In a relatively busy week leading up to the holiday season, many girls that participated in EST in 2016 were in a giving mood. In particular, they got their Santa Claus on and gave their opposition buckets. Some big numbers to go around along with some milestones, so here's a quick highlight of how some ESTers did this week! First, some headlines:
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those
that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase
in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's
name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in
either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us'
section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
- First off, we had a 1,000 point barrier crossed this week. Congratulations to Kelly Pine, a senior at Hoosick Falls, who did so on Tuesday in a defensive battle vs. rival Hoosic Valley. The 5th year varsity player, and the latest in a long line of standout Pine athletes at HF, spends her holiday break on the court with 3 games in a 4 day stretch.
- There are numerous players quickly approaching the 1,000 point mark that should hit it over the next few weeks. No one, however, is closer than Brianna Laing. The senior guard at South Kortright, committed to play basketball at Hartwick next year, enters the Whitney Point tournament this week sitting at 995 points.
- Those 1,000 point marks get hit from time to time. On top of the numerous girls close to it now, a pair have crossed it this season to date. However, the 1,000 rebound mark is something much more rarely achieved. Props to Ally Crosby, a junior at Hammond, who powered through that number in a 60-41 win at Ogdensburg Friday to capture their tournament title. She entered the game at 996, and had already grabbed her 4th board with 2:30 left in the 1st quarter. On top of the rebounding total, she accrued a game high 20 points, and she's approaching 900 of those for her career. She earned an all-tournament team selection for her performance.
- If you know me, you know there's nothing I love more than triple-doubles. So it should come as no surprise that I was beaming when I saw a pair of triple-doubles come across the wire this week from girls that participated in EST. It started on Wednesday, when Olivia Marshall, a senior at Stockbridge Valley, contributed game highs of 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks (along with 3 assists & 4 steals) in a 62-32 W. That was followed up on Thursday by Columbia sophomore Grace Heeps, who pumped in 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists (with 4 steals) in an 80-50 victory. This isn't the first rodeo for either. Heeps also had a triple-double last winter as a freshman; this was Marshall's 6th documented triple-double (5 coming with points/rebounds/blocks) dating back to her freshman year.
- Someone, guard Har Dolla Sign! Gloversville sophomore Harmony Philo went off in both of her team's games this week, leading them to league victories. She pumped in 24 points on Monday in a 64-40 W, then followed it with the high scoring performance of the week for any girl that participated in EST, 31 points, in a 50-42 W. She hit for 23 of those 31 in the 1st half against Hudson Falls, and she shot 14/15 from the line between the two games. Known as a long-range bombardier, she's been showing all year for the 4-2 Dragons that she's developed into much more than just a shooter.
Now, the top 10 scoring performances by those who participated in 2016 EST events:
1.) Harmony Philo (5'9" G, Gloversville 2019), as mentioned above, dropped a game high 31 points - 23 in the 1st half - in a 50-42 W over Hudson Falls Thursday. She also added 24 points, another game high, in a 64-40 W over Johnstown Monday.
2.) Liz White (5'6" G, Marcellus 2017) had herself a week as well, all starting with a 30 point, 7 assist, 6 steal night on Monday in a 71-38 victory. She also contributed a team high 17 points, along with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals, in a 45-43 victory Thursday.
3.) Ava Fitzmaurice (5'7" G, Greenville 2018) dropped 27 points, which tied for a game high, in a 51-44 victory Thursday. 12 of the 27 points came from behind the arc.
4.) Olivia Marshall (5'11" F, Stockbridge Valley 2017), in the game mentioned above, dropped a game high 26 points while also contributing 11 rebounds, 10 blocks, 3 assists, and 4 steals to register a triple-double in a 62-32 victory.
(This was the week of the 23 point games; numbers 5-10 will all include a 23 point performance)
5.) Ally Crosby (5'10" F, Hammond 2018) started off her 3 game week by dropping a game high 23 points w/ 13 rebounds Tuesday in an 89-17 W. She followed it up with 11 points Thursday in a 35-33 victory, and finished off with a game high 20 points/14 rebounds - collecting her 1,000th career rebound in the process - in a 60-41 W Friday.
6.) Madison McCabe (5'5" G, AuSable Valley 2017) dropped a game high 23 points - 15 coming from beyond the arc - in a 60-36 W Monday, and followed it up with another game high of 19 points Thursday in a 62-29 W.
7.) Sophie Tougas (6'1" G, Glens Falls 2019) contributed a game high 23 points in the 2nd of her 3 game week, a 47-36 W over Queensbury Thursday. She also had 11 points in a 60-39 W Monday, and pumped in a team high 19 points w/ 9 rebounds in a 42-39 W over Troy Friday.
8.) Nerea Brajac (5'7" G, Cohoes 2017; Georgian Court commit) pumped in a game high 23 points, shooting 8/9 from the free throw line, in a 51-41 W Thursday. She also contributed 14 points in a 45-30 W Tuesday.
9.) Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5" G, Waterville 2018) got it going with a game high 23 points Friday in a 54-43 victory over Sherburne-Earlville. She also scored 14 points, which tied for a game high, in a 72-24 W Tuesday.
10.) Madison Little (5'9" G, Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) dropped a game high 23 points in their only game of the week, a 66-44 victory on the road over Pittsfield. She also added 7 rebounds.
Others that had 20 point games over the week include:
- Lauraine Joensen (6'2" G/F, Northampton (MA) 2017; Canisius commit) (22 points Tuesday)
- Brianna Rozzi (5'7" G, Highland 2019) (22 points Tuesday)
- Julianna Taylor (5'5" G, Fonda-Fultonville 2017; SUNY Brockport commit) (22 points Wednesday)
- Kylee Rosbrook (6'0" F, General Brown 2018) (22 points Friday)
- Giuliana Pritchard (5'10" G/F, Amsterdam 2018) (21 points Monday)
- Bridget Whelan (5'6" G, Albany 2018) (21 points Tuesday)
- Emma Carter (5'10" G/F, Mount Abraham Union (VT)) (21 points Tuesday)
- Cameron Tooley (5'7" G, Shenendehowa 2018) (21 points Wednesday)
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) (20 points Tuesday)
- Dolly Cairns (5'7" G, Saratoga Springs 2020) (20 points Tuesday)
- Gwen Carpenter (5'4" G, Mount Everett (MA) 2019) (20 points Wednesday)
- Sam Dayter (5'8" G, Cohoes 2018) (20 points Thursday)
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Saturday, December 17, 2016
The Stat Sheet: December 16
Friday night, as always, was quite a busy one. This is especially true for girls that
participated in 2016 EST events. Many of these regional standouts put up
some big numbers for their teams, many coming in wins. Because I didn't blow up your Twitter timelines with the updates, I felt compelled to do an
individual blog post. Here's a rundown of many 2016 ESTers, listed by
section, and how they did Tuesday!
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Nerea Brajac (5'7" G, Cohoes 2017; Georgian Court commit) pumped in a game and season high 30 points, knocking down 11 of 13 free throw attempts, in a 62-55 victory over Schalmont. In the win, Sam Dayter (5'8" G, Cohoes 2018) added 15 points.
- Julianna Taylor (5'5" G, Fonda-Fultonville 2017; SUNY Brockport commit) finished with a game and season high 30 points, with 20 coming in the first half, in a 75-38 W over Fort Plain.
- Dolly Cairns (5'6" G, Saratoga Springs 2020) dropped a game high 26 points, with 14 coming from the free throw line (in 16 attempts), in a 65-53 victory over Colonie. Kerry Flaherty (5'8" G, Saratoga Springs 2019) added 23 points, with 15 coming from behind the 3 point line.
- Lyndsey McCoy (5'5" G, Middleburgh 2017) pumped in a game high 22 points, and added 7 rebounds & 7 assists, in their 48-47 overtime loss to Mekeel Christian. Bre Palmatier (5'8" G, Middleburgh 2018) added 15 points in the loss.
- Jordan Hipwell (5'10" F, Ballston Spa 2017) dropped a game high 22 points in the Scotties' 63-37 loss to Albany.
- Cameron Tooley (5'7" G, Shenendehowa 2018) finished with game highs of 19 points & 10 assists in their 83-33 W over Guilderland. Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G, Shenendehowa 2018) added 16 points in the victory.
- Rebekkah Dean (5'9" G/F, Mekeel Christian Academy 2018) finished with a team high 18 points in their 48-47 overtime W over Middleburgh.
- Kelly Pine (6'0" F, Hoosick Falls 2017) finished with 17 points, which tied for the game high, in their 52-45 W over Greenwich.
- Madison Graber (5'10" G/F, Schalmont 2018) contributed a team high 17 points in her team's 62-55 loss to Cohoes. Paige Brinkman (6'0" G/F, Schalmont 2018) added 14 points in defeat.
- CeCe Mayo (5'10" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) finished with a game high 15 points in their 52-40 W over Bethlehem. Shyla Sanford (5'8" G, Shaker 2018) and Lexi DeBeatham (5'6" G, Shaker 2018) joined her in double digits, adding 12 and 10 points, respectively.
- Olivia Baumann (5'11" G, Guilderland 2017; St. John Fisher commit) contributed a team high 15 points in their 83-33 L to Shenendehowa.
- Kyra Oeffler (5'10" F, Heatly 2018) finished with a game high 14 points in a low-scoring affair, 29-21 victory over Bishop Maginn.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G, Mohonasen 2017; Davidson commit) finished with a team high 14 points in her team's 50-30 loss to Troy.
- Maggie Kirby (5'10" G, Bethlehem 2018) tied for the team high with 13 points in their 52-40 L to Shaker.
- Mallory Wood (5'11" G/F, Averill Park 2018), EmmaLee Morgan (6'1" G/F, Averill Park 2019), Bridget Whelan (5'6" G, Albany 2018), and Grace Heeps (5'11" G, Columbia 2019) all finished with 11 points in victories in their respective games; AP 86-21 over Schenectady, Albany 63-37 over Ballston Spa, and Columbia 53-34 over Niskayuna.
- Ava Fitzmaurice (5'8" G, Greenville 2018) and Tara Sager (6'4" F, Ichabod Crane 2017; Florida Southern commit) finished with team highs of 11 points in defeat; Greenville 74-38 to Hudson, and ICC 47-44 to Ravena.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) finished with 10 points in a 47-41 L to Holy Names.
Section 3
- Danielle Caivana (5'2" G, Frankfort-Schuyler 2017) was the high scorer among ESTers, both in Section 3 and across the board, with a game high 31 points in their 55-54 loss to Little Falls. She added 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and knocked down 6 threes.
- Brooke Jarvis (5'10" G/F, Christian Brothers Academy 2020) had a massive 17 point 1st quarter, and finished with a game high 19 in their 49-35 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse - CNS' first loss in Section III in nearly 3 years.
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G, Poland 2017) had a game high 17 points in their 62-34 W over Hamilton.
- Julie Ford (6'1" F, Cooperstown 2018) finished with a game high 16 points in a second consecutive limited-action blowout, this one 63-35 over Dolgeville.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G, Sauquoit Valley 2019) contributed 15 points in a 53-47 loss to rival Waterville.
- Jenna Zimmerman (6'2" G, South Jefferson 2018), in the game that I attended last night, contributed 14 points, 15 rebounds, and was recorded for 5 blocks in their 48-31 victory over Indian River.
- Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5" G, Waterville 2018) and Kaia Henderson (5'4" G, New Hartford 2022) each finished with 11 points in victories; Waterville 53-47 over Sauquoit, New Hartford 53-28 over Corcoran.
- Belle Kranbuhl (6'1" G/F, Adirondack 2020) and Sara Field (6'3" F, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 2017) each contributed 11 points in defeats; Adirondack 52-47 to Holland Patent, VVS 54-49 to Utica Proctor. Kranbuhl also had 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks; Field added 10 boards and 4 blocks.
- Namir Davis (5'2" G, Utica Proctor 2018) didn't light up the box score, but she filled out the stat sheet in a 54-49 W over VVS. She chipped in 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals.
Section 4
- Haley Steenland (5'2" G, Stamford 2018) contributed 15 points in limited minutes in a blowout W over Roxbury.
- Brianna Laing (5'3" G, South Kortright 2017; Hartwick commit), much like the aforementioned Steenland, got hers in limited action - 14 points in a 76-14 victory.
- Addy Sackett (5'7" G, Delaware Academy 2017; SUNY Plattsburgh commit) contributed a team high 13 points in their 52-24 W over Greene. Logan Bruce (5'5" G, Delaware Academy 2018) added 11 points, 6 assists, and 7 steals in the victory.
- Hanna Strawn (5'4" G, Seton Catholic 2018) finished with 12 points in a 48-44 loss to Susquehanna Valley.
Section 10
- Ally Crosby (5'10" F, Hammond 2018) finished with 18 points, which tied for a game high, in a close 55-52 L to two-time defending Class D state champion and rival Heuvelton.
- Katelyn Flanagan (5'5" G, Canton 2018) contributed 13 points in limited work, as their team won 60-10 over Salmon River.
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Nerea Brajac (5'7" G, Cohoes 2017; Georgian Court commit) pumped in a game and season high 30 points, knocking down 11 of 13 free throw attempts, in a 62-55 victory over Schalmont. In the win, Sam Dayter (5'8" G, Cohoes 2018) added 15 points.
- Julianna Taylor (5'5" G, Fonda-Fultonville 2017; SUNY Brockport commit) finished with a game and season high 30 points, with 20 coming in the first half, in a 75-38 W over Fort Plain.
- Dolly Cairns (5'6" G, Saratoga Springs 2020) dropped a game high 26 points, with 14 coming from the free throw line (in 16 attempts), in a 65-53 victory over Colonie. Kerry Flaherty (5'8" G, Saratoga Springs 2019) added 23 points, with 15 coming from behind the 3 point line.
- Lyndsey McCoy (5'5" G, Middleburgh 2017) pumped in a game high 22 points, and added 7 rebounds & 7 assists, in their 48-47 overtime loss to Mekeel Christian. Bre Palmatier (5'8" G, Middleburgh 2018) added 15 points in the loss.
- Jordan Hipwell (5'10" F, Ballston Spa 2017) dropped a game high 22 points in the Scotties' 63-37 loss to Albany.
- Cameron Tooley (5'7" G, Shenendehowa 2018) finished with game highs of 19 points & 10 assists in their 83-33 W over Guilderland. Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G, Shenendehowa 2018) added 16 points in the victory.
- Rebekkah Dean (5'9" G/F, Mekeel Christian Academy 2018) finished with a team high 18 points in their 48-47 overtime W over Middleburgh.
- Kelly Pine (6'0" F, Hoosick Falls 2017) finished with 17 points, which tied for the game high, in their 52-45 W over Greenwich.
- Madison Graber (5'10" G/F, Schalmont 2018) contributed a team high 17 points in her team's 62-55 loss to Cohoes. Paige Brinkman (6'0" G/F, Schalmont 2018) added 14 points in defeat.
- CeCe Mayo (5'10" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) finished with a game high 15 points in their 52-40 W over Bethlehem. Shyla Sanford (5'8" G, Shaker 2018) and Lexi DeBeatham (5'6" G, Shaker 2018) joined her in double digits, adding 12 and 10 points, respectively.
- Olivia Baumann (5'11" G, Guilderland 2017; St. John Fisher commit) contributed a team high 15 points in their 83-33 L to Shenendehowa.
- Kyra Oeffler (5'10" F, Heatly 2018) finished with a game high 14 points in a low-scoring affair, 29-21 victory over Bishop Maginn.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G, Mohonasen 2017; Davidson commit) finished with a team high 14 points in her team's 50-30 loss to Troy.
- Maggie Kirby (5'10" G, Bethlehem 2018) tied for the team high with 13 points in their 52-40 L to Shaker.
- Mallory Wood (5'11" G/F, Averill Park 2018), EmmaLee Morgan (6'1" G/F, Averill Park 2019), Bridget Whelan (5'6" G, Albany 2018), and Grace Heeps (5'11" G, Columbia 2019) all finished with 11 points in victories in their respective games; AP 86-21 over Schenectady, Albany 63-37 over Ballston Spa, and Columbia 53-34 over Niskayuna.
- Ava Fitzmaurice (5'8" G, Greenville 2018) and Tara Sager (6'4" F, Ichabod Crane 2017; Florida Southern commit) finished with team highs of 11 points in defeat; Greenville 74-38 to Hudson, and ICC 47-44 to Ravena.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) finished with 10 points in a 47-41 L to Holy Names.
