, Roberts 1/2).

3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 6/16 (Malone 2/2, McKenna 2/5, G. VanRoy 1/1, Smith 1/3, Chaffin 0/1, Townes 0/1, A. VanRoy 0/1, Rozzi 0/2), Young Guns 4/13 (Porter 1/1, Holmes 1/2, Mitchell 1/2, DeBeatham 1/4, Williams 0/2, Oeffler 0/2).

Free Throws: Outwork 7/12 (Fox 3/5, Smith 1/1, Rozzi 1/2, McKenna 1/2, A. VanRoy 1/2), Young Guns 2/12 (Mitchell 1/2, Roberts 1/6, DeBeatham 0/2, Holmes 0/2).

Rebounds: Outwork 38 (Chaffin 7), Young Guns 30 (Porter, Roberts 7).

Assists: Outwork 13 (Rozzi, Townes 3), Young Guns 7 (DeBeatham 3).


Next Level 59, Lockdown 50

In what quickly became the early frontrunner for most fun watch of the year, Next Level was able to use a big 3rd quarter run to turn a halftime deficit into a lead that they wouldn't relinquish en route to their first win of the year. A strong start from St. Francis (BK) commit Alexandra Tudor (Shenendehowa 2018), Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa 2018), and Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) pushed Lockdown to a 19-11 lead late in the 1st quarter. After Next Level went on a 7-0 run to start the 2nd, Lockdown responded to take a 29-24 lead into halftime, with the aforementioned three having scored 24 of the 29 points. It didn't take long for Next Level to find its mojo out of the huddle, however, as they started the 3rd on a 15-3 tear, with a Silke Milliman (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019) layup extending their lead to 39-32. A Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019) three, following two assists on Milliman baskets, pushed the Next Level lead to 46-37. After Lockdown cut back into their deficit, Albany rising senior Aubrey Halloran scored 6 quick points to push Next Level's lead back to 54-45. Lockdown had numerous chances to cut back into it late, closing the gap to 6 at 56-50 on a Kelsey Wood putback with under 2 minutes left, but a handful of missed layups and open looks in the waning moments thwarted any hope of a photo finish. Silke Milliman, a rising junior that currently has 3 D1 offers, led all scorers with 16 points in the victory. Halloran pumped in 15 and 6 rebounds, with both having huge 2nd halves. Belle Kranbuhl, a 6'2" rising sophomore at Adirondack, added 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals in a breakout performance for Next Level, and Heeps, whose offer from Boston College pushed her total to 12, had 5 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals. Alex Tudor, Cam Tooley, and Kelsey Wood all finished with 12 points for Lockdown. Tudor added 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals; Tooley, a standout PG with D2 offers from Le Moyne & Daemen, added a pair of assists and steals, and Wood went 6/7 from the field and added 6 rebounds.

Next Level (1-0): Silke Milliman 16, Aubrey Halloran 15, Jenna Zimmerman 3, Grace Heeps 5, Belle Kranbuhl 9, Jackie Piddock 6, Abby Piddock 4, Kylie Sisto 1. Totals: 22-10-59.

Lockdown (0-1): Brooke Curtin 5, Mallory Wood 4, Kelsey Wood 12, Cameron Tooley 12, Alexandra Tudor 12, Taylor Hansen 3, Jenalyse Alarcon 2. Totals: 19-7-50.

Field Goals: Next Level 22/41 (Milliman 7/10, Halloran 6/7, Zimmerman 1/1, Heeps 1/3, Kranbuhl 4/10, J. Piddock 2/3, Tougas 0/2, A. Piddock 1/4, Sisto 0/1), Lockdown 19/54 (Curtin 2/11, M. Wood 2/7, K. Wood 6/7, Tooley 4/8, Tudor 3/11, Hansen 1/2, Meacham 0/3, Alarcon 1/5).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 5/13 (J. Piddock 2/3, Zimmerman 1/1, Milliman 1/2, Heeps 1/3, Sisto 0/1, Tougas 0/2, A. Piddock 0/2), Lockdown 5/18 (Tudor 2/7, Hansen 1/1, Tooley 1/2, Curtin 1/6, M. Wood 0/2).

Free Throws: Next Level 10/13 (Halloran 3/5, Heeps 2/2, A. Piddock 2/2, Milliman 1/1, Kranbuhl 1/1, Sisto 1/2), Lockdown 7/16 (Tudor 4/4, Tooley 3/5, Curtin 0/2, Hansen 0/2, K. Wood 0/3).

Rebounds: Next Level 33 (Kranbuhl 8), Lockdown 20 (K. Wood 6).

Assists: Next Level 16 (Heeps 8), Lockdown 9 (Tudor 4).


