Early Run Sets the Tone, CVA Wins at Home

December 12, 2018

Central Valley Academy 54, Cazenovia 40

As usual, it was a light Wednesday night on the upstate NY girls' basketball schedule. This allowed the freedom to be able to make the trip to Ilion - a stone's throw from my hometown of Herkimer - to catch an interesting nonleague matchup between teams that rarely see each other in any sport, let alone just basketball. The host CVA squad took the dramatics out of it early, going on a big 1st quarter run to establish a double digit lead that their visitors would never cut into.

Reilly Rich finished with 14 points, a team high for CVA.

It was a painfully slow start offensively for both sides, as there were more fouls called than points scored for much of the 1st quarter. Cazenovia led 4-2 midway through the quarter before the Thunder started to make their push. Despite going the first 6:45 of the game without a field goal, CVA was able to take the lead exclusively at the free throw line after forcing Cazenovia to pick up their 5th team foul of the quarter at the 3:42 mark. Once Savannah Sommer (CVA 2020) finally produced their first field goal off a Savannah Moore (CVA 2022) feed at the 1:15 mark, it was off to the races. Moore then got a steal and converted 12 seconds later. She scored again less than 20 seconds later, and by the time Sommer converted again in the quarter's final seconds, CVA led 16-4. It was a 14-0 run in the final 3:42 of the 1st quarter, with 11 of those points coming in the last 75 seconds. The barrage slowed to start the 2nd quarter, with Lindsey Lawson (Cazenovia 2020) converting around the rim to briefly stop the bleeding, but her team's offensive woes continued. The deficit got no closer than 9 in the middle of the 2nd, but a pair of Abby Brown open jumpers turned into 5 CVA points, and another Moore basket extended their cushion to 15.

Lindsey Lawson came out of the locker room with a different fire for Cazenovia. With Towson in the CVA gym for the 6'3" standout 2020 forward, she showed many pieces of the arsenal that has made her a highly coveted Division I target. Three straight Lawson baskets cut their deficit to 30-19, but it was Savannah Moore again with the response, as her left wing three rang true. Reilly Rich (CVA 2020) followed with a basket, and Moore added another bucket to finish off a 7-0 run as they eventually ended the 3rd quarter up 16 despite Lawson's 10 point quarter. CVA led by as much as 20 in the 4th after scoring the first four of the quarter. Lawson continued to do major damage in the paint, adding 11 more points in the 4th, but a 13 point deficit was the closest they came.

Reilly Rich finished with 14 points to lead CVA, 8 coming in the 4th quarter. Savannah Moore added 13, and Savannah Sommer added to their balanced effort with 10 points. Lindsey Lawson had a monster 2nd half for Cazenovia, where she scored 21 of her team's 27 points. She led all scorers with 27 points herself.

Lindsey Lawson had a monster 2nd half and led all scorers with 27 points.

#JeffsNotes

- I like to think I have a pretty good grip on NY girls basketball, both from the individual player and from the high school team standpoints. However, there are those times where I either over- or underestimate a player or team. After watching yesterday, I think I may have underestimated CVA a little bit. I've been aware of their top players and what they bring, but their team athleticism was a little beyond what I expected, and they had others produce at both ends and show that they can knock down shots. With most of their rotation being juniors or younger - Savannah Moore being a freshman and Averi Dyn being a sophomore - there's some promise there.

- Speaking of Savannah Moore... the CVA 2022 guard is a player that I've been aware of and have watched for well over a year now. At these younger ages, development is the most important thing as no one is a finished product - and if you are, you're in trouble. Development & improvement are words I'll instantly bring up with Savannah, as I truly can't think of another player in upstate NY in her graduating class that has improved more than she has over the last year. The athletic guard made her presence felt nearly from the opening tip. She took defenders off the dribble, got into gaps, and got paint touches. She was willing & able to challenge the D at the rim, yet showed the IQ and skill to be able to pull up & connect on a short range floater over the arm of Lindsey Lawson. When given room, she showed she could hit the three. Several drives turned into good reads & better passes, dumping down to Savannah Sommer or kicking to a relocating shooter. Defensively, she was everywhere - harassing ballhandlers, tipping passes, on the floor, you name it. The youngster had a major impact on this game, and I'm looking forward to seeing her continued development.

Savannah Moore has made great strides over the last year to become an impact varsity player as a freshman.

- Lindsey Lawson isn't back at 100% yet. She was sick not that long ago and out for a few weeks, only recently getting cleared and is now working her way back into game shape. However, for the last 16 minutes of Wednesday's contest, she showed everyone in the Ilion, NY gym why she's become so coveted by a growing list of D1 programs & why Towson's recruiting coordinator was 6 hours away from home and on hand for her. The 6'3" forward put up 21 in the half and did so in a variety of ways 15' & in. Back to basket post moves finishing with the right hand, the left hand, face-up moves & finishes, attacking from the high post against the CVA zone, foul line jumpers, second chance points, even leading the break a couple times herself. Much of this wouldn't have been said about her offensive game a year ago, which goes to show her skill development as well. She started to show her athleticism around the rim defensively, ranging out of her area to block or alter shots. To those that were unaware, Lindsey is the real deal. That was readily apparent in this game.