Section 3
- Danielle Caivana (5'2" G, Frankfort-Schuyler 2017) was the high scorer among ESTers, both in Section 3 and across the board, with a game high 31 points in their 55-54 loss to Little Falls. She added 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and knocked down 6 threes.
- Brooke Jarvis (5'10" G/F, Christian Brothers Academy 2020) had a massive 17 point 1st quarter, and finished with a game high 19 in their 49-35 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse - CNS' first loss in Section III in nearly 3 years.
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G, Poland 2017) had a game high 17 points in their 62-34 W over Hamilton.
- Julie Ford (6'1" F, Cooperstown 2018) finished with a game high 16 points in a second consecutive limited-action blowout, this one 63-35 over Dolgeville.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G, Sauquoit Valley 2019) contributed 15 points in a 53-47 loss to rival Waterville.
- Jenna Zimmerman (6'2" G, South Jefferson 2018), in the game that I attended last night, contributed 14 points, 15 rebounds, and was recorded for 5 blocks in their 48-31 victory over Indian River.
- Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5" G, Waterville 2018) and Kaia Henderson (5'4" G, New Hartford 2022) each finished with 11 points in victories; Waterville 53-47 over Sauquoit, New Hartford 53-28 over Corcoran.
- Belle Kranbuhl (6'1" G/F, Adirondack 2020) and Sara Field (6'3" F, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 2017) each contributed 11 points in defeats; Adirondack 52-47 to Holland Patent, VVS 54-49 to Utica Proctor. Kranbuhl also had 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks; Field added 10 boards and 4 blocks.
- Namir Davis (5'2" G, Utica Proctor 2018) didn't light up the box score, but she filled out the stat sheet in a 54-49 W over VVS. She chipped in 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals.
Section 4
- Haley Steenland (5'2" G, Stamford 2018) contributed 15 points in limited minutes in a blowout W over Roxbury.
- Brianna Laing (5'3" G, South Kortright 2017; Hartwick commit), much like the aforementioned Steenland, got hers in limited action - 14 points in a 76-14 victory.
- Addy Sackett (5'7" G, Delaware Academy 2017; SUNY Plattsburgh commit) contributed a team high 13 points in their 52-24 W over Greene. Logan Bruce (5'5" G, Delaware Academy 2018) added 11 points, 6 assists, and 7 steals in the victory.
- Hanna Strawn (5'4" G, Seton Catholic 2018) finished with 12 points in a 48-44 loss to Susquehanna Valley.
Section 10
- Ally Crosby (5'10" F, Hammond 2018) finished with 18 points, which tied for a game high, in a close 55-52 L to two-time defending Class D state champion and rival Heuvelton.
- Katelyn Flanagan (5'5" G, Canton 2018) contributed 13 points in limited work, as their team won 60-10 over Salmon River.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
The Stat Sheet: December 13
Tuesday night was quite a busy one, especially for girls that participated in 2016 EST events. Many of these regional standouts put up some big numbers for their teams, with a high percentage of them doing so in wins. It was such a busy night, I felt compelled to do an individual blog post. Here's a rundown of many 2016 ESTers, listed by section, and how they did Tuesday!
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Harmony Philo (5'9" G, Gloversville 2019) had the high scoring night of Section 2 ESTers, dropping a game high 25 points (4 threes) in a 70-57 setback to Amsterdam.
- Jordan Hipwell (5'10" F, Ballston Spa 2017) finished with a game & season high 23 points in a 55-20 drubbing of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
- Dolly Cairns (5'6" G, Saratoga Springs 2020) had a big game for her Blue Streaks squad, finishing with a game high 22 points in a 60-51 loss to a tough Shaker squad. Her longtime running mate, Kerry Flaherty (5'8" G, Saratoga Springs 2019) added 16 points to the cause.
- Madison Graber (5'10" G/F, Schalmont 2018) dropped a game high 21 points in her Sabres' 49-41 setback to Lansingburgh.
- Grace Heeps (5'11" G, Columbia 2019) dropped a game high 20 points and added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 8 steals in her squad's 61-35 win over Guilderland.
- Guiliana Pritchard (5'9" F, Amsterdam 2018) had a monster 1st half, where she scored the bulk of her game high 20 points in a 70-57 W over Gloversville. Nina Fedullo (5'11" F, Amsterdam 2017; Saint Rose commit) added 10 points in the win against plenty of Gloversville's defensive attention.
- CeCe Mayo (5'10" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) contributed a team high 20 points in their 60-51 road win over Saratoga. Shyla Sanford (5'8" G, Shaker 2018) added 12 in the victory.
- Cat Almeida (6'4" F, Shenendehowa 2019) finished with a game & (for now) career high 18 points along with 7 rebounds in their 75-39 W over Niskayuna. Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G, Shenendehowa 2018) continued her consistent scoring run by adding 16 points in the victory.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) added yet another solid game to her résumé, contributing a team high 18 points in a 54-43 victory over Ichabod Crane.
- Kelsey Wood (6'0" F, Averill Park 2020) picked her scoring back up and finished with a game high 17 points in their 82-32 thumping of Mohonasen. Stephanie Jankovic (5'7" G, Averill Park 2018) added 16 points from the PG spot in the victory, and EmmaLee Morgan (6'1" G/F, Averill Park 2019) also finished in double figures with 10.
- Nerea Brajac (5'7" G, Cohoes 2017; Georgian Court commit) finished with a game high 16 points in her team's 58-39 setback to Catholic Central. Sam Dayter (5'8" G, Cohoes 2018) added 11 points in defeat.
- Molly Kirby (5'8" G, Bethlehem 2018) contributed a team high 16 points in her team's 63-57 W over Colonie. Her twin sister Maggie Kirby (5'10" G, Bethlehem 2018) added 13 points, and Emily Wander (5'4" G, Bethlehem 2017; Middlebury commit) added 12 in the victory.
- Alaina Holmes (5'9" G, Troy 2020) finished with 12 points, which tied for the game high, in a runaway 62-29 victory over Schenectady.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G, Mohonasen 2017; Davidson commit) finished with a team high 11 points - and in doing so, became Mohonasen's all-time leading scorer, boys or girls, with 1,344 points & counting - in her team's loss to Averill Park.
- Claire Guzielek (5'7" G, Johnstown 2017) contributed 11 points in the Lady Bills' 57-33 W over Broadalbin-Perth.
Section 3
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G, Poland 2017) had the high scoring night of all 2016 ESTers - Section 3 and beyond - with a game high 29 point performance in her team's 57-33 W over CVA. Irwin knocked down 7 threes on the night.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G, Sauquoit Valley 2019) continued her recent tear, dropping a game high 23 points along with 13 rebounds in a 56-34 W going away over Mt. Markham.
- Kylee Rosbrook (6'0" F, General Brown 2018) contributed a game high 21 points - staying true to her 20.9 PPG average thus far - along with 7 rebounds in their 50-27 W over Watertown.
- Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5" G, Waterville 2018) finished with 15 points in a balanced effort in her team's 70-27 victory over Morrisville-Eaton.
- Liz White (5'6" G, Marcellus 2017) dropped in a team high 14 points in her team's 48-42 setback to Chittenango.
- Sara Field (6'3" F, VVS 2017) had a 10 point, 7 block night in her team's 46-35 victory over Camden.
- Kaia Henderson (5'4" G, New Hartford 2022) had another double-digit scoring night - not bad for a 7th grader at Class A level - as she finished with 10 points in a balanced effort in their 49-38 W over RFA.
Section 7
- Brooke Bjelko (6'3" F, Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) dropped in a game high 17 points in their 48-26 victory over Peru.
Section 9
- Chloe Chaffin (5'10" G, Kingston 2018; Fordham commit) dropped a game high 19 points in the Tigers' 38-30 victory on the road over Washingtonville.
Section 10
- Ally Crosby (5'10" F, Hammond 2018) finished with game highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds in her team's 81-43 dismantling of Hermon-DeKalb.
- Katelyn Flanagan (5'5" G, Canton 2018) contributed 10 points in a balanced effort in their 40-34 W over Malone.
Vermont
- Madison Little (5'9" G, Mount Anthony Union 2017) led all scorers with 26 points and added 6 steals in their 64-51 W over Wahconah (MA). Anna Iannotti (5'11" F, Mount Anthony Union 2018) contributed 13 points in the W, and Grace Mahar (5'9" G/F, Mount Anthony Union 2020) added her first varsity double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Harmony Philo (5'9" G, Gloversville 2019) had the high scoring night of Section 2 ESTers, dropping a game high 25 points (4 threes) in a 70-57 setback to Amsterdam.
- Jordan Hipwell (5'10" F, Ballston Spa 2017) finished with a game & season high 23 points in a 55-20 drubbing of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
- Dolly Cairns (5'6" G, Saratoga Springs 2020) had a big game for her Blue Streaks squad, finishing with a game high 22 points in a 60-51 loss to a tough Shaker squad. Her longtime running mate, Kerry Flaherty (5'8" G, Saratoga Springs 2019) added 16 points to the cause.
- Madison Graber (5'10" G/F, Schalmont 2018) dropped a game high 21 points in her Sabres' 49-41 setback to Lansingburgh.
- Grace Heeps (5'11" G, Columbia 2019) dropped a game high 20 points and added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 8 steals in her squad's 61-35 win over Guilderland.
- Guiliana Pritchard (5'9" F, Amsterdam 2018) had a monster 1st half, where she scored the bulk of her game high 20 points in a 70-57 W over Gloversville. Nina Fedullo (5'11" F, Amsterdam 2017; Saint Rose commit) added 10 points in the win against plenty of Gloversville's defensive attention.
- CeCe Mayo (5'10" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) contributed a team high 20 points in their 60-51 road win over Saratoga. Shyla Sanford (5'8" G, Shaker 2018) added 12 in the victory.
- Cat Almeida (6'4" F, Shenendehowa 2019) finished with a game & (for now) career high 18 points along with 7 rebounds in their 75-39 W over Niskayuna. Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G, Shenendehowa 2018) continued her consistent scoring run by adding 16 points in the victory.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G, Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) added yet another solid game to her résumé, contributing a team high 18 points in a 54-43 victory over Ichabod Crane.
- Kelsey Wood (6'0" F, Averill Park 2020) picked her scoring back up and finished with a game high 17 points in their 82-32 thumping of Mohonasen. Stephanie Jankovic (5'7" G, Averill Park 2018) added 16 points from the PG spot in the victory, and EmmaLee Morgan (6'1" G/F, Averill Park 2019) also finished in double figures with 10.
- Nerea Brajac (5'7" G, Cohoes 2017; Georgian Court commit) finished with a game high 16 points in her team's 58-39 setback to Catholic Central. Sam Dayter (5'8" G, Cohoes 2018) added 11 points in defeat.
- Molly Kirby (5'8" G, Bethlehem 2018) contributed a team high 16 points in her team's 63-57 W over Colonie. Her twin sister Maggie Kirby (5'10" G, Bethlehem 2018) added 13 points, and Emily Wander (5'4" G, Bethlehem 2017; Middlebury commit) added 12 in the victory.
- Alaina Holmes (5'9" G, Troy 2020) finished with 12 points, which tied for the game high, in a runaway 62-29 victory over Schenectady.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G, Mohonasen 2017; Davidson commit) finished with a team high 11 points - and in doing so, became Mohonasen's all-time leading scorer, boys or girls, with 1,344 points & counting - in her team's loss to Averill Park.
- Claire Guzielek (5'7" G, Johnstown 2017) contributed 11 points in the Lady Bills' 57-33 W over Broadalbin-Perth.
Section 3
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G, Poland 2017) had the high scoring night of all 2016 ESTers - Section 3 and beyond - with a game high 29 point performance in her team's 57-33 W over CVA. Irwin knocked down 7 threes on the night.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G, Sauquoit Valley 2019) continued her recent tear, dropping a game high 23 points along with 13 rebounds in a 56-34 W going away over Mt. Markham.
- Kylee Rosbrook (6'0" F, General Brown 2018) contributed a game high 21 points - staying true to her 20.9 PPG average thus far - along with 7 rebounds in their 50-27 W over Watertown.
- Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5" G, Waterville 2018) finished with 15 points in a balanced effort in her team's 70-27 victory over Morrisville-Eaton.
- Liz White (5'6" G, Marcellus 2017) dropped in a team high 14 points in her team's 48-42 setback to Chittenango.
- Sara Field (6'3" F, VVS 2017) had a 10 point, 7 block night in her team's 46-35 victory over Camden.
- Kaia Henderson (5'4" G, New Hartford 2022) had another double-digit scoring night - not bad for a 7th grader at Class A level - as she finished with 10 points in a balanced effort in their 49-38 W over RFA.
Section 7
- Brooke Bjelko (6'3" F, Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) dropped in a game high 17 points in their 48-26 victory over Peru.
Section 9
- Chloe Chaffin (5'10" G, Kingston 2018; Fordham commit) dropped a game high 19 points in the Tigers' 38-30 victory on the road over Washingtonville.
Section 10
- Ally Crosby (5'10" F, Hammond 2018) finished with game highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds in her team's 81-43 dismantling of Hermon-DeKalb.
- Katelyn Flanagan (5'5" G, Canton 2018) contributed 10 points in a balanced effort in their 40-34 W over Malone.
Vermont
- Madison Little (5'9" G, Mount Anthony Union 2017) led all scorers with 26 points and added 6 steals in their 64-51 W over Wahconah (MA). Anna Iannotti (5'11" F, Mount Anthony Union 2018) contributed 13 points in the W, and Grace Mahar (5'9" G/F, Mount Anthony Union 2020) added her first varsity double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Showing Out: EST Girls Top Performers, 12/5-12/11
'Tis the season! We're 3 weeks into the point of basketball season where games are being played, and I'm 3 weeks - and over 40 games - into evaluating players for upcoming 2017 EST events. These include the 3rd annual Summer Showcase Invitational, along with one-day events planned for spring & fall. Many players who participated in 2016 EST events have been making noise for their respective teams to start the season. Time to highlight some of this week's finest performances, separated by section!
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Kyra Oeffler (5'10" F; Heatly 2018) had a pair of strong performances on back-to-back days early in the week. These included game high totals of 20 and 23 points on Monday & Tuesday, both in blowout wins. She stepped out and showed the range Monday, connecting on 3 threes.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G; Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) continued her strong play in what could be considered a breakout season for her, scoring 16 (3 threes) on Tuesday in a 50-39 win, and following it up with a game high 15 points in a 34-25 victory Friday.
- CeCe Mayo (5'11" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) had two strong games leading to Suburban Council wins this week. Tuesday, she contributed a game high 18 points in a 55-40 W over Averill Park, and she added a game high of 17 points in a blowout W over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Friday.
- Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G; Shenendehowa 2018) has started off the season seamlessly stepping into a leading role for the Plainsmen, doing so in a pair of Suburban Council wins. She had 17 points in each game this week, both game highs; a blowout W over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Tuesday and a 63-46 W over Averill Park Friday.
- Kelly Pine (5'11" F; Hoosick Falls 2017), a 5th year varsity player, used steady strong performance to lead the Panthers to a pair of Wasaren League victories. She had 16 points in games on Tuesday & Friday - both game high totals - in victories. Tuesday was a 60-58 battle over Tamarac, where she hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds that proved to be the game winning points. Friday, she did so in more limited action in a blowout over Waterford.
- Julianna Taylor (5'5" G; Fonda-Fultonville 2017, Brockport commit) turned her always-steady contribution up a notch in back-to-back games late in the week. She finished with game high totals of 20 & 21 points in victories on Friday (44-23 over Bishop Gibbons) and Saturday (52-44 over Johnstown).
- Lauren Hill (5'8" G; Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) killed them softly on Tuesday night, finishing with a game high 20 points & 13 rebounds in a 50-39 victory.
- Grace Heeps (5'11" G; Columbia 2019) started an eventful week that included receiving a scholarship offer from Monmouth - her 8th thus far - with an aesthetically pleasing stat line of 8 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 blocks in a 69-45 W over Albany.
- Sophie Tougas (6'1" G; Glens Falls 2019) had to step into an even more complete role with older sister Lucy - the team's main ballhandler & distributor, as well as a steady scorer - sidelined with a knee injury, and she did just that in a 49-35 W over South Glens Falls Thursday. Sophie led all scorers with 21 points (5 threes) and added 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G; Mohonasen 2017, Davidson commit) had a monster showing on Friday night, where she finished with a team high 29 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks - accounting for nearly 80% of her team's points between points & assists - in a 50-47 victory over Niskayuna.