Next Big Thing 62, Rising Stars 58

In a back-and-forth game between teams that won their openers, a couple well-timed spurts were just enough for Next Big Thing to keep their record unblemished on the night. After a 1st quarter that saw a hot start from Tamarac 2019 Renna Poulin & a Next Big Thing 18-16 edge, Rising Stars started the 2nd strong to take a slight 24-21 edge. NBT responded with a 10-3 run of their own to end the half and take a 35-29 lead into the 3rd. After they took a 7 point lead in the middle of the 3rd, Rising Stars responded with a run of their own to take the lead again. A Mary Kate Palleschi basket off a Grace Mahar feed gave Rising Stars a 40-39 edge, and they extended their run to 10-0 on two free throws from Mahar. True to form, Next Big Thing responded with a 9-0 run of their own. Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020) started it with a putback to end the 3rd, and a Julie Ford basket to start the 4th gave NBT a lead they wouldn't relinquish. She added another basket and Madison Graber had a 3 point play to push the lead to 6. A tough Rising Stars squad was able to challenge throughout the 4th, and they cut their deficit to 53-52 at one point on a Giuliana Pritchard basket. That was when Stephanie Jankovic delivered the knockout punch, going on a personal 8-0 run in the waning moments to give NBT its largest lead of 9 and essentially put the game out of reach. Rising Stars went on one more quick 6-0 spurt to make it a 3 point game, but it was too little, too late for the team in red. Madison Graber, a rising senior at Schalmont, led all scorers with 14 points, and Albany commit Julie Ford had a double-double with 12 points & 10 rebounds. Poulin joined them in double digits with 11, and Jankovic had 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals from the PG spot. For Rising Stars, Dolly Cairns had a hot start and scored 11 of her team high 14 points in the 1st half, and Olivia Langdon (Little Falls 2019) and the aforementioned Mahar added 8 points apiece. Harmony Philo (Gloversville 2019) & the aforementioned Palleschi added 7 each.

Next Big Thing (2-0): Julie Ford 12, Madison Graber 14, Stephanie Jankovic 10, Renna Poulin 11, Anna Jankovic 3, Lilly Phillips 2, Logan Thayne 4, Sophie Phillips 6. Totals: 23-8-62.

Rising Stars (1-1): Mary Kate Palleschi 7, Giuliana Pritchard 6, Cat Almeida 2, Dolly Cairns 14, Olivia Langdon 8, Grace Mahar 8, Sarah Mattfeld 6, Harmony Philo 7. Totals: 23-6-58.

Field Goals: Next Big Thing 23/69 (Doody 0/1, Ford 5/9, Graber 5/10, S. Jankovic 4/15, Poulin 3/9, A. Jankovic 1/5, L. Phillips 1/6, Thayne 2/6, S. Phillips 2/8), Rising Stars 23/57 (Palleschi 3/7, Pritchard 3/9, Almeida 1/3, Pacatte 0/2, Ryan 0/4, Cairns 6/11, Langdon 3/5, Mahar 2/3, Mattfeld 2/6, Philo 3/7).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Big Thing 8/22 (Graber 3/5, Poulin 2/3, S. Jankovic 2/5, S. Phillips 1/2, A. Jankovic 1/3, Doody 0/1, L. Phillips 0/1, Ford 0/3), Rising Stars 6/19 (Mattfeld 2/3, Cairns 2/6, Palleschi 1/2, Philo 1/3, Ryan 0/2, Pritchard 0/3).

Free Throws: Next Big Thing 8/14 (Poulin 3/4, Ford 2/3, Graber 2/3, S. Phillips 1/2, L. Phillips 0/2), Rising Stars 6/9 (Mahar 4/4, Langdon 2/3, Pacatte 0/2).

Rebounds: Next Big Thing 46 (Ford 10), Rising Stars 29 (Philo 6).

Assists: Next Big Thing 13 (Doody, S. Jankovic 3), Rising Stars 8 (Cairns, Langdon, Philo 2).


Dynasty 64, Show Stoppers 57

A strong 4th quarter comeback effort came up short for Show Stoppers, as Dynasty was able to even their opening night record behind a strong offensive showing and the emergence of a future Section IX standout. Dynasty held a 34-28 lead after an uptempo first half, and the game remained tight deep into the 3rd. That was when Deliah Smith left her mark on the game. The rising sophomore guard at FDR (Hyde Park) introduced herself to Capital District hoops by dropping 12 points in the last 4 minutes of the 3rd, doing so by hitting threes, getting all the way to the rim, and using a strong in-between games. The lefty even hit a right-handed floater in the mix, as Dynasty took a 54-40 lead into the 4th. Show Stoppers fought back, as their press caused problems for the opposition, led by scrappy guards Molly Kirby and Shyla Sanford. Kirby scored 7 of her team high 14 points in the 4th, turning defense into offense by getting out into the open court and finishing. A couple missed opportunities in the final minutes and 3/10 free throw shooting in the 4th proved to be too much to overcome, though, as the comeback rally was stalled. Smith led all scorers with 16 in the victory, and 6'3" Voorheesville 2019 Victoria Konicki scored all 11 of her points in the 1st half. Along with Kirby's 14, she added 5 rebounds and 4 steals, and 6'1" Stamford 2021 Melanie Hoyt contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Hoosac Valley (MA) 2019 Lexi Mercier added 9 points for Show Stoppers.

