Emma Willard Absorbs AAG Blow, Recovers To Earn Win

January 22, 2019

Emma Willard 40, Albany Academy for Girls 37

The Emma Willard Jesters have had little trouble running through their schedule for the most part this winter. The former CHVL members - now independent, in hopes of boosting their quality of opponents - came into Tuesday's game undefeated, with only their season opening victory over Voorheesville in single digits. They ran into a game opponent in upstart Albany Academy for Girls, a Colonial Council squad experiencing their most success since I started EST in 2014-15. AAG threw a knockout blow in the 2nd half, but Emma Willard was able to get back on its feet and respond just in time, going on a 4th quarter surge to take home the victory.

Molly Zahnleuter got going in the 2nd half and made some big plays for Emma Willard in their victory.

AAG started off on the right foot, getting the game's first 5 points from Mianna Jackson (AAG 2021) and bothering the hosts with their pressure. EW was eventually able to settle in, and they started breaking the press & scoring on it. A basket and free throw from Emma Shields (EW 2022) capped a strong end to the quarter for the Jesters, who held AAG scoreless for the remainder of the quarter after Jackson's early ones to take a 9-5 lead. Jackson ended the AAG drought with another three to start the 2nd quarter, but Emma Willard was able to maintain their cushion through the remainder of the half, going into the locker room up 16-13.

AAG, a scrappy group above the .500 mark for the first time in recent memory, responded well out of the locker room. Jackson gave AAG a quick lead, then after Shields responded with a basket, Aaliyah Juste (AAG 2020) - their leading scorer on the season, who was held scoreless in the 1st half - added two quick hoops. After Molly Zahnleuter (EW 2020) - their leading scorer, who was limited to only a 1st half free throw - answered with 4 quick points of her own, AAG went on an 11-1 run to end the 3rd. It culminated with a 35 foot buzzer beater from Juste, who had 8 in the quarter to give them a 32-23 lead. Shields & Juste traded buckets to start the 4th to maintain the 9 point margin, but that's when Emma Willard made their push. After AAG got to their opponents with their pressure in the 3rd quarter, it was EW reversing roles in the 4th, forcing AAG into several turnovers & rushed decisions. The Jesters went on an 11-0 run spanning a large chunk of the middle of the 4th. Four players scored in the run - a Zahnleuter trey tied it up at 34, and a pair of Shields free throws - big makes after missing a handful earlier in the quarter - gave EW the lead for good. Jackson got to the line for AAG and split a pair with 1:52 left, but it was Shields once again for the hosts, as the 6'2" freshman wing got loose for a deep corner jumper off a baseline out-of-bounds play to give EW a 38-35 lead with 1:19 left. The teams traded stops before Jackson got to the line again, this time making both to cut AAG's deficit to 38-37 with :11.2 remaining. They fouled Khairat Raji on the other end, and she hit a pair for Emma Willard. AAG's final possession came up empty, as EW was able to corral a loose ball just before the buzzer to ensure the victory.

Mianna Jackson made an impact for AAG throughout the game, leading them with 15 points.

Emma Shields led all scorers with 16 points in Emma Willard's victory, and she also added 8 blocks as she made a strong two-way impact throughout the game. Khairat Raji added 10 and was a major sparkplug for EW with her energy & effort on the boards, particularly the offensive glass. Molly Zahnleuter chipped in with 8, knocking down a couple important shots after a rough start shooting the ball. For AAG, Mianna Jackson had another solid game and paced them with 15 points. Aaliyah Juste joined her in double figures, shaking off a quiet 1st half of her own and adding 10 points.


#JeffsNotes

- Looking more deeply into the game, I thought it became more interesting as the night went on partially due to the early struggles of each team's leading scorer. Defenses were of course paying attention to Emma Willard's Molly Zahnleuter & AAG's Aaliyah Juste - both juniors - but they both were able to get good shots early. They just were off. Zahnleuter only had a free throw to her name in the 1st half, and Juste didn't scratch the books. That gave way to big showings from standout freshman Emma Shields (more on her in a second) and sophomore Mianna Jackson, along with supporting cast players having to contribute on each side. They both were able to shake loose from their early struggles though, with Juste being a catalyst in AAG's strong 3rd quarter and Zahnleuter knocking down a couple important 2nd half shots, and that turned an interesting nonleague matchup into a game worth the watch.

Emma Shields has next-level versatility and is among the region's top players in the 2022 class.

- Emma Shields, to put it in a more understandable way, is disgustingly versatile. The 16 points she finished with were scored at all three levels, and even the high number of blocks happened different ways - on-ball guarding a wing, on-ball guarding a post, weak side coming to help, getting in the play after an AAG offensive rebound. That being said, I was happy to see her playing predominantly at the wing for EW. At 6'2", she was the tallest player on the court by a considerable margin. I'm sure there's someone stuck in the past reading this thinking 'tallest person on the court, get under the basket', and I've seen more than my share of coaches fall victim to just that way of thinking even if it's not a player's natural position where you'll get the most out of them. Of course, there are situations where you want to take advantage of particular matchups, but this is about the rule more than the exception. Emma is more of a natural wing than anything else, and that's where she spent plenty of her time & making a major impact. She may not be at a Suburban Council school - and EW isn't exactly in the spotlight for girls' basketball in the 518 - but don't forget about her, as it'd be foolish to not bring her name into the equation among the region's top players with the most upside in the 2022 class.