- Madison Graber (5'11" G/F; Schalmont 2018) finished with a team high 18 points on Friday in a loss to Watervliet.
- Bre Palmatier (5'8" G; Middleburgh 2018) led all scorers with 19 points on Friday in a 75-26 victory over Duanesburg.
- Tara Sager (6'4" F; Ichabod Crane 2017, Florida Southern commit) finished with a game and career-high 20 points on Friday in a 54-32 W over Albany Academy.
- Shyla Sanford (5'8" G; Shaker 2018) contributed games of 15 & 12 points, providing a steady punch to go along with aforementioned teammate CeCe Mayo, in Shaker's wins over Averill Park and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake on Tuesday and Friday.
- Sharpshooter Bridget Whelan (5'6" G; Albany 2018) ended the week strong, finishing with a game high 16 points on Sunday in a 56-41 W over Kingston.
- Maggie Kirby (5'10" G; Bethlehem 2018) started off her season with a bang, contributing a game high 27 points in a 81-28 victory over Schenectady Tuesday.
Section 3
- Olivia Marshall (5'11" F; Stockbridge Valley 2017) started off her senior season with two strong statistical showings, both in victories. She had a game high 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals on Monday in a 52-44 W, and followed it up with a game high 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks in a 48-31 W Friday.
- Danielle Caivana (5'2" G; Frankfort-Schuyler 2017) had a game high 22 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals on Tuesday in a 55-41 victory, and she followed it up by posting a game & career high of 36 points (5 threes), 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 69-30 victory over Dolgeville. She's currently 2nd in Section III on the young season, averaging 25.2 PPG for the 4-1 Maroon Knights.
- Julie Ford (6'1" F; Cooperstown 2018), the lone girls' basketball player in the Center State Conference boasting a scholarship offer (Niagara), had strong showings in close games on Tuesday and Thursday. She had a team high 13 points & 16 rebounds in a 51-41 W over Waterville Tuesday, and she followed it up Thursday with a team high 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks in an instant classic 53-51 2OT loss to South Kortright. She's averaging 15 PPG, 13 RPG, and 4.3 BPG through 4 games this season.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G; Sauquoit Valley 2019) had a pair of strong showings this week - one in a heartbreaker L, and the other in a close W. She contributed a game high 18 in a 44-43 defeat on a buzzer-beater, and followed it up with a game high 19 points - 7 in a game-ending 8-0 run in the final 3 minutes - along with 13 rebounds and 4 steals in a 39-30 W.
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G; Poland 2017) averaged over 20 points in 2 blowout victories over the course of the week. She had a game high 24 to go with 4 steals in a W over Westmoreland Tuesday, and then chipped in 17 points in a victory over Oriskany Friday.
- Belle Kranbuhl (6'1" G/F; Adirondack 2020) pumped in a team high 16 points while also handling point guard duties on Saturday afternoon in a tough 39-30 defeat to Sauquoit.
- Kylee Rosbrook (6'0" F; General Brown 2018) had a busy & strong week, with 3 strong performances to her name for the 2nd consecutive week. She finished with game highs of 19, 19, and 24 points in a win over Corcoran Tuesday and losses to Holland Patent & Utica Proctor on Friday and Saturday, respectively. She added 7 rebounds vs. Corcoran & Proctor and tallied 14 against Holland Patent, along with 2 blocks. She's one of Section III's leading scorers early, averaging 20.8 PPG.
- Liz White (5'6" G, Marcellus 2017) had a pair of strong performances in wins this week. The point guard contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a 55-34 W Tuesday, and then added a game high total of 19 points (4 threes) in a victory over East Syracuse-Minoa Friday.
Section 4
- Haley Steenland (5'3" G; Stamford 2018) continued a strong start to her season, pumping in a game high 25 points, 7 assists, and 8 steals in a blowout W over Windham-Ashland-Jewett Thursday.
- Brianna Laing (5'3" G; South Kortright 2017, Hartwick commit) had a major game Thursday in the aforementioned instant classic battle vs. Cooperstown. Laing contributed 20 points and 6 assists, including countless big plays in crunch time, in the 53-51 double overtime victory.
- Abi Selfridge (5'7" G/F; Bainbridge-Guilford 2019), the reigning MAC MVP, continued a strong start to her season with a game high 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a blowout W over Section III Sherburne-Earlville.
Section 9
- Brianna Rozzi (5'7" G; Highland 2019) kept her strong sophomore campaign rolling with a game high 20 point performance - 15 coming in the 2nd half - in a 54-36 victory over rival New Paltz.
- Maggie Malone (5'9" F; Cornwall 2019) pumped in a game high 27 points Friday night in a blowout W over Valley Central.
Massachusetts
- Gwen Carpenter (5'4" G; Mount Everett 2019) had a strong start to her season, scoring 18 and 16 points in back-to-back wins Thursday & Friday, earning tournament MVP honors in the process.
Vermont
- Madison Little (5'9" G; Mount Anthony Union 2017) started off her season by pumping in a game high 19 points Saturday, outscoring her team's opponent on her own in a 57-18 W.
- Emma Carter (5'10" G; Mount Abraham Union 2018) dropped a game high 24 points on Saturday in her team's first game, a 49-43 victory over Mount Mansfield.
* Friendly reminder that I am not conventional sports media. This list only includes those that participated in the 2016 EST summer league, Upstate Elite Showcase in October, or both. If you don't see your/your player/your daughter's name on the list and are wondering why; if they didn't participate in either of those, there's your answer! Please refer to the 'Contact Us' section of the website with any questions about upcoming 2017 events.
Section 2
- Kyra Oeffler (5'10" F; Heatly 2018) had a pair of strong performances on back-to-back days early in the week. These included game high totals of 20 and 23 points on Monday & Tuesday, both in blowout wins. She stepped out and showed the range Monday, connecting on 3 threes.
- Allie Pacatte (5'3" G; Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) continued her strong play in what could be considered a breakout season for her, scoring 16 (3 threes) on Tuesday in a 50-39 win, and following it up with a game high 15 points in a 34-25 victory Friday.
- CeCe Mayo (5'11" G/F, Shaker 2017; Army commit) had two strong games leading to Suburban Council wins this week. Tuesday, she contributed a game high 18 points in a 55-40 W over Averill Park, and she added a game high of 17 points in a blowout W over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Friday.
- Alexandra Tudor (5'11" G; Shenendehowa 2018) has started off the season seamlessly stepping into a leading role for the Plainsmen, doing so in a pair of Suburban Council wins. She had 17 points in each game this week, both game highs; a blowout W over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Tuesday and a 63-46 W over Averill Park Friday.
- Kelly Pine (5'11" F; Hoosick Falls 2017), a 5th year varsity player, used steady strong performance to lead the Panthers to a pair of Wasaren League victories. She had 16 points in games on Tuesday & Friday - both game high totals - in victories. Tuesday was a 60-58 battle over Tamarac, where she hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds that proved to be the game winning points. Friday, she did so in more limited action in a blowout over Waterford.
- Julianna Taylor (5'5" G; Fonda-Fultonville 2017, Brockport commit) turned her always-steady contribution up a notch in back-to-back games late in the week. She finished with game high totals of 20 & 21 points in victories on Friday (44-23 over Bishop Gibbons) and Saturday (52-44 over Johnstown).
- Lauren Hill (5'8" G; Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018) killed them softly on Tuesday night, finishing with a game high 20 points & 13 rebounds in a 50-39 victory.
- Grace Heeps (5'11" G; Columbia 2019) started an eventful week that included receiving a scholarship offer from Monmouth - her 8th thus far - with an aesthetically pleasing stat line of 8 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 blocks in a 69-45 W over Albany.
- Sophie Tougas (6'1" G; Glens Falls 2019) had to step into an even more complete role with older sister Lucy - the team's main ballhandler & distributor, as well as a steady scorer - sidelined with a knee injury, and she did just that in a 49-35 W over South Glens Falls Thursday. Sophie led all scorers with 21 points (5 threes) and added 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.
- Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (5'11" G; Mohonasen 2017, Davidson commit) had a monster showing on Friday night, where she finished with a team high 29 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks - accounting for nearly 80% of her team's points between points & assists - in a 50-47 victory over Niskayuna.
- Madison Graber (5'11" G/F; Schalmont 2018) finished with a team high 18 points on Friday in a loss to Watervliet.
- Bre Palmatier (5'8" G; Middleburgh 2018) led all scorers with 19 points on Friday in a 75-26 victory over Duanesburg.
- Tara Sager (6'4" F; Ichabod Crane 2017, Florida Southern commit) finished with a game and career-high 20 points on Friday in a 54-32 W over Albany Academy.
- Shyla Sanford (5'8" G; Shaker 2018) contributed games of 15 & 12 points, providing a steady punch to go along with aforementioned teammate CeCe Mayo, in Shaker's wins over Averill Park and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake on Tuesday and Friday.
- Sharpshooter Bridget Whelan (5'6" G; Albany 2018) ended the week strong, finishing with a game high 16 points on Sunday in a 56-41 W over Kingston.
- Maggie Kirby (5'10" G; Bethlehem 2018) started off her season with a bang, contributing a game high 27 points in a 81-28 victory over Schenectady Tuesday.
Section 3
- Olivia Marshall (5'11" F; Stockbridge Valley 2017) started off her senior season with two strong statistical showings, both in victories. She had a game high 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals on Monday in a 52-44 W, and followed it up with a game high 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks in a 48-31 W Friday.
- Danielle Caivana (5'2" G; Frankfort-Schuyler 2017) had a game high 22 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals on Tuesday in a 55-41 victory, and she followed it up by posting a game & career high of 36 points (5 threes), 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 69-30 victory over Dolgeville. She's currently 2nd in Section III on the young season, averaging 25.2 PPG for the 4-1 Maroon Knights.
- Julie Ford (6'1" F; Cooperstown 2018), the lone girls' basketball player in the Center State Conference boasting a scholarship offer (Niagara), had strong showings in close games on Tuesday and Thursday. She had a team high 13 points & 16 rebounds in a 51-41 W over Waterville Tuesday, and she followed it up Thursday with a team high 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks in an instant classic 53-51 2OT loss to South Kortright. She's averaging 15 PPG, 13 RPG, and 4.3 BPG through 4 games this season.
- Allison Moreau (5'9" G; Sauquoit Valley 2019) had a pair of strong showings this week - one in a heartbreaker L, and the other in a close W. She contributed a game high 18 in a 44-43 defeat on a buzzer-beater, and followed it up with a game high 19 points - 7 in a game-ending 8-0 run in the final 3 minutes - along with 13 rebounds and 4 steals in a 39-30 W.
- Shiane Irwin (5'5" G; Poland 2017) averaged over 20 points in 2 blowout victories over the course of the week. She had a game high 24 to go with 4 steals in a W over Westmoreland Tuesday, and then chipped in 17 points in a victory over Oriskany Friday.
- Belle Kranbuhl (6'1" G/F; Adirondack 2020) pumped in a team high 16 points while also handling point guard duties on Saturday afternoon in a tough 39-30 defeat to Sauquoit.
- Kylee Rosbrook (6'0" F; General Brown 2018) had a busy & strong week, with 3 strong performances to her name for the 2nd consecutive week. She finished with game highs of 19, 19, and 24 points in a win over Corcoran Tuesday and losses to Holland Patent & Utica Proctor on Friday and Saturday, respectively. She added 7 rebounds vs. Corcoran & Proctor and tallied 14 against Holland Patent, along with 2 blocks. She's one of Section III's leading scorers early, averaging 20.8 PPG.
- Liz White (5'6" G, Marcellus 2017) had a pair of strong performances in wins this week. The point guard contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a 55-34 W Tuesday, and then added a game high total of 19 points (4 threes) in a victory over East Syracuse-Minoa Friday.
Section 4
- Haley Steenland (5'3" G; Stamford 2018) continued a strong start to her season, pumping in a game high 25 points, 7 assists, and 8 steals in a blowout W over Windham-Ashland-Jewett Thursday.
- Brianna Laing (5'3" G; South Kortright 2017, Hartwick commit) had a major game Thursday in the aforementioned instant classic battle vs. Cooperstown. Laing contributed 20 points and 6 assists, including countless big plays in crunch time, in the 53-51 double overtime victory.
- Abi Selfridge (5'7" G/F; Bainbridge-Guilford 2019), the reigning MAC MVP, continued a strong start to her season with a game high 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a blowout W over Section III Sherburne-Earlville.
Section 9
- Brianna Rozzi (5'7" G; Highland 2019) kept her strong sophomore campaign rolling with a game high 20 point performance - 15 coming in the 2nd half - in a 54-36 victory over rival New Paltz.
- Maggie Malone (5'9" F; Cornwall 2019) pumped in a game high 27 points Friday night in a blowout W over Valley Central.
Massachusetts
- Gwen Carpenter (5'4" G; Mount Everett 2019) had a strong start to her season, scoring 18 and 16 points in back-to-back wins Thursday & Friday, earning tournament MVP honors in the process.
Vermont
- Madison Little (5'9" G; Mount Anthony Union 2017) started off her season by pumping in a game high 19 points Saturday, outscoring her team's opponent on her own in a 57-18 W.
- Emma Carter (5'10" G; Mount Abraham Union 2018) dropped a game high 24 points on Saturday in her team's first game, a 49-43 victory over Mount Mansfield.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Empire State Takeover Girls Upstate Elite Showcase
*I regret to inform all middle schoolers & families interested that the morning session (6th-8th grade) has been canceled. Refunds to those who paid have already been issued. The reason for the cancellation is that numbers were simply too low to carry on a strong event, especially due to a large number of last minute backouts. It kills me to have to call off a session, but I would rather refund and take the proverbial loss than put on an event that isn't worth everyone's time and money spent. I sincerely apologize for this being the case, and I appreciate your understanding.*
This doesn't affect the HS session in the afternoon, however, which is nearly at max capacity! If you're interested in Sunday afternoon's event, don't wait to register as the hard cap is nearly reached!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Date: Sunday, October 9, 2016
Time: 1 PM - 5 PM (open to 9th-12th grade)
Site: Schenectady High School (Pat Riley Sports Center), Schenectady, NY
Cost: $60 (shirt included)
9th-12th grade girls & families: in just over a week, Empire State Takeover will wrap up its 2016 series of events with the Upstate Elite Showcase, a one-day fall event for the serious basketball player looking to test & show their ability with and against some of the best players the region has to offer, and for the older crew, the chance to do that in front of numerous college coaches!
There will be two separate sessions on Sunday, October 9, all at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady High School in Schenectady, NY. The event will take place from 1 PM - 5 PM, and is open to all high school girls who want to test their game with & against many of the region's finest, along with those who have aspirations to play basketball at the college level. Participants will go through 3v3 work, plenty of 5v5 action, and a high intensity individual skills session simultaneously with 5v5 games. This format, not unlike a college elite camp, allows the opportunity for participants to have an outlet to work on their game for the future along with showcase their game in the present.
Hundreds of Division II, III, junior colleges, and prep schools have been sent information on the event, with a solid representation expected in attendance. All 5v5 action will be filmed as well, something I started with in the EST summer league. The summer league film has been sent out to over 150 Division I schools as a freebie, something I'll also do with the older session here.
Cost for the event is $60, shirt included. The easiest way to submit payment is through PayPal - links are placed on the Fall Events page (link below) and below the registration forms online. Cash or check in person is also acceptable. All that's needed to fully register is by filling out the aforementioned registration/coaches' packet form and submitting payment.
College practices start on October 15. Don't miss this great opportunity - and perhaps the last one of the fall - to get strong college exposure, good bump, and a chance to GET BETTER at a relatively low cost! Information, registration links, and PayPal link is at www.empirestatetakeover.org/en/Fall-Events/ - if there are any questions, please feel free to contact me. I hope to see you in the gym on October 9!
This doesn't affect the HS session in the afternoon, however, which is nearly at max capacity! If you're interested in Sunday afternoon's event, don't wait to register as the hard cap is nearly reached!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Date: Sunday, October 9, 2016
Time: 1 PM - 5 PM (open to 9th-12th grade)
Site: Schenectady High School (Pat Riley Sports Center), Schenectady, NY
Cost: $60 (shirt included)
9th-12th grade girls & families: in just over a week, Empire State Takeover will wrap up its 2016 series of events with the Upstate Elite Showcase, a one-day fall event for the serious basketball player looking to test & show their ability with and against some of the best players the region has to offer, and for the older crew, the chance to do that in front of numerous college coaches!