Dynasty (1-1): Madison Greco 5, Alivia Paeglow 9, Victoria Konicki 11, Emily Zeyak 7, Paige Brinkman 4, Ashlyn O'Neil 6, Bella Stuart 1, Deliah Smith 16, Jaelen Daubon 5. Totals: 24-10-64.

Show Stoppers (0-2): Madison Hoyt 2, Maddy Malicki 4, Molly Kirby 14, Julianna Okoniewski 6, Haley Steenland 5, Sam Pasinella 3, Shyla Sanford 3, Melanie Hoyt 11, Lexi Mercier 9. Totals: 21-9-57.

Field Goals: Dynasty 24/53 (Greco 2/4, Paeglow 4/7, Konicki 4/7, Zeyak 26, Pearson 0/1, Brinkman 1/4, O'Neil 3/5, Stuart 0/3, Smith 6/10, Daubon 2/6), Show Stoppers 21/63 (Ma. Hoyt 1/6, Malicki 1/4, Kirby 6/12, Okoniewski 2/10, Steenland 2/6, Pasinella 0/2, Sanford 0/8, Me. Hoyt 5/8, Mercier 4/7).

3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 6/13 (Smith 2/3, Konicki 1/1, Greco 1/2, Zeyak 1/2, Daubon 1/2, Pearson 0/1, Brinkman 0/1, Stuart 0/1), Show Stoppers 6/18 (Okoniewski 1/1, Me. Hoyt 1/1, Mercier 1/2, Malicki 1/3, Kirby 1/3, Steenland 1/4, Pasinella 0/1, Sanford 0/3).

Free Throws: Dynasty 10/15 (Konicki 2/2, Brinkman 2/2, Smith 2/2, Zeyak 2/4, Paeglow 1/2, Stuart 1/2, Greco 0/1), Show Stoppers 9/20 (Sanford 3/4, Pasinella 3/6, Kirby 1/3, Okoniewski 1/3, Malicki 1/4).

Rebounds: Dynasty 32 (Stuart, Daubon 5), Show Stoppers 37 (Okoniewski, Me. Hoyt 7).

Assists: Dynasty 11 (Smith 3), Show Stoppers 9 (Malicki 3).


Lockdown 44, Young Guns 30

What started favorably for Young Guns turned into a nightmarish final 30 minutes on the offensive end, as the lid was on the rim en route to 16 points in the 2nd-4th quarters combined. It wasn't Lockdown's strongest offensive showing either, but their strong defensive effort and taking control of the battle of the boards helped them manufacture a win in the nightcap. Down 14-8 after 1, Lockdown stayed true to its team name and held Young Guns without a field goal in the 2nd quarter as they forged a 19-16 halftime lead. They extended their margin to 8 after 3, and held Young Guns to 6 in the final 10 minutes to solidify the victory. Brooke Curtin (Cohoes 2020) scored all of her team high 9 points in the 2nd half. Rising Shenendehowa senior Cameron Tooley added 8 points, all in the 1st half, and added 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Kelsey Wood (Averill Park) had a team high 7 rebounds to go with her 7 points. Much of Young Guns' offensive production came from rising Scotia-Glenville sophomore Mikyla Mitchell, who scored a game high 12 points.

Lockdown (1-1): Brooke Curtin 9, Mallory Wood 5, Kelsey Wood 7, Cameron Tooley 8, Taylor Hansen 5, Taylor Meacham 4, Jenalyse Alarcon 6. Totals: 14-9-44.

Young Guns (0-2): Molly Williams 7, Kyra Oeffler 3, Rhaymi Porter 2, Julia DeBeatham 2, Alaina Holmes 3, Mikyla Mitchell 12, Haedyn Roberts 3. Totals: 9-9-30.

Field Goals: Lockdown 14/42 (Curtin 3/11, M. Wood 1/4, K. Wood 3/6, Tooley 2/6, Hansen 2/5, Meacham 1/4, Alarcon 2/6), Young Guns 9/38 (Williams 2/6, Oeffler 1/6, Porter 1/6, DeBeatham 1/6, Holmes 1/4, Mitchell 2/6, Roberts 1/4).