There will be two separate sessions on Sunday, October 9, all at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady High School in Schenectady, NY. The event will take place from 1 PM - 5 PM, and is open to all high school girls who want to test their game with & against many of the region's finest, along with those who have aspirations to play basketball at the college level. Participants will go through 3v3 work, plenty of 5v5 action, and a high intensity individual skills session simultaneously with 5v5 games. This format, not unlike a college elite camp, allows the opportunity for participants to have an outlet to work on their game for the future along with showcase their game in the present.
Hundreds of Division II, III, junior colleges, and prep schools have been sent information on the event, with a solid representation expected in attendance. All 5v5 action will be filmed as well, something I started with in the EST summer league. The summer league film has been sent out to over 150 Division I schools as a freebie, something I'll also do with the older session here.
Cost for the event is $60, shirt included. The easiest way to submit payment is through PayPal - links are placed on the Fall Events page (link below) and below the registration forms online. Cash or check in person is also acceptable. All that's needed to fully register is by filling out the aforementioned registration/coaches' packet form and submitting payment.
College practices start on October 15. Don't miss this great opportunity - and perhaps the last one of the fall - to get strong college exposure, good bump, and a chance to GET BETTER at a relatively low cost! Information, registration links, and PayPal link is at www.empirestatetakeover.org/en/Fall-Events/ - if there are any questions, please feel free to contact me. I hope to see you in the gym on October 9!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
The Recap: ZG Live at the House
Now that there's been a couple days to digest the fall live weekend - and a little time for me to get back on the job with my upcoming event (registration still open) next Sunday - I guess it's time to put the notes from this weekend together. The fall live weekend is always interesting because, more than the other live periods in the year, it shows who the 12 month workers are. There was a lot of rust, but those who never dropped the basketball after summer really stood out. This post will focus on 15 players that stood out to me over the weekend, either as some of the true standouts of the tournament, 'stock risers' whose performance Saturday & Sunday should bode well for their recruitment, or bigtime young talents who show that the well won't run dry in upstate NY for a long time to come.
*** This, like other EST thoughts & posts, is regionally based. There were plenty of strong players in Ardsley this weekend from as far away as Virginia, but my attention for this weekend was focused on prospects from upstate NY and western New England. ***
STANDOUTS
Sydney Brown (6'0" G/F; Blair Academy 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - Between players backing out just before the fall weekend and an ankle injury to all-everything point guard Danielle Rauch Friday night, Randy Wright's squad needed huge contributions from Syd Brown - and that they got. A recent Blair transfer by way of Shenendehowa, she showed all the tools this weekend and was the straw that stirred the drink for an I-90 squad that went 2-2 despite not having 3 impact players. Already known as a supreme athlete that can finish & rebound with anyone, the perimeter jumper is what stood out this weekend as she became a knockdown shooter, especially when fading to the 3 point line off a screen. She already has several offers in the bag, and it'll be fun to watch who else joins the Syd Brown chase over these next several months.
Grace Heeps (5'11" G; Columbia 2019/NY Havoc) - Grace's biggest strength is perhaps her versatility; you can put her basically anywhere you need her on the court, and you'll get away with it. A Havoc squad that was particularly undermanned on Saturday needed her to run the point for nearly every minute of each game, and she succeeded as the primary ballhandler, distributor, and a main scorer as well. Heeps is well-known for her perimeter shooting prowess and how deep her range is, and she also flashed that over the weekend - including a bomb from nearly 30' on Saturday. She even took smaller PG matchups into the blocks a few times to post them up, along with guarding multiple positions on defense. Although she's a more natural 2 going forward and college coaches recruiting her understand that, the versatility across the board & capability to run point should only help her in the recruiting process and perhaps add to her 4 offers.
Vivian Ladd (5'8" G; Johnson City 2018/BNY Select) - Usually, I'm a fan of people playing up age groups if their skill level allows. However, it's different in Vivian Ladd's case, as she's used playing on the 15s this year & this weekend to blossom as a top offensive option for her team. This seems to have helped her expand her game in a major way, as her confidence matches her skill level and she can now take over a game. She has the 'old man at the rec league' game, with all the wily veteran tricks to help her do what she wants on the court. That, along with serious strength, help her make things happen against any kind of matchup; tall, small, strong, quick, athletic, doesn't matter. She consistently got to her spots on the floor - and she has a lot of them - and wreaked havoc en route to a strong BNY weekend. She has a Le Moyne offer and some D1 interest out of the America East conference, and I only imagine that will grow.
Peyton Steinman (5'7" G; Pittsfield 2017/Albany Lady Stars) - Last live period for one of the Berkshires' finest, and she made the most of it. Peyton was in attack mode from the tip, and she was feeling it the entire weekend. She has a pure shooting stroke with range to the NBA 3 point line, shown with her hitting one off the tip from 24' in one of their games. She has a smooth game & a high basketball IQ, rarely turning the ball over from the PG spot while getting the ball to other scorers when & where they want. The ability to anticipate well mixed with long arms help rack up steals on the defensive end, and she played the passing lanes to perfection when needed. Pretty solid rebounding guard as well; was one of the Lady Stars' best on the glass this weekend. Have to think this weekend's performance, especially a nearly 30 point showing in one of her games, helped her with some late looks.
Hanna Strawn (5'3" G; Seton Catholic 2018/BNY Select) - Hanna started off with a bang Saturday. Not that often do you see dozens of coaches lined up for an 8:00 AM Saturday game that ended up being a 60-13 final, but they were for BNY Select, and Hanna had a huge showing in front of around 35 that took the early bird special. She showed off 3 point range, got to the rim with ease, got teammates the ball on a platter with precision passing, and for the coaches that think she's too left-dominant, got to her right a few times & finished with the right hand - through contact, to boot. Her defensive pressure put her opponent's guards into submission in the 1st game and wreaked havoc in the others. Successful weekend for one of the Southern Tier's finest.
Sophie Tougas (6'0" G; Glens Falls 2019/Rivals Black) - Ok, maybe Sophie's Saturday wasn't the best. But any coach that saw her Sunday didn't just like her; they were ready to offer her. The tall, lanky wing lit up the scoreboard with a hot shooting performance and in typical Sophie fashion, made it look effortless. An unnamed Division I coach stated after Sunday that they would 'offer her just to have a chance with her down the road'. She hit 5 threes and scored 20+ in a win over I-90 Elite Sunday, and followed it up with taking over in the last few minutes against Gauchos, including hitting the eventual game winning pull-up jumper. She's an elite level shooter with high basketball IQ and good feel for the game, always moving without the ball and flashing into the right areas. She showcased a smooth, quick release, so a quick closeout was never quick enough to make an impact on her shot. Expect Sophie's recruitment to blow up sooner rather than later.
STOCK RISERS
Cat Almeida (6'4" F; Shenendehowa 2019/NY Havoc) - Cat showed this weekend that she's much more than a long-term project. Her growth as a player over the last few months make her a legitimate impact player right now, and her performance in Ardsley should put a good number of schools on notice. Her deliberate, but deceptively crafty style on offensive is Arvydas Sabonis-esque, showcasing great footwork in the paint along with a quality mid-range and improving perimeter jumper. She's a very good post passer as well, which keeps teammates engaged & moving without the ball since they know she can find them. She's becoming a little quicker and lighter on her feet, as to be expected from someone her height & her age 'catching up', and she rebounded better than at any point in the past this weekend. Big things coming for Almeida.
Jamie Boeheim (5'11" F; Jamesville-Dewitt 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - This weekend was one where Boeheim could step into the forefront with missing pieces across the board for I-90, and she took full advantage of it. With her length & skill set, she's a prototypical stretch 4. She's slippery when going to the basket and can find ways to get shots off & finish above and around defenders. Her mid-range J looks smoother, which will only help going forward, and she battled for rebounds. This was some of the best basketball I've personally seen Jamie play. Looking forward to seeing her growth this year.
Emma Brinker (6'1" F; East Aurora 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - Already one of the most fundamentally skilled post players in upstate NY, Emma showed off some improving quickness and athleticism, which helped her become a bit of a standout on a team that really needed production from her. She's a solid post scorer with great footwork and can step out and hit mid-range jumpers consistently, which she did plenty of over the weekend. Her added worth came on the boards, where she fought and pursued rebounds out of her area to lead I-90 on the glass. Her length & good timing allows her to block shots at a high rate without fouling. She's another player with a high basketball IQ - notice a trend here? Out of those that I paid attention to this weekend, perhaps no one helped themselves out more than Emma did.
Julie Ford (6'2" F; Cooperstown 2018/NY Havoc) - Julie was only in action for Sunday's two games and one of them wasn't at the main House of Sports site, but coaches that saw her 8:00 game Sunday enjoyed her performance without doing much blinking. The super-athletic & bouncy PF started her showing by facing up & blowing by her defender and finishing at backboard level, then followed it up by knocking down a three. Nice start. She rebounded well and ran the floor hard, using her speed to get a couple layups on rim runs. She plays the game with high energy all the time; when the rest is clicking like it did Sunday, the sky is the limit for one of NY's best small school athletes.
Zaria Thomas (5'7" G; Elmira 2017/BNY Select) - In her last NCAA live period showing, Zaria showed coaches just how deadly she can be as a 2 guard at the next level. Although a critique of hers has been that she's slight of frame - which is true - she gave coaches nothing else to mark against her. She got it going in the 2nd game Saturday and kept it rolling, knocking down three after three in a game that eventually went to overtime. Offensively, she uses off-ball screens well and can get a good shot off in a hurry to prevent a closeout from being effectively. Defensively, she has very long arms and can be a nuisance against either backcourt position. She's another BNYer that only has a Le Moyne offer, but I have to think that other D2s at Ardsley this weekend had to take notice. Certainly worth a look for any coaches still looking for a 2 guard in 2017.
Aliyah Wright (5'6" G; Colonie 2019/I-90 Elite Wright) - With I-90 Elite's top team needing a PG after Rauch's ankle injury, Aliyah got the callup from the 15U team after their first game. All she did was hold her own & not skip a beat with the top team, impressing coaches and others familiar with the program alike with her heady play. She was assertive enough on offense and knocked down open jumpers, but did a good job keeping the ball moving to open teammates and getting the post players engaged. She kept the turnovers down and solid play up, and good true point guard play from her should bode well going forward.
THE FUTURE
Jill Casey (5'9" G; Horseheads 2020/BNY Select) - Didn't get to see as much of her age group play as I'd hope, but I saw enough to realize why the BNY crew was so high on their newest addition to the program. Like Ladd, Casey has an old school game that gets the job done against any kind of matchup. She's very long, which makes her play bigger than her 5'9" frame. Her mid-range game appeared to be a strong point, as she knocked down shots consistently in the 13'-18' range. Like nearly everyone that comes through the Horseheads program, she's a hard-nosed player that's willing to sacrifice her body and put forth extra effort on the defensive end. She's certainly a good pickup for the BNY program, and it'll be interesting to see her growth over the next year or two.
Momo LaClair (5'8" G; Jamesville-Dewitt 2021/I-90 Elite Snyder) - Perhaps Syracuse's top up & comer at this stage, Momo didn't disappoint this weekend. Perhaps her strongest moments that I saw were against her stiffest competition, in the middle of an OT battle vs. MCW Starz and Caroline Ducharme, regarded as one of the top 2021s in the country at this point. She helped lead I-90 Elite back from a 2nd half deficit to earn an extra few minutes, where they eventually came out with a 4 point W. Her basketball IQ wildly surpasses her age. She seems to always make the right play and has the ability to be a multi-faceted scorer while distributing for others. Her length & quickness allow her to defend either spot in the backcourt as well. The well hasn't run dry at J-D, not for a long time.
Saniaa Wilson (6'0" F; Bishop Kearney 2021/City Rocks) - Rochester has their own Baby Barkley, and she made sure everyone knew what her name was by Sunday afternoon. The 585's junior high phenom, already Bishop Kearney's leading scorer on varsity as a 7th grader, played up with the top team on Sunday and made her presence felt from the start. Using her strength and tenacity, she was a relentless rebounder against older & often taller competition, and she finished through contact on numerous occasions. Although she's known as a power post player, she flashed the ability to handle it too, catching it on the fast break and using a dribble move to get to the rim & finish a couple different times. The future is here in Saniaa Wilson.
Shameless plug - the Empire State Takeover Upstate Elite Showcase is taking place very soon! Sunday, October 9 at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady High School. Two sessions - 7th-9th grade from 9 AM - 1 PM, 10th-12th grade 1 PM - 5 PM. High intensity individual skills session, situational 3 v 3, and plenty of live 5 v 5 run with the older crew having plenty of college coaches in attendance. $60 to participate, shirt included. Good bump & exposure at a lower cost than many other options! Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a name for yourself, showcase what you can do in front of coaches, and GET BETTER at the same time! More info at www.empirestatetakeover.org/en/Fall-Events/ including registration & PayPal links - hope to see you there!
*** This, like other EST thoughts & posts, is regionally based. There were plenty of strong players in Ardsley this weekend from as far away as Virginia, but my attention for this weekend was focused on prospects from upstate NY and western New England. ***
STANDOUTS
Sydney Brown (6'0" G/F; Blair Academy 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - Between players backing out just before the fall weekend and an ankle injury to all-everything point guard Danielle Rauch Friday night, Randy Wright's squad needed huge contributions from Syd Brown - and that they got. A recent Blair transfer by way of Shenendehowa, she showed all the tools this weekend and was the straw that stirred the drink for an I-90 squad that went 2-2 despite not having 3 impact players. Already known as a supreme athlete that can finish & rebound with anyone, the perimeter jumper is what stood out this weekend as she became a knockdown shooter, especially when fading to the 3 point line off a screen. She already has several offers in the bag, and it'll be fun to watch who else joins the Syd Brown chase over these next several months.
Grace Heeps (5'11" G; Columbia 2019/NY Havoc) - Grace's biggest strength is perhaps her versatility; you can put her basically anywhere you need her on the court, and you'll get away with it. A Havoc squad that was particularly undermanned on Saturday needed her to run the point for nearly every minute of each game, and she succeeded as the primary ballhandler, distributor, and a main scorer as well. Heeps is well-known for her perimeter shooting prowess and how deep her range is, and she also flashed that over the weekend - including a bomb from nearly 30' on Saturday. She even took smaller PG matchups into the blocks a few times to post them up, along with guarding multiple positions on defense. Although she's a more natural 2 going forward and college coaches recruiting her understand that, the versatility across the board & capability to run point should only help her in the recruiting process and perhaps add to her 4 offers.
Vivian Ladd (5'8" G; Johnson City 2018/BNY Select) - Usually, I'm a fan of people playing up age groups if their skill level allows. However, it's different in Vivian Ladd's case, as she's used playing on the 15s this year & this weekend to blossom as a top offensive option for her team. This seems to have helped her expand her game in a major way, as her confidence matches her skill level and she can now take over a game. She has the 'old man at the rec league' game, with all the wily veteran tricks to help her do what she wants on the court. That, along with serious strength, help her make things happen against any kind of matchup; tall, small, strong, quick, athletic, doesn't matter. She consistently got to her spots on the floor - and she has a lot of them - and wreaked havoc en route to a strong BNY weekend. She has a Le Moyne offer and some D1 interest out of the America East conference, and I only imagine that will grow.
Peyton Steinman (5'7" G; Pittsfield 2017/Albany Lady Stars) - Last live period for one of the Berkshires' finest, and she made the most of it. Peyton was in attack mode from the tip, and she was feeling it the entire weekend. She has a pure shooting stroke with range to the NBA 3 point line, shown with her hitting one off the tip from 24' in one of their games. She has a smooth game & a high basketball IQ, rarely turning the ball over from the PG spot while getting the ball to other scorers when & where they want. The ability to anticipate well mixed with long arms help rack up steals on the defensive end, and she played the passing lanes to perfection when needed. Pretty solid rebounding guard as well; was one of the Lady Stars' best on the glass this weekend. Have to think this weekend's performance, especially a nearly 30 point showing in one of her games, helped her with some late looks.
Hanna Strawn (5'3" G; Seton Catholic 2018/BNY Select) - Hanna started off with a bang Saturday. Not that often do you see dozens of coaches lined up for an 8:00 AM Saturday game that ended up being a 60-13 final, but they were for BNY Select, and Hanna had a huge showing in front of around 35 that took the early bird special. She showed off 3 point range, got to the rim with ease, got teammates the ball on a platter with precision passing, and for the coaches that think she's too left-dominant, got to her right a few times & finished with the right hand - through contact, to boot. Her defensive pressure put her opponent's guards into submission in the 1st game and wreaked havoc in the others. Successful weekend for one of the Southern Tier's finest.
Sophie Tougas (6'0" G; Glens Falls 2019/Rivals Black) - Ok, maybe Sophie's Saturday wasn't the best. But any coach that saw her Sunday didn't just like her; they were ready to offer her. The tall, lanky wing lit up the scoreboard with a hot shooting performance and in typical Sophie fashion, made it look effortless. An unnamed Division I coach stated after Sunday that they would 'offer her just to have a chance with her down the road'. She hit 5 threes and scored 20+ in a win over I-90 Elite Sunday, and followed it up with taking over in the last few minutes against Gauchos, including hitting the eventual game winning pull-up jumper. She's an elite level shooter with high basketball IQ and good feel for the game, always moving without the ball and flashing into the right areas. She showcased a smooth, quick release, so a quick closeout was never quick enough to make an impact on her shot. Expect Sophie's recruitment to blow up sooner rather than later.
STOCK RISERS
Cat Almeida (6'4" F; Shenendehowa 2019/NY Havoc) - Cat showed this weekend that she's much more than a long-term project. Her growth as a player over the last few months make her a legitimate impact player right now, and her performance in Ardsley should put a good number of schools on notice. Her deliberate, but deceptively crafty style on offensive is Arvydas Sabonis-esque, showcasing great footwork in the paint along with a quality mid-range and improving perimeter jumper. She's a very good post passer as well, which keeps teammates engaged & moving without the ball since they know she can find them. She's becoming a little quicker and lighter on her feet, as to be expected from someone her height & her age 'catching up', and she rebounded better than at any point in the past this weekend. Big things coming for Almeida.
Jamie Boeheim (5'11" F; Jamesville-Dewitt 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - This weekend was one where Boeheim could step into the forefront with missing pieces across the board for I-90, and she took full advantage of it. With her length & skill set, she's a prototypical stretch 4. She's slippery when going to the basket and can find ways to get shots off & finish above and around defenders. Her mid-range J looks smoother, which will only help going forward, and she battled for rebounds. This was some of the best basketball I've personally seen Jamie play. Looking forward to seeing her growth this year.
Emma Brinker (6'1" F; East Aurora 2018/I-90 Elite Wright) - Already one of the most fundamentally skilled post players in upstate NY, Emma showed off some improving quickness and athleticism, which helped her become a bit of a standout on a team that really needed production from her. She's a solid post scorer with great footwork and can step out and hit mid-range jumpers consistently, which she did plenty of over the weekend. Her added worth came on the boards, where she fought and pursued rebounds out of her area to lead I-90 on the glass. Her length & good timing allows her to block shots at a high rate without fouling. She's another player with a high basketball IQ - notice a trend here? Out of those that I paid attention to this weekend, perhaps no one helped themselves out more than Emma did.
Julie Ford (6'2" F; Cooperstown 2018/NY Havoc) - Julie was only in action for Sunday's two games and one of them wasn't at the main House of Sports site, but coaches that saw her 8:00 game Sunday enjoyed her performance without doing much blinking. The super-athletic & bouncy PF started her showing by facing up & blowing by her defender and finishing at backboard level, then followed it up by knocking down a three. Nice start. She rebounded well and ran the floor hard, using her speed to get a couple layups on rim runs. She plays the game with high energy all the time; when the rest is clicking like it did Sunday, the sky is the limit for one of NY's best small school athletes.
Zaria Thomas (5'7" G; Elmira 2017/BNY Select) - In her last NCAA live period showing, Zaria showed coaches just how deadly she can be as a 2 guard at the next level. Although a critique of hers has been that she's slight of frame - which is true - she gave coaches nothing else to mark against her. She got it going in the 2nd game Saturday and kept it rolling, knocking down three after three in a game that eventually went to overtime. Offensively, she uses off-ball screens well and can get a good shot off in a hurry to prevent a closeout from being effectively. Defensively, she has very long arms and can be a nuisance against either backcourt position. She's another BNYer that only has a Le Moyne offer, but I have to think that other D2s at Ardsley this weekend had to take notice. Certainly worth a look for any coaches still looking for a 2 guard in 2017.
Aliyah Wright (5'6" G; Colonie 2019/I-90 Elite Wright) - With I-90 Elite's top team needing a PG after Rauch's ankle injury, Aliyah got the callup from the 15U team after their first game. All she did was hold her own & not skip a beat with the top team, impressing coaches and others familiar with the program alike with her heady play. She was assertive enough on offense and knocked down open jumpers, but did a good job keeping the ball moving to open teammates and getting the post players engaged. She kept the turnovers down and solid play up, and good true point guard play from her should bode well going forward.
THE FUTURE
Jill Casey (5'9" G; Horseheads 2020/BNY Select) - Didn't get to see as much of her age group play as I'd hope, but I saw enough to realize why the BNY crew was so high on their newest addition to the program. Like Ladd, Casey has an old school game that gets the job done against any kind of matchup. She's very long, which makes her play bigger than her 5'9" frame. Her mid-range game appeared to be a strong point, as she knocked down shots consistently in the 13'-18' range. Like nearly everyone that comes through the Horseheads program, she's a hard-nosed player that's willing to sacrifice her body and put forth extra effort on the defensive end. She's certainly a good pickup for the BNY program, and it'll be interesting to see her growth over the next year or two.
Momo LaClair (5'8" G; Jamesville-Dewitt 2021/I-90 Elite Snyder) - Perhaps Syracuse's top up & comer at this stage, Momo didn't disappoint this weekend. Perhaps her strongest moments that I saw were against her stiffest competition, in the middle of an OT battle vs. MCW Starz and Caroline Ducharme, regarded as one of the top 2021s in the country at this point. She helped lead I-90 Elite back from a 2nd half deficit to earn an extra few minutes, where they eventually came out with a 4 point W. Her basketball IQ wildly surpasses her age. She seems to always make the right play and has the ability to be a multi-faceted scorer while distributing for others. Her length & quickness allow her to defend either spot in the backcourt as well. The well hasn't run dry at J-D, not for a long time.
Saniaa Wilson (6'0" F; Bishop Kearney 2021/City Rocks) - Rochester has their own Baby Barkley, and she made sure everyone knew what her name was by Sunday afternoon. The 585's junior high phenom, already Bishop Kearney's leading scorer on varsity as a 7th grader, played up with the top team on Sunday and made her presence felt from the start. Using her strength and tenacity, she was a relentless rebounder against older & often taller competition, and she finished through contact on numerous occasions. Although she's known as a power post player, she flashed the ability to handle it too, catching it on the fast break and using a dribble move to get to the rim & finish a couple different times. The future is here in Saniaa Wilson.
Shameless plug - the Empire State Takeover Upstate Elite Showcase is taking place very soon! Sunday, October 9 at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady High School. Two sessions - 7th-9th grade from 9 AM - 1 PM, 10th-12th grade 1 PM - 5 PM. High intensity individual skills session, situational 3 v 3, and plenty of live 5 v 5 run with the older crew having plenty of college coaches in attendance. $60 to participate, shirt included. Good bump & exposure at a lower cost than many other options! Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a name for yourself, showcase what you can do in front of coaches, and GET BETTER at the same time! More info at www.empirestatetakeover.org/en/Fall-Events/ including registration & PayPal links - hope to see you there!
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Full Stat Sheets & Intangibles a Guarantee With All-EST 1st Teamer Heeps
Summer '16 has treated Grace Heeps well.
The 5'11" combo guard with a silky smooth game - worthy of the 'Red Velvet' nickname that I personally have ran dry - has seen a return on investment with the work she has put in. After a solid July evaluation period, the list of Division I schools that have extended scholarship offers increased from 1 to 4 in a matter of two weeks. After Lafayette was the first to jump in April, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure followed suit in August. A gaudy list of Division I programs fall under the 'interested & actively recruiting' heading, and she's yet to start her sophomore year. She hasn't received this attention from eye-popping highlight plays, though. Besides noticeably impressive range on her perimeter jumper, she doesn't bring a guarantee of 'wow' plays. What she does bring, though, is a guarantee of overall 'wow' play with a rare mix of tangibles and intangibles, and that's also why she was an easy 2016 All-EST 1st team pick.
Heeps offers two things in abundance; fantasy points and leadership qualities. If there was a 'girls high school basketball' section of FanDuel, Grace should likely be one of the top picks. She fills up the stat line across the board, efficiently so, and her mix of skills and size make her a legitimate triple-double threat. She had one of those this past winter at Columbia - as a freshman. Don't expect her to give you 25-30 points, but you can nearly put her down in Sharpie for 10+. She doubles up as one of the league's best rebounding guards and one of the best at creating for others, so her rebound and assist numbers are consistently near the highest among guards. She has a high IQ and can anticipate the play, which aids her on the defensive end, where she can guard multiple positions. This summer, she averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. Only two other players in the league averaged 1 or more of all five main statistical categories. Even when she does score more, the totals in other statistical categories don't drop - her season high of 22 points came along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
What sticks out even more than Grace's box score capabilities and her overall versatility, though, is the intangibles. She's well-known as a great on-court communicator. Some call it loud; coaches say it with a smile on their face as they compliment it. Her basketball IQ is well beyond her years, which shows itself as she's able to direct traffic and run the show on the offensive end. Any team she's on, and especially so on a particularly young Next Level squad in EST, Heeps provides a steadying presence that makes her value unmistakable even in an off game.
In EST, the Next Level squad as a whole had bad luck. Between a steady string of injury, illness, and last-minute obligations, they never came into a week at 100% full strength. But they fought through it, shaking off a 2-4 start to finish .500 and come dangerously close to upsetting top seed Show Stoppers in the semifinals. That came as she was fighting through a sudden bout of illness herself. One thing rang true from front to back - you knew what #11 in the blue was giving you, and she was there every week to do it. What she gives is enough to have a couple dozen D1 schools on her trail, enough to help make Next Level competitive on their weeks with lowest numbers and a legit contender when they were closer to full strength, and it was certainly enough to garner the All-EST 1st team nod.
2016 All-EST 1st Team
Grace Heeps
5'11" G
High School: Columbia, Class of 2019
AAU: NY Havoc Blue
EST Team: Next Level
Well-rounded guard who can play the 1, 2, or 3 offensively. Heady guard with good handle that plays within herself, which makes her a low turnover risk. Exceptional range on her jumper, a legitimate threat to hit from 25'. College ready body already, which she uses very well to effectively get where she wants when she wants. Finishes well through contact, gets to the free throw line often and converts. Versatile defender that can guard in the backcourt, but has size & strength to battle opposing 4s. Rebounds exceptionally well for a guard and creates for others, willing to make the extra pass. Averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG this summer while leading EST in total points (143) and 3s made (19). Currently has scholarship offers on the table from Lafayette, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure.
The 5'11" combo guard with a silky smooth game - worthy of the 'Red Velvet' nickname that I personally have ran dry - has seen a return on investment with the work she has put in. After a solid July evaluation period, the list of Division I schools that have extended scholarship offers increased from 1 to 4 in a matter of two weeks. After Lafayette was the first to jump in April, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure followed suit in August. A gaudy list of Division I programs fall under the 'interested & actively recruiting' heading, and she's yet to start her sophomore year. She hasn't received this attention from eye-popping highlight plays, though. Besides noticeably impressive range on her perimeter jumper, she doesn't bring a guarantee of 'wow' plays. What she does bring, though, is a guarantee of overall 'wow' play with a rare mix of tangibles and intangibles, and that's also why she was an easy 2016 All-EST 1st team pick.
Heeps offers two things in abundance; fantasy points and leadership qualities. If there was a 'girls high school basketball' section of FanDuel, Grace should likely be one of the top picks. She fills up the stat line across the board, efficiently so, and her mix of skills and size make her a legitimate triple-double threat. She had one of those this past winter at Columbia - as a freshman. Don't expect her to give you 25-30 points, but you can nearly put her down in Sharpie for 10+. She doubles up as one of the league's best rebounding guards and one of the best at creating for others, so her rebound and assist numbers are consistently near the highest among guards. She has a high IQ and can anticipate the play, which aids her on the defensive end, where she can guard multiple positions. This summer, she averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. Only two other players in the league averaged 1 or more of all five main statistical categories. Even when she does score more, the totals in other statistical categories don't drop - her season high of 22 points came along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
What sticks out even more than Grace's box score capabilities and her overall versatility, though, is the intangibles. She's well-known as a great on-court communicator. Some call it loud; coaches say it with a smile on their face as they compliment it. Her basketball IQ is well beyond her years, which shows itself as she's able to direct traffic and run the show on the offensive end. Any team she's on, and especially so on a particularly young Next Level squad in EST, Heeps provides a steadying presence that makes her value unmistakable even in an off game.
In EST, the Next Level squad as a whole had bad luck. Between a steady string of injury, illness, and last-minute obligations, they never came into a week at 100% full strength. But they fought through it, shaking off a 2-4 start to finish .500 and come dangerously close to upsetting top seed Show Stoppers in the semifinals. That came as she was fighting through a sudden bout of illness herself. One thing rang true from front to back - you knew what #11 in the blue was giving you, and she was there every week to do it. What she gives is enough to have a couple dozen D1 schools on her trail, enough to help make Next Level competitive on their weeks with lowest numbers and a legit contender when they were closer to full strength, and it was certainly enough to garner the All-EST 1st team nod.
2016 All-EST 1st Team
Grace Heeps
5'11" G
High School: Columbia, Class of 2019
AAU: NY Havoc Blue
EST Team: Next Level
Well-rounded guard who can play the 1, 2, or 3 offensively. Heady guard with good handle that plays within herself, which makes her a low turnover risk. Exceptional range on her jumper, a legitimate threat to hit from 25'. College ready body already, which she uses very well to effectively get where she wants when she wants. Finishes well through contact, gets to the free throw line often and converts. Versatile defender that can guard in the backcourt, but has size & strength to battle opposing 4s. Rebounds exceptionally well for a guard and creates for others, willing to make the extra pass. Averaged 11.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG this summer while leading EST in total points (143) and 3s made (19). Currently has scholarship offers on the table from Lafayette, Manhattan, Fordham, and St. Bonaventure.
Seasoned Vet, But Still A Young Gun; Girard III Lights Out Late to Earn MVP
There's buzz. There's a lot of buzz. Then there's beehive falling off the tree buzz. It's safe to say that his performance in the bright lights and on the highest of stages the last couple years - and even as a grade schooler, if you want to take it back that far - has warranted Joseph Girard III the latter of those three categories. Just a rising sophomore and a few months short of being old enough to get behind the wheel of a car, he's accomplished quite a bit with a basketball in his hands.
MVP of his league? Check. 1st team all-state? Check. Scored 1,000 points? Check... make that 1,300+. Scholarship offers? Check that 3 times, so far. Have a song written about you? Check that too. The next checkmark on the to-do list for JG3: 2016 EST MVP. With his performance over the course of the summer, and especially over a phenomenal stretch in the 2nd half of the 2016 campaign, that officially gets a check as well.
Girard started off the summer turning in some strong games as well. He made things happen as the marquee option on a strong Young Guns team, yet impressed many with his ability and willingness to create for others and make the extra pass. There goes the knock about him only being able to score. However, he turned it to another level after the NCAA Division I evaluation period was over. Over the league's final 3 weeks, JG3 pumped in just under 29.2 PPG - 175 points over 6 games. This included a week where he scored 72 points over 2 games, dropping 35 and 37 in back-to-back outings. He also hit 36 threes on the season, an EST single-season record.
And the most impressive thing about his statistics? He didn't force it. Girard averaged 5.6 assists per game as well, along with 4.7 rebounds. He never played a game to see how many points he would end up with. The intensity level was always high on both ends. Most high-level scorers will relax on the defensive end, either by guarding a weaker player or not putting forth much of an effort. He wasn't most high-level scorers. Joe took the challenge of locking up on defense and showed the complete arsenal.
3 Division I schools - High Point, Albany, and George Washington - have officially extended scholarship offers. Attention is coming from scores of others. The knocks about his stature are heard, and still heard often. However, Girard has been making up for it the last two years - and showed so this summer, especially - by doing nearly everything else right. What's perhaps the best attribute to his game that despite the accolades listed above, he works and plays with the edge of someone that has the world to prove wrong. Drive like that is why his success looks sure to be far from short-lived.