3-Point Field Goals: Lockdown 7/13 (Tooley 2/3, Curtin 2/6, Hansen 1/1, Alarcon 1/1, Meacham 1/2), Young Guns 3/10 (Holmes 1/1, Oeffler 1/2, Mitchell 1/3, Williams 0/1, Porter 0/1, DeBeatham 0/2).

Free Throws: Lockdown 9/15 (M. Wood 3/5, Tooley 2/2, Curtin 1/1, Meacham 1/2, Alarcon 1/2, K. Wood 1/3), Young Guns 9/18 (Mitchell 5/8, Williams 3/8, Roberts 1/2).

Rebounds: Lockdown 31 (K. Wood 7), Young Guns 25 (Roberts 7).

Assists: Lockdown 10 (Tooley 5), Young Guns 5 (DeBeatham 3).


Next Level 38, Outwork 36

In a defensive battle where points were difficult to come by, shots started falling for Next Level at the perfect time, as they ended the game on a 10-0 run to steal a victory against an Outwork team that had the lead nearly from wire to wire. Outwork jumped out to a 14-5 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and a Brianna Rozzi basket gave them their largest lead at 16-5 early in the 2nd. 4 straight points from Fordham commit Chloe Chaffin gave Outwork a double-digit lead one more time, at 22-12, late in the 2nd. Next Level then received back-to-back baskets from Silke Milliman, both on assists from Allison Moreau, to end the half. This sparked what turned into a 10-0 run, with a pair of Grace Heeps free throws tying the game at 22 in the 3rd quarter. After a Belle Kranbuhl basket tied it once more at 26 for Next Level, Outwork was able to extend their lead once more. Sam McKenna knocked down a transition three off a feed from Rozzi to give Outwork a 34-28 lead, and Rebecca Townes added a steal & layup to push their lead to 8 with under 4 minutes left. Those would be the final points Outwork scored in the game, however, as Next Level was able to rip victory from the hands of defeat thanks to big plays from Sophie Tougas and Silke Milliman. Held to 4 points before this stretch, Tougas had the first 7 of the 10-0 run herself, hitting back-to-back threes after splitting a pair at the line to bring their deficit down to 1. With under 2 minutes left, it was then Tougas who kicked out and found an open Milliman, whose three rang true to give Next Level their first and only lead of the game. Thankfully for them, their first lead proved to be the most important ones, as Milliman's three completed the scoring on the night. Tougas, a 6' 2019 wing, paced Next Level with 11 points and added 5 rebounds. Milliman was just short of a double-double, finishing with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Heeps contributed 7 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals, and Jenna Zimmerman added her 2nd straight 5 block game. For Outwork, Chaffin led the way with 11 points and added 5 rebounds, and Rozzi & Townes added 7 points & 4 rebounds each, with Townes also contributing 4 steals.

Next Level (2-0): Silke Milliman 9, Jenna Zimmerman 3, Grace Heeps 7, Belle Kranbuhl 6, Sophie Tougas 11, Abby Piddock 2. Totals: 12-10-38.

Outwork (1-1): Chloe Chaffin 11, Brianna Rozzi 7, Erin Fox 2, Rebecca Townes 7, Maggie Malone 2, Sam McKenna 4, Anna VanRoy 3. Totals: 13-5-36.

Field Goals: Next Level 12/54 (Milliman 4/11, Sisto 0/5, Zimmerman 1/5, Heeps 1/6, Moreau 0/1, Kranbuhl 3/9, Brown 0/2, J. Piddock 0/3, Tougas 3/10, A. Piddock 0/2), Outwork 13/49 (Chaffin 3/9, Rozzi 3/9, Fox 1/3, Townes 3/7, Malone 1/6, Smith 0/6, McKenna 1/4, A. VanRoy 1/4).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 4/23 (Tougas 2/6, Heeps 1/3, Milliman 1/5, Sisto 0/1, Moreau 0/1, J. Piddock 0/2, A. Piddock 0/2, Zimmerman 0/3), Outwork 5/15 (Townes 1/2, A. VanRoy 1/2, Chaffin 1/3, Rozzi 1/3, McKenna 1/3, Malone 0/1, Smith 0/1).

Free Throws: Next Level 10/13 (Heeps 4/6, Tougas 3/4, A. Piddock 2/2, Zimmerman 1/1), Outwork 5/6 (Chaffin 4/4, McKenna 1/2).

Rebounds: Next Level 37 (Milliman 10), Outwork 30 (Chaffin 5).

Assists: Next Level 11 (Heeps, Zimmerman 3), Outwork 5 (McKenna 2).