Most Valuable Player
Joseph Girard III
6'1" G
High School: Glens Falls, Class of 2019
AAU: City Rocks EYBL
EST Team: Young Guns
Lights out shooter whose game has grown into being a dominant all-around player. Open looks are nearly death sentences, and he can create his own shot as well as create for others. Deceptively good defender with quick feet and quick hands. Has a motor that few can match; desire to win often is the catalyst behind driving his team to a win. Averaged 23.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG in the summer league, and his 397 career points in EST make him the league's all-time leading scorer. Currently holds offers from High Point, Albany, and George Washington with Syracuse, Michigan, and Notre Dame among a long list of schools actively recruiting.
MVP of his league? Check. 1st team all-state? Check. Scored 1,000 points? Check... make that 1,300+. Scholarship offers? Check that 3 times, so far. Have a song written about you? Check that too. The next checkmark on the to-do list for JG3: 2016 EST MVP. With his performance over the course of the summer, and especially over a phenomenal stretch in the 2nd half of the 2016 campaign, that officially gets a check as well.
Girard started off the summer turning in some strong games as well. He made things happen as the marquee option on a strong Young Guns team, yet impressed many with his ability and willingness to create for others and make the extra pass. There goes the knock about him only being able to score. However, he turned it to another level after the NCAA Division I evaluation period was over. Over the league's final 3 weeks, JG3 pumped in just under 29.2 PPG - 175 points over 6 games. This included a week where he scored 72 points over 2 games, dropping 35 and 37 in back-to-back outings. He also hit 36 threes on the season, an EST single-season record.
And the most impressive thing about his statistics? He didn't force it. Girard averaged 5.6 assists per game as well, along with 4.7 rebounds. He never played a game to see how many points he would end up with. The intensity level was always high on both ends. Most high-level scorers will relax on the defensive end, either by guarding a weaker player or not putting forth much of an effort. He wasn't most high-level scorers. Joe took the challenge of locking up on defense and showed the complete arsenal.
3 Division I schools - High Point, Albany, and George Washington - have officially extended scholarship offers. Attention is coming from scores of others. The knocks about his stature are heard, and still heard often. However, Girard has been making up for it the last two years - and showed so this summer, especially - by doing nearly everything else right. What's perhaps the best attribute to his game that despite the accolades listed above, he works and plays with the edge of someone that has the world to prove wrong. Drive like that is why his success looks sure to be far from short-lived.
Most Valuable Player
Joseph Girard III
6'1" G
High School: Glens Falls, Class of 2019
AAU: City Rocks EYBL
EST Team: Young Guns
Lights out shooter whose game has grown into being a dominant all-around player. Open looks are nearly death sentences, and he can create his own shot as well as create for others. Deceptively good defender with quick feet and quick hands. Has a motor that few can match; desire to win often is the catalyst behind driving his team to a win. Averaged 23.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG in the summer league, and his 397 career points in EST make him the league's all-time leading scorer. Currently holds offers from High Point, Albany, and George Washington with Syracuse, Michigan, and Notre Dame among a long list of schools actively recruiting.
Friday, September 2, 2016
2016 EST Boys League All-Stars; Despite Losing in Finals, Girard III Runs With MVP
With Empire State Takeover's 2nd summer in the books, time to recap with
some all-league lists. These lists were compiled using a number of
different factors. Some of these included:
- Skill/ability on the court & value to the team
- Consistent production - players who produced at a strong level constantly were given favor over streakier producers
- Dependability, consistently attending
- Comments from team coaches and college coaches that attended - the more positive from unbiased sources that are knowledgeable about the game, the better you fared
The boys' league featured 76 players that put on an EST jersey this summer for 6 teams. 7 sections of the NYSPHSAA - 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 - were represented throughout the summer, along with players from Vermont and Maryland. Areas such as Utica, Oneonta, Poughkeepsie, Plattsburgh, and Canton were well-represented, with multiple players having 3.5+ hour drives, one way, to play.
With the amount of high-level talent that came in and made a difference for their teams, there had to be attendance minimum requirements to have been considered for any of these lists. In order to be considered for a 1st or 2nd team selection, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 4 weeks. To be considered for an honorable selection mention, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 3 weeks. A few made big differences for their teams in limited action, but the all-league list represents those that made a difference on the court throughout the summer.
The all-league list features some big names that were to be expected, including a player with multiple Division I offers as the MVP. Another 1st teamer also has a Division I offer on the table. All lists are dotted with players receiving serious scholarship level attention, along with many who are heralded as strong Division III prospects.
Along with that are a few names that have flown under the radar to most before this summer hit. 6 players for boys' league champion Team 518 made the mark - two 1st teamers, two 2nd team picks, and two honorable mention selections. 4 from Young Guns, the boys runner-up, made the lists, including our MVP. A teammate joined him on the All-EST 1st team, along with two additional honorable mention selections. Full list below!
2016 Empire State Takeover MVP
Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls 2019; Young Guns)
2016 All-EST 1st Team (along with Girard III)
Adam Anderson (Saratoga Springs 2017; Team 518)
Darren Brown (Fair Haven (VT) 2017; Young Guns)
Ty'Jon Gilmore (St. Thomas More (CT) 2017; The Growth)
Tyler Lamport (South Kortright 2017; Team 518)
Mike Wine (Guilderland 2017; Bellevue)
2016 All-EST 2nd Team
Jarrett Benjamin (Laurens 2017; Bellevue)
Jake Cook (Shaker 2019; Next Big Thing)
Tommy Kelly (Bridgton Academy (ME) 2017; Team 518)
Caleb Scrime (Lake George 2018; All Day)
Kevin Townes Jr. (Our Lady of Lourdes 2017; The Growth)
Joe Werner (Ichabod Crane 2017; Team 518)
2016 All-EST Honorable Mention
Jared D'Aloia (Stillwater 2017; Next Big Thing)
Kevin Murray (Seton Catholic (Plattsburgh) 2017; Bellevue)
Beau Smith (Trinity Pawling 2018; Team 518)
Jack Spencer (Rhinebeck 2017; The Growth)
Bryce Waterman (Colonie 2018; Young Guns)
Ray Evans (La Salle 2018; All Day)
Derek Newman (Herkimer 2017; All Day)
Isaiah Moll (Colonie 2018; Next Big Thing)
Mike Ortale (Bethlehem 2019; Next Big Thing)
Jeff Coulter (Oneida 2017; Team 518)
Dylan Trombley (Moriah 2018; Young Guns)
- Skill/ability on the court & value to the team
- Consistent production - players who produced at a strong level constantly were given favor over streakier producers
- Dependability, consistently attending
- Comments from team coaches and college coaches that attended - the more positive from unbiased sources that are knowledgeable about the game, the better you fared
The boys' league featured 76 players that put on an EST jersey this summer for 6 teams. 7 sections of the NYSPHSAA - 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 - were represented throughout the summer, along with players from Vermont and Maryland. Areas such as Utica, Oneonta, Poughkeepsie, Plattsburgh, and Canton were well-represented, with multiple players having 3.5+ hour drives, one way, to play.
With the amount of high-level talent that came in and made a difference for their teams, there had to be attendance minimum requirements to have been considered for any of these lists. In order to be considered for a 1st or 2nd team selection, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 4 weeks. To be considered for an honorable selection mention, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 3 weeks. A few made big differences for their teams in limited action, but the all-league list represents those that made a difference on the court throughout the summer.
The all-league list features some big names that were to be expected, including a player with multiple Division I offers as the MVP. Another 1st teamer also has a Division I offer on the table. All lists are dotted with players receiving serious scholarship level attention, along with many who are heralded as strong Division III prospects.
Along with that are a few names that have flown under the radar to most before this summer hit. 6 players for boys' league champion Team 518 made the mark - two 1st teamers, two 2nd team picks, and two honorable mention selections. 4 from Young Guns, the boys runner-up, made the lists, including our MVP. A teammate joined him on the All-EST 1st team, along with two additional honorable mention selections. Full list below!
2016 Empire State Takeover MVP
Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls 2019; Young Guns)
2016 All-EST 1st Team (along with Girard III)
Adam Anderson (Saratoga Springs 2017; Team 518)
Darren Brown (Fair Haven (VT) 2017; Young Guns)
Ty'Jon Gilmore (St. Thomas More (CT) 2017; The Growth)
Tyler Lamport (South Kortright 2017; Team 518)
Mike Wine (Guilderland 2017; Bellevue)
2016 All-EST 2nd Team
Jarrett Benjamin (Laurens 2017; Bellevue)
Jake Cook (Shaker 2019; Next Big Thing)
Tommy Kelly (Bridgton Academy (ME) 2017; Team 518)
Caleb Scrime (Lake George 2018; All Day)
Kevin Townes Jr. (Our Lady of Lourdes 2017; The Growth)
Joe Werner (Ichabod Crane 2017; Team 518)
2016 All-EST Honorable Mention
Jared D'Aloia (Stillwater 2017; Next Big Thing)
Kevin Murray (Seton Catholic (Plattsburgh) 2017; Bellevue)
Beau Smith (Trinity Pawling 2018; Team 518)
Jack Spencer (Rhinebeck 2017; The Growth)
Bryce Waterman (Colonie 2018; Young Guns)
Ray Evans (La Salle 2018; All Day)
Derek Newman (Herkimer 2017; All Day)
Isaiah Moll (Colonie 2018; Next Big Thing)
Mike Ortale (Bethlehem 2019; Next Big Thing)
Jeff Coulter (Oneida 2017; Team 518)
Dylan Trombley (Moriah 2018; Young Guns)
Thursday, September 1, 2016
From Scorer To Complete Player: Chaffin Earns 2016 EST MVP With Fewer Points
Rewind to a year ago. In the 1st annual Empire State Takeover summer
invitational, the MVP choice was a pretty clear one. When a Division I
commit - now St. Bonaventure freshman Danielle Migliore - leads the
league in scoring by 9 PPG and leads her team to a championship win, it
doesn't take much thought.
But while that was going on, a younger girl - at that point, entering her sophomore year at Kingston - was making some noise on the team that was their nemesis all summer, including the finals. This ultra-athletic 5'10" wing, Chloe Chaffin, wasn't well-known to the vast majority of Capital District basketball enthusiasts, but she took the opportunity to plaster her name on the map. A year later, and she's not sneaking up on anyone. As a returning All-EST 1st Team selection from 2015 that added accolades like Class AA All-State Honorable Mention and Daily Freeman Player of the Year in the winter, along with introducing herself to the Capital District AAU scene with a strong campaign in the blue NY Havoc jersey, people knew her. However, knowing her doesn't mean you can stop her, and she consistently left her fingerprint on the game while suiting up for every one of Outwork's EST games for the 2nd summer in a row.
Chloe's scoring numbers actually took a slight dip from the 2015 campaign, but this speaks toward the growth of her overall game and not any diminishing qualities of her scoring ability. Simply put, she was much more than a scorer this summer. If she was struggling offensively, she still provided worth in her defense, rebounding, and playmaking ability to the point where you felt like you couldn't take her out. Chaffin's versatility on both ends allowed her to be a plug-and-play player. She could play at the wing, post up, be a primary ballhandler, and defend every position on the court. This provided her Outwork team a luxury that no other team truly had to that extent - a player who could produce offensively wherever they put her and lock up defensively wherever they needed.
The versatility and willingness to do whatever was needed showed itself in the stat sheet this summer. She averaged 8.5 PPG - as mentioned, a slight drop from her 10.6 last summer but still tied for 15th in EST - along with 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG. The 6.2 RPG also put her in the top 15 in that category, and her assist & steal per game numbers were good for 5th and a tie for 2nd in the league, respectively. Her stat lines were often stuffed; there are plentiful examples, including 13 pts/7 rebs/5 asts in a July 7 game, 11 pts/5 rebs/5 stls on August 3, 7 pts/9 rebs/6 asts on July 27, along with plenty of others. When Outwork went cold on offense, it was often Chloe making a play - or a string of plays - to turn their situation around. Her 9 point/8 rebound championship game included a host of big plays as Outwork came back from a double digit deficit in the 2nd half. 7 of her points came in the 2nd half, including the basket to initially give Outwork the lead late. After Show Stoppers took the edge again, the defense turned their attention to her. Instead of forcing the issue - something she may have done last year - she sucked the defense in as much as possible on a drive and kicked out to an open Madison Little in the corner, who buried what proved to be the game winning 3 with under a minute left. That stretch, in a nutshell, was the maturation of Chloe Chaffin, and why she's earned the 2016 EST girls' league MVP.
Most Valuable Player
Chloe Chaffin
5'10" G
High School: Kingston, Class of 2018
College Choice: Verbal Commitment to Fordham
AAU: NY Havoc Blue
EST Team: Outwork
Super athletic multi-faceted player took her overall game to another level this summer while assuming more of a leadership role. Can be a dominant scorer when needed but become more and more willing to create for others off the dribble. Averaged 8.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.1 SPG, .4 BPG while making every game. Currently EST's all-time leading girls' scorer (274 points) and 1 of only 2 players to have scored 100+ points in both years of EST's existence. Publicly announced her verbal commitment to Division I Fordham University of the Atlantic 10 on September 1.
But while that was going on, a younger girl - at that point, entering her sophomore year at Kingston - was making some noise on the team that was their nemesis all summer, including the finals. This ultra-athletic 5'10" wing, Chloe Chaffin, wasn't well-known to the vast majority of Capital District basketball enthusiasts, but she took the opportunity to plaster her name on the map. A year later, and she's not sneaking up on anyone. As a returning All-EST 1st Team selection from 2015 that added accolades like Class AA All-State Honorable Mention and Daily Freeman Player of the Year in the winter, along with introducing herself to the Capital District AAU scene with a strong campaign in the blue NY Havoc jersey, people knew her. However, knowing her doesn't mean you can stop her, and she consistently left her fingerprint on the game while suiting up for every one of Outwork's EST games for the 2nd summer in a row.
Chloe's scoring numbers actually took a slight dip from the 2015 campaign, but this speaks toward the growth of her overall game and not any diminishing qualities of her scoring ability. Simply put, she was much more than a scorer this summer. If she was struggling offensively, she still provided worth in her defense, rebounding, and playmaking ability to the point where you felt like you couldn't take her out. Chaffin's versatility on both ends allowed her to be a plug-and-play player. She could play at the wing, post up, be a primary ballhandler, and defend every position on the court. This provided her Outwork team a luxury that no other team truly had to that extent - a player who could produce offensively wherever they put her and lock up defensively wherever they needed.
The versatility and willingness to do whatever was needed showed itself in the stat sheet this summer. She averaged 8.5 PPG - as mentioned, a slight drop from her 10.6 last summer but still tied for 15th in EST - along with 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG. The 6.2 RPG also put her in the top 15 in that category, and her assist & steal per game numbers were good for 5th and a tie for 2nd in the league, respectively. Her stat lines were often stuffed; there are plentiful examples, including 13 pts/7 rebs/5 asts in a July 7 game, 11 pts/5 rebs/5 stls on August 3, 7 pts/9 rebs/6 asts on July 27, along with plenty of others. When Outwork went cold on offense, it was often Chloe making a play - or a string of plays - to turn their situation around. Her 9 point/8 rebound championship game included a host of big plays as Outwork came back from a double digit deficit in the 2nd half. 7 of her points came in the 2nd half, including the basket to initially give Outwork the lead late. After Show Stoppers took the edge again, the defense turned their attention to her. Instead of forcing the issue - something she may have done last year - she sucked the defense in as much as possible on a drive and kicked out to an open Madison Little in the corner, who buried what proved to be the game winning 3 with under a minute left. That stretch, in a nutshell, was the maturation of Chloe Chaffin, and why she's earned the 2016 EST girls' league MVP.
Most Valuable Player
Chloe Chaffin
5'10" G
High School: Kingston, Class of 2018
College Choice: Verbal Commitment to Fordham
AAU: NY Havoc Blue
EST Team: Outwork
Super athletic multi-faceted player took her overall game to another level this summer while assuming more of a leadership role. Can be a dominant scorer when needed but become more and more willing to create for others off the dribble. Averaged 8.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.1 SPG, .4 BPG while making every game. Currently EST's all-time leading girls' scorer (274 points) and 1 of only 2 players to have scored 100+ points in both years of EST's existence. Publicly announced her verbal commitment to Division I Fordham University of the Atlantic 10 on September 1.
2016 EST Girls League All-Stars; Consistent Chaffin MVP in a Balanced League
With Empire State Takeover's 2nd summer in the books, time to recap with
some all-league lists. These lists were compiled using a number of
different factors. Some of these included:
- Skill/ability on the court & value to the team
- Consistent production - players who produced at a strong level constantly were given favor over streakier producers
- Dependability, consistently attending
- Comments from team coaches and college coaches that attended - the more positive from unbiased sources that are knowledgeable about the game, the better you fared
The girls' league took a massive spike from Year 1 to Year 2 as far as quantity goes. 97 girls put on an EST jersey over the course of the summer for 8 teams. 7 sections of the NYSPHSAA - 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 - were represented throughout the summer, along with players from Massachusetts and Vermont. Areas of representation included Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, Poughkeepsie, Plattsburgh, Canton, Springfield (MA) and as far up as Bristol, VT. Multiple players had to make 3.5+ hour drives, one way, to play.
With the amount of high-level talent that came in and made a difference for their teams, there had to be attendance minimum requirements to have been considered for any of these lists. In order to be considered for a 1st or 2nd team selection, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 4 weeks. To be considered for an honorable selection mention, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 3 weeks. A few made big differences for their teams in limited action, but the all-league list represents those select girls that made a difference on the court throughout the summer.
The all-league list features some big names that were to be expected, including 3 Division I commits across the board. One was our MVP, and there was an additional one on both the 1st and 2nd teams.
Along with that are a few names that have flown under the radar to most before this summer hit. 4 players for girls' league champion Outwork made the mark - our MVP, two 2nd team picks, and an honorable mention selections. 5 from Show Stoppers, the top seed heading into playoffs that fell by 1 in the finals in an instant classic, made the lists, including two 1st teamers, two 2nd teamers, and an honorable mention pick. Full list below!
2016 Empire State Takeover MVP
Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018; Outwork)
2016 All-EST 1st Team (along with Chaffin)
Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017; Show Stoppers)
Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018; Lockdown)
Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019; Next Level)
Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017; Show Stoppers)
CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017 & Army commit; Upstate Select)
2016 All-EST 2nd Team
Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017; Too Easy)
Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017 & Canisius commit; Outwork)
Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017; Outwork)
Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa 2018; Lockdown)
Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017; Show Stoppers)
Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019; Show Stoppers)
2016 All-EST Honorable Mention
Paige Brinkman (Schalmont 2018; Dynasty)
Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020; Dynasty)
Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018; Dynasty)
Kerry Flaherty (Saratoga Springs 2019; Dynasty)
Sydney Brown (Blair Academy (NJ) 2018; Lockdown)
Alexandra Tudor (Shenendehowa 2018; Lockdown)
Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019; Next Level)
Ally Crosby (Hammond 2018; Next Level)
Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018; Next Level)
Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019; Outwork)
Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017; Rising Stars)
Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018; Rising Stars)
Brianna Legacy (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017; Rising Stars)
Emily Wander (Bethlehem 2017; Rising Stars)
Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020; Rising Stars)
Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018; Show Stoppers)
Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017; Upstate Select)
Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017; Upstate Select)
Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam 2018; Upstate Select)
- Skill/ability on the court & value to the team
- Consistent production - players who produced at a strong level constantly were given favor over streakier producers
- Dependability, consistently attending
- Comments from team coaches and college coaches that attended - the more positive from unbiased sources that are knowledgeable about the game, the better you fared
The girls' league took a massive spike from Year 1 to Year 2 as far as quantity goes. 97 girls put on an EST jersey over the course of the summer for 8 teams. 7 sections of the NYSPHSAA - 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 - were represented throughout the summer, along with players from Massachusetts and Vermont. Areas of representation included Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, Poughkeepsie, Plattsburgh, Canton, Springfield (MA) and as far up as Bristol, VT. Multiple players had to make 3.5+ hour drives, one way, to play.
With the amount of high-level talent that came in and made a difference for their teams, there had to be attendance minimum requirements to have been considered for any of these lists. In order to be considered for a 1st or 2nd team selection, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 4 weeks. To be considered for an honorable selection mention, a player must have attended and played in a minimum of 3 weeks. A few made big differences for their teams in limited action, but the all-league list represents those select girls that made a difference on the court throughout the summer.
The all-league list features some big names that were to be expected, including 3 Division I commits across the board. One was our MVP, and there was an additional one on both the 1st and 2nd teams.
Along with that are a few names that have flown under the radar to most before this summer hit. 4 players for girls' league champion Outwork made the mark - our MVP, two 2nd team picks, and an honorable mention selections. 5 from Show Stoppers, the top seed heading into playoffs that fell by 1 in the finals in an instant classic, made the lists, including two 1st teamers, two 2nd teamers, and an honorable mention pick. Full list below!
2016 Empire State Takeover MVP
Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018; Outwork)
2016 All-EST 1st Team (along with Chaffin)
Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017; Show Stoppers)
Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018; Lockdown)
Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019; Next Level)
Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017; Show Stoppers)
CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017 & Army commit; Upstate Select)
2016 All-EST 2nd Team
Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017; Too Easy)
Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017 & Canisius commit; Outwork)
Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017; Outwork)
Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa 2018; Lockdown)
Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017; Show Stoppers)
Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019; Show Stoppers)
2016 All-EST Honorable Mention
Paige Brinkman (Schalmont 2018; Dynasty)
Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020; Dynasty)
Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018; Dynasty)
Kerry Flaherty (Saratoga Springs 2019; Dynasty)
Sydney Brown (Blair Academy (NJ) 2018; Lockdown)
Alexandra Tudor (Shenendehowa 2018; Lockdown)
Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019; Next Level)
Ally Crosby (Hammond 2018; Next Level)
Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018; Next Level)
Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019; Outwork)
Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017; Rising Stars)
Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018; Rising Stars)
Brianna Legacy (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017; Rising Stars)
Emily Wander (Bethlehem 2017; Rising Stars)
Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020; Rising Stars)
Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018; Show Stoppers)
Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017; Upstate Select)
Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017; Upstate Select)
Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam 2018; Upstate Select)
Friday, August 26, 2016
Outwork Survives Quarterfinal Scare, Rallies To Win Girls Title; Full Girls Playoff Roundup
One year ago, the team donning the name Outwork was the top seed heading into playoffs and made it to the finals before losing in a quality championship game that went down to the final seconds. In 2016, Outwork - with 6 returning players from last year's team on the original roster, 5 in uniform Wednesday - made sure to write a different ending to the 2016 story. It almost ended before it began though, as the 2 seed needed a buzzer beating 3 just to advance from the quarterfinals and struggled through some serious offensive woes in the semis. Their counterpart, top seeded Show Stoppers, had an easier run to the finals by setting an EST all-time defensive mark in quarterfinals and pulling away late in semis. The stage was set for a star-studded championship game that may have left its mark as the best game in the league's young history. But before that, there were plenty of highlights - and more league records broken. Full rundown below!
QUARTERFINALS
(1) Show Stoppers 41, (8) Too Easy 17
It wasn't the prettiest affair for the girls' league top seed on the offensive end, so they responded by buckling down on defense and making sure everything came too difficult for Too Easy. It didn't look like it'd be that way at the beginning, as Too Easy's standout guard Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017) wreaked havoc from the tip. Two Guynup threes sandwiching a pair of her free throws gave her a personal 8-3 lead over Show Stoppers early, and a basket from Anna Iannotti (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2018) gave them a lead again at 10-9, but the Show Stoppers squad would hear no more. They took the lead on a pull-up three by 6'1" G Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) on a feed from 6'2" F Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) - the second of back-to-back Kelner to Tougas 3 ball connections - and the top seed was off and running from there. They went on a 12-0 run to end the half, with 5 players contributing to it in the process. Emily Frodyma (Catholic Central 2018) had 4 points and an assist in the mix; her free throws put them up 20-10, and a Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017) free throw gave them a 21-10 edge at the half. Too Easy would climb back within 8 early in the half, as Guynup found high school teammate Alyssa Waters (Beekmantown 2018) for a three and followed it with a basket of her own to cut it to 23-15, but Too Easy could only muster two points the rest of the way. Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) scored back-to-back baskets for Show Stoppers, and after a Sophie Tougas three, Claire Guzielek (Johnstown 2017) scored to complete a 9-0 run and make the score 32-15. They'd proceed to tack on the last 9 of the game after Guynup scored once more for Too Easy. Despite the loss, Guynup had a very strong game from end to end. The 5'7" guard, being heavily recruited by higher level Division IIIs in the Northeast including a handful of NESCACs, had a game high 12 points in defeat and scored or assisted on all but 2 Too Easy points. Balance was the name of the game for Show Stoppers - Sophie Tougas, a rising sophomore being actively recruited by a quickly blossoming list of Division I programs such as UMass, Northeastern, Brown, and St. Bonaventure, led the way with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. Multi-skilled rising senior Fedullo added 7 points and 6 rebounds, and Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) had 6 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks. Show Stoppers' defensive performance broke an EST record - Too Easy's final point total of 17 is the lowest seen in an EST game.
Too Easy (3-10): Julia Ryan 0, Emily Zeyak 0, Alyssa Waters 3, Kenna Guynup 12, Tara Sager 0, Anna Iannotti 2, Bella Stuart 0. Totals: 6-2-17.
Show Stoppers (10-3): Claire Guzielek 5, Nina Fedullo 7, Sophie Tougas 11, Lucy Tougas 5, Shyla Sanford 2, Mary Kate Palleschi 6, Julia Kelner 1, Emily Frodyma 4. Totals: 15-7-41.
Field Goals: Too Easy 6/39 (Ryan 0/4, Zeyak 0/5, Waters 1/4, Guynup 4/10, Sager 0/2, Iannotti 1/8, Stuart 0/6), Show Stoppers 15/48 (Guzielek 2/4, Fedullo 3/6, S. Tougas 4/10, L. Tougas 2/5, Sanford 0/4, Palleschi 3/8, Kelner 0/6, Frodyma 1/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Too Easy 3/15 (Guynup 2/5, Waters 1/2, Iannotti 0/1, Ryan 0/2, Zeyak 0/2, Stuart 0/3), Show Stoppers 4/18 (S. Tougas 3/6, Guzielek 1/2, L. Tougas 0/1, Frodyma 0/1, Fedullo 0/2, Palleschi 0/2, Sanford 0/4).
Free Throws: Too Easy 2/4 (Guynup), Show Stoppers 7/13 (Sanford 2/2, Frodyma 2/2, L. Tougas 1/2, Kelner 1/2, Fedullo 1/3, Guzielek 0/2).
Rebounds: Too Easy 21 (Stuart 6), Show Stoppers 41 (Guzielek, S. Tougas, Kelner 7).
Assists: Too Easy 3 (Zeyak 2), Show Stoppers 10 (4 with 2).
(2) Outwork 39, (7) Rising Stars 36
In the closest quarterfinal game of the night, a game effort from a deceptively strong Rising Stars squad mixed with some poorly timed hero ball from the team tied for the league's top regular season record very nearly proved fatal for Outwork, but a couple big plays from their big guns - and the biggest play from their youngest player - had them breathing a sigh of relief. Outwork led nearly wire-to-wire, with an edge as great as 10 in the 1st half after a made free throw from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) gave them an 18-8 lead. Shots weren't falling early for Rising Stars, especially from long range, which has proven vital to their success through the summer. They eventually started dropping, however, and they quickly stormed back into it. The team in gold went on a 9-0 run spanning the end of the 1st & beginning of the 2nd halves, coming off threes from Brooke Curtin (Cohoes 2020), Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017), and Brianna Legacy (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017). Legacy's three, assisted by Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018), tied it up for the first time at 20. After tying it once more, Rising Stars finally took a short-lived lead at 29-28 on a Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018) coast-to-coast finish. On the ensuing possession, Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) gave Outwork the lead back on a jumper in the lane, but Jankovic quickly answered to put Rising Stars back up 31-30. After a Legacy free throw, Outwork scored 6 unanswered - 2 Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) free throws to tie it, a Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017; Canisius commit) putback to take the lead, and a Chaffin basket to put Outwork up 36-32. Brajac countered for Rising Stars by hitting a three, and she split a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to square it up at 36. That set the stage for Mikyla Mitchell's heroics. After reversing the ball, Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) made the extra pass and found Mitchell with daylight in the corner. The rising freshman canned a three as the buzzer sounded, keeping her Outwork squad's championship hopes alive. Joensen and Chaffin scored 8 points apiece for Outwork, with Joensen adding 7 rebounds and Chaffin supplying 3 assists & 3 steals. Madison Little added 6 points & 6 rebounds. Legacy and Brajac scored 9 points apiece to pace Rising Stars; Legacy had 5 rebounds, and Brajac had 3 boards & 3 assists. Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) added 6 points & 6 rebounds.
Rising Stars (4-9): Brianna Legacy 9, Sam Dayter 5, Brooke Curtin 3, Stephanie Jankovic 2, Kelsey Wood 6, Nerea Brajac 9, Mallory Wood 2, Kyra Oeffler 0. Totals: 13-5-36.
Outwork (10-3): Brianna Rozzi 2, Lyndsey McCoy 1, Madison Little 6, Lauraine Joensen 8, Chloe Chaffin 8, Mikyla Mitchell 4, Kyara Triblet 5, Rebecca Townes 5. Totals: 15-8-39.
Field Goals: Rising Stars 13/44 (Legacy 3/9, Dayter 2/9, Curtin 1/4, Jankovic 1/7, K. Wood 2/4, Brajac 3/5, M. Wood 1/3, Oeffler), Outwork 15/44 (Rozzi 1/9, McCoy 0/2, Little 2/6, Joensen 3/5, Chaffin 4/12, Mitchell 1/2, Triblet 2/3, Townes 2/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Rising Stars 5/19 (Brajac 2/3, Legacy 2/6, Curtin 1/1, M. Wood 0/1, Jankovic 0/2, Dayter 0/3, Oeffler 0/3), Outwork 1/10 (Mitchell 1/2, McCoy 0/1, Little 0/1, Joensen 0/1, Townes 0/2, Rozzi 0/3).
Free Throws: Rising Stars 5/18 (K. Wood 2/8, Legacy 1/2, Brajac 1/2, Dayter 1/4, M. Wood 0/2), Outwork 8/15 (Little 2/3, Joensen 2/5, Triblet 1/1, McCoy 1/2, Mitchell 1/2, Townes 1/2).
Rebounds: Rising Stars 35 (M. Wood 8), Outwork 27 (Joensen 7).
Assists: Rising Stars 8 (Jankovic 4), Outwork 7 (Chaffin 3).
(3) Lockdown 45, (6) Upstate Select 34
This quarterfinal game nearly didn't happen, as it took until less than 2 minutes before the forfeit clock ran out for a 5th Upstate Select player to arrive. Those 5 kept it tight most of the way, but Lockdown had too much Cameron Tooley and enough of a supporting cast to come out with a victory. Tooley, a standout 5'7" PG at Shenendehowa, had 15 of her EST career high 20 in the 1st half as she helped Lockdown forge a 27-21 lead into the break. Shaker 2017 and Army commit CeCe Mayo came through with a very strong offensive effort, scoring over half of Upstate Select's points, but Lockdown - true to namesake - was able to lock down their other 4 players most of the way. Alexandra Tudor (Shenendehowa 2018) added 8 points in Lockdown's win, and Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018), recently offered by Niagara, added 6. For Upstate Select, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) - recently offered by East Carolina to bump her total to 20 - and Shiane Irwin (Poland 2017) had 6 each on a pair of threes.
Upstate Select (5-8): Shiane Irwin 6, Haley Steenland 0, CeCe Mayo 19, Namir Davis 3, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 6. Totals: 11-8-34.
Lockdown (8-5): Anna VanRoy 4, Maggie Schuermann 0, Abi Selfridge 2, Grace VanRoy 2, Cameron Tooley 20, Alexandra Tudor 8, Addy Sackett 3, Julie Ford 6. Totals: 16-10-45.
3-Point Field Goals: Upstate Select 4 (Irwin 2, Abdul-Aziz 2), Lockdown 3 (Tooley).
Free Throws: Upstate Select 8/10 (Mayo 7/9, Davis 1/1), Lockdown 10/12 (Tooley 7/8, A. VanRoy 2/2, Sackett 1/2).
(4) Next Level 84, (5) Dynasty 59
Court 1 at the Viniar Athletic Center saw two extremes in the first two hours of playoff night. In the 5:30, it was treated to a team scoring the lowest point total in EST history. Next Level made up for it in the 6:30, setting a pair of EST girls scoring records en route to a runaway victory over a tough, but undermanned Dynasty crew. The 5 seed briefly held the lead early, but a pair of free throws from Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) quickly gave Next Level a lead that they'd never give back. As a group, they got hot from beyond the arc and stayed that way the rest of the game. A Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018) trey on a feed from Heeps gave them their first double digit lead at 25-14, and after Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020) answered with a three of her own, a long range bomb from Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018) rang true for Next Level, bumping it back up to double digits for good at 28-17. They led by as much as 20 in the 1st half and carried a 41-23 edge into the break, with 5 players scoring either 6 or 7 points. Strong efforts from Cairns and Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018) kept Dynasty around, and a Paige Brinkman (Schalmont 2018) three brought their deficit back down to 15 at the beginning of the 2nd, but there was no cooling a historically hot Next Level squad. Sophie Wittenbeck (Waterville 2018) hit back-to-back threes to push their lead to 20, and they enjoyed a cushion of as much as 34 when Whelan hit a three to put them up 81-47. The 84 points set an EST girls' league record for most points scored by a team in a single game, and half of those points came from beyond the 3 point line; their 14 threes also shattered the previous EST girls' league record for trifectas in a single game of 11. Heeps had a monster game for Next Level, leading all scorers with 22 points (8/14 FG), and she added 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Wittenbeck added 19 points (7/12 FG) and 7 rebounds. Four other players for Next Level scored 8 or 9 points; Whelan added 7 rebounds and 7 assists with her 9 points. Cairns and DeBeatham each pumped in 18 points to lead Dynasty, and DeBeatham had a game high 12 rebounds and 4 assists to go with her 18. Brinkman had a solid game to finish the season as well, adding 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Dynasty (5-8): Dolly Cairns 18, Julianna Taylor 0, Lexi DeBeatham 18, Julia DeBeatham 10, Paige Brinkman 13. Totals: 22-6-59.
Next Level (7-6): Lexi VanVorst 8, Bridget Whelan 9, Grace Heeps 22, Katelyn Flanagan 8, Allison Moreau 4, Sophie Wittenbeck 19, Cat Almeida 6, Hanna Strawn 8. Totals: 31-8-84.
Field Goals: Dynasty 22/58 (Cairns 6/11, Taylor 0/5, L. DeBeatham 7/15, J. DeBeatham 4/18, Brinkman 5/9), Next Level 31/68 (VanVorst 4/9, Whelan 3/12, Heeps 8/14, Flanagan 2/7, Moreau 2/3, Wittenbeck 7/12, Almeida 3/5, Strawn 2/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 9/25 (Cairns 4/6, Brinkman 3/6, J. DeBeatham 2/11, Taylor 0/2), Next Level 14/33 (Wittenbeck 5/9, Heeps 3/5, Whelan 3/8, Flanagan 2/4, Strawn 1/3, VanVorst 0/4).
Free Throws: Dynasty 6/13 (L. DeBeatham 4/8, Cairns 2/2, J. DeBeatham 0/3), Next Level 8/15 (Heeps 3/4, Strawn 3/4, Flanagan 2/6, Almeida 0/1).
Rebounds: Dynasty 28 (L. DeBeatham 12), Next Level 45 (Heeps, Moreau 8).
Assists: Dynasty 16 (Taylor 5), Next Level 20 (Whelan 7).
SEMIFINALS
(1) Show Stoppers 48, (4) Next Level 40
Next Level was able to keep it dangerously close throughout despite illness issues putting a damper in available bodies for the semifinal, but top-seeded Show Stoppers gained some control in the 2nd half and were able to use strong play and a major size advantage to make the plays needed late. They held the lead for the vast majority of the first half, but Next Level took a 25-24 edge into halftime thanks to a phenomenal start from Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018). The standout 5'4" guard used her superior mix of speed, skill, and IQ to give her opponent fits. Their 25-24 lead was gained on a basket from her; their other brief lead (18-17) was on a Lexi VanVorst (Columbia 2019) three assisted by Strawn. Hanna had 9 points and 4 assists in the half, and she either scored or assisted on 25 of Next Level's first 30 points. However, their final lead was short-lived as Show Stoppers scored the first 9 points of the 2nd half and extended their run to 12-2, enjoying their largest lead of 9 in the meantime on a Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018) three. Next Level cut their deficit to 4 on two occasions late - one on a Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) basket, who was severely limited due to illness, and again when Heeps assisted a Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018) basket to make the score 42-38. Show Stoppers responded with the EST girls' version of Stockton/Malone, as Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017) found Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) to extend their lead to 6. Show Stoppers put it out of reach directly thereafter, as Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) grabbed her 12th rebound and put it back home to push the lead to 46-38. Kelner led Show Stoppers with 11 points. Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) had a big 1st half for them and finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Sanford added 9 points to Show Stoppers' cause, who saw 3 girls finish with 10+ rebounds; Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) had 11 rebounds, joining Palleschi and Fedullo in the 10+ rebound club. The much-taller Show Stoppers crew outrebounded Next Level 47-26. For Next Level, the extremely quick & pesky backcourt of 5'4" Strawn (11 points), 5'5" VanVorst (11 points), and 5'5" Whelan (9 points) carried the bulk of the offensive load for Next Level. Strawn, a recent St. Bonaventure decommit receiving recent attention from Yale, Binghamton, and Adelphi, added 5 assists, and Whelan had 5 rebounds.
Next Level (7-7): Lexi VanVorst 11, Bridget Whelan 9, Hanna Strawn 11, Grace Heeps 2, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Allison Moreau 0, Sophie Wittenbeck 0, Cat Almeida 3. Totals: 16-3-40.
Show Stoppers (11-3): Claire Guzielek 3, Nina Fedullo 10, Sophie Tougas 6, Lucy Tougas 0, Shyla Sanford 9, Mary Kate Palleschi 2, Julia Kelner 11, Emily Frodyma 7. Totals: 18-8-48.
Field Goals: Next Level 16/57 (VanVorst 4/10, Whelan 3/13, Strawn 5/9, Heeps 1/5, Flanagan 2/7, Wittenbeck 0/7, Almeida 1/6), Show Stoppers 18/59 (Guzielek 1/2, Fedullo 3/7, S. Tougas 3/11, L. Tougas 0/6, Sanford 3/8, Palleschi 1/7, Kelner 5/12, Frodyma 2/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 5/20 (VanVorst 3/7, Strawn 1/3, Whelan 1/7, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/2), Show Stoppers 4/18 (Sanford 2/6, Frodyma 1/1, Guzielek 1/2, Palleschi 0/1, L. Tougas 0/2, S. Tougas 0/6).
Free Throws: Next Level 3/7 (Whelan 2/2, Almeida 1/2, Strawn 0/1, Heeps 0/2), Show Stoppers 8/11 (Fedullo 4/4, Frodyma 2/2, Sanford 1/2, Kelner 1/3).
Rebounds: Next Level 26 (Flanagan 6), Show Stoppers 47 (Palleschi 12).
Assists: Next Level 7 (Strawn 5), Show Stoppers 12 (L. Tougas 6).
(2) Outwork 28, (3) Lockdown 18
It was a game that perhaps no one wants to remember besides the most ardent defensive purists, but Outwork made enough plays on the offensive end to advance as Lockdown locked up on that end. Lockdown was able to tie it up early in the 2nd half, but only managed to score 6 total points - with 1 field goal - in the final 20 minutes. Although Outwork didn't manage much better, they picked up 2nd half offensive contributions from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020), Kyara Triblet (Colonie 2019), and Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019), who each had a pair of baskets in the final stanza. Mitchell had 6 points, which proved to be a game high. Triblet had 7 rebounds to go with her 5 points. 3 players had 4 points apiece for Lockdown, who scored 10 of their 18 points from the free throw line. Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa 2018) had 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks to go with her 4 points.
Outwork (11-3): Brianna Rozzi 4, Lyndsey McCoy 2, Madison Little 4, Lauraine Joensen 0, Chloe Chaffin 2, Mikyla Mitchell 6, Kyara Triblet 5, Rebecca Townes 5. Totals: 11-5-28.
Lockdown (8-6): Anna VanRoy 0, Maggie Schuermann 4, Abi Selfridge 4, Grace VanRoy 3, Cameron Tooley 4, Addy Sackett 3, Julia Ford 0. Totals: 4-10-18.
Field Goals: Outwork 11/45 (Rozzi 2/8, McCoy 0/3, Little 2/8, Joensen 0/3, Chaffin 0/6, Mitchell 3/7, Triblet 2/7, Townes 2/3), Lockdown 4/33 (A. VanRoy 0/8, Schuermann 2/3, Selfridge 0/3, G. VanRoy 1/3, Tooley 1/7, Sackett 0/3, Ford 0/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 1/11 (Townes 1/2, Little 0/1, Triblet 0/1, Joensen 0/2, Mitchell 0/2, Rozzi 0/3), Lockdown 0/9 (Schuermann 0/1, Selfridge 0/1, Ford 0/1, Sackett 0/2, Tooley 0/4).
Free Throws: Outwork 5/9 (McCoy 2/2, Chaffin 2/2, Triblet 1/2, Mitchell 0/3), Lockdown 10/12 (Selfridge 4/4, Sackett 3/4, Tooley 2/2, G. VanRoy 1/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 27 (Triblet 7), Lockdown 32 (Ford 9).
Assists: Outwork 6 (Chaffin 3), Lockdown 2 (Ford 2).
FINALS
(2) Outwork 46, (1) Show Stoppers 45
With under 7 minutes remaining, it would've been tough to convince a soul in the gym that Outwork would bring home the girls championship.
That is, except for Outwork's players and their coach, Scott Alvarez.
After falling behind by as many as 13 with the clock quickly ticking away on their summer, they succeeded in speeding the game up and reeled off one last run to take home not only the finals victory, but the rubber match between the two teams.
Coach Jared Zeidman, also the assistant coach at Union College, had his squad ready to go from the tip. Show Stoppers held the lead right from the get-go, as one of their more unheralded players came through on a scoring tear early. Catholic Central rising junior guard Emily Frodyma - who averaged 4 PPG heading into playoff day - scored 10 points in the early portion of the game as she spotted up and torched the Outwork zone. Back-to-back threes off high post feeds from Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) put Show Stoppers up 15-4. With Outwork's offense completely stalling, the scoring prowess of Highland 2019 standout Brianna Rozzi was vital as she almost singlehandedly kept her squad in the game on the offensive end. She scored Outwork's final 10 points of the half, including the last 5 for either team, and a three followed by a steal & layup to beat the buzzer had Outwork back within 5 at 21-16 at the break.
The teams traded baskets for the first part of the 2nd half, with Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) and Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) powering the offense for Show Stoppers and Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) along with Rozzi countering for Outwork. With the margin at 6 after a Tougas three, Show Stoppers - namely, Amsterdam 2017 standout Nina Fedullo - went for the knockout blow. The 6 point difference quickly swelled to 13 in favor of Show Stoppers, as Fedullo went off for 9 quick points to make it 42-29. The multi-position 5'11" senior scored in a variety of ways - got to the basket from the perimeter, ducked in the lane and finished, converted an offensive rebound, and hit a three. However, Outwork was far from through. Then, the run happened.
It started with a Kyara Triblet (Colonie 2019) layup on a Rozzi feed. Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) quickly had a steal & layup followed by a pull-up jumper. Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) converted, as did Chaffin on a basket. Mitchell, the youngest player in the game, had a strong finish at the rim through contact and converted a 3 point play to cut their deficit to 42-41. Outwork finally took their first lead thanks to Rozzi - the 5'7" guard got into the lane and buried a running hook over the outstretched arm of 6'2" Kelner to forge a 43-42 edge. Kelner responded by splitting a pair of free throws, and she gave Show Stoppers the lead back once more at 45-43 after finishing on a feed from Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017), the final time of dozens that those two have connected in the summer league. Their retaking of the lead was short-lived, however, as Outwork gained it back on the following possession. Chaffin attacked from the top of the key with the court spread, and when the defense collapsed, she found Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) - also her AAU teammate - in the left corner, who proceeded to bury a three to give Outwork the lead back at 46-45. That would prove to be the game winning basket, as Show Stoppers turned it over on an entry pass in the ensuing possession, and when Rozzi missed the front end of a one-and-one, Little was able to save the rebound inbounds and Show Stoppers couldn't catch up to foul until the buzzer sounded.
Rozzi, a scrappy point guard who has recently heard from New Hampshire, led all scorers with 16 points in Outwork's victory and added 4 rebounds. Chaffin, a strong 5'10" wing whose suitors include Fordham, St. Joseph's, Albany, and Siena among plenty of others, added 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Fedullo, who has received attention from schools such as St. Peter's, Monmouth, Wagner, St. Anselm, and NYIT, led Show Stoppers with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Kelner, who has an existing offer from Division II Queens and is garnering attention from Dartmouth, Columbia, Colgate, and a growing count of high academic Division II schools, added 10 and 7. Frodyma, a little-known local product who will be certain to put people on notice this winter, joined them in double digits with 10.
Outwork (12-3): Brianna Rozzi 16, Lyndsey McCoy 0, Madison Little 5, Lauraine Joensen 2, Chloe Chaffin 9, Mikyla Mitchell 6, Kyara Triblet 2, Rebecca Townes 6. Totals: 19-5-46.
Show Stoppers (11-4): Claire Guzielek 0, Nina Fedullo 13, Sophie Tougas 6, Lucy Tougas 4, Shyla Sanford 2, Mary Kate Palleschi 0, Julia Kelner 10, Emily Frodyma 10. Totals: 19-2-45.
Field Goals: Outwork 19/52 (Rozzi 6/18, Little 2/6, Joensen 1/4, Chaffin 4/11, Mitchell 2/5, Triblet 1/3, Townes 3/5), Show Stoppers 19/56 (Guzielek 0/4, Fedullo 6/8, S. Tougas 2/9, L. Tougas 2/6, Sanford 1/8, Palleschi 0/3, Kelner 4/10, Frodyma 4/8).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 3/12 (Rozzi 2/6, Little 1/3, Joensen 0/1, Townes 0/2), Show Stoppers 5/16 (Frodyma 2/3, S. Tougas 2/6, Fedullo 1/1, Guzielek 0/1, Palleschi 0/1, Sanford 0/4).
Free Throws: Outwork 5/9 (Rozzi 2/3, Mitchell 2/3, Chaffin 1/1, Little 0/2), Show Stoppers 2/10 (Kelner 2/5, Palleschi 0/2, Fedullo 0/3).
Rebounds: Outwork 35 (Chaffin 8), Show Stoppers 40 (Fedullo 9).
Assists: Outwork 5 (Chaffin 3), Show Stoppers 11 (L. Tougas 4).
QUARTERFINALS
(1) Show Stoppers 41, (8) Too Easy 17
It wasn't the prettiest affair for the girls' league top seed on the offensive end, so they responded by buckling down on defense and making sure everything came too difficult for Too Easy. It didn't look like it'd be that way at the beginning, as Too Easy's standout guard Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017) wreaked havoc from the tip. Two Guynup threes sandwiching a pair of her free throws gave her a personal 8-3 lead over Show Stoppers early, and a basket from Anna Iannotti (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2018) gave them a lead again at 10-9, but the Show Stoppers squad would hear no more. They took the lead on a pull-up three by 6'1" G Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) on a feed from 6'2" F Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) - the second of back-to-back Kelner to Tougas 3 ball connections - and the top seed was off and running from there. They went on a 12-0 run to end the half, with 5 players contributing to it in the process. Emily Frodyma (Catholic Central 2018) had 4 points and an assist in the mix; her free throws put them up 20-10, and a Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017) free throw gave them a 21-10 edge at the half. Too Easy would climb back within 8 early in the half, as Guynup found high school teammate Alyssa Waters (Beekmantown 2018) for a three and followed it with a basket of her own to cut it to 23-15, but Too Easy could only muster two points the rest of the way. Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) scored back-to-back baskets for Show Stoppers, and after a Sophie Tougas three, Claire Guzielek (Johnstown 2017) scored to complete a 9-0 run and make the score 32-15. They'd proceed to tack on the last 9 of the game after Guynup scored once more for Too Easy. Despite the loss, Guynup had a very strong game from end to end. The 5'7" guard, being heavily recruited by higher level Division IIIs in the Northeast including a handful of NESCACs, had a game high 12 points in defeat and scored or assisted on all but 2 Too Easy points. Balance was the name of the game for Show Stoppers - Sophie Tougas, a rising sophomore being actively recruited by a quickly blossoming list of Division I programs such as UMass, Northeastern, Brown, and St. Bonaventure, led the way with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. Multi-skilled rising senior Fedullo added 7 points and 6 rebounds, and Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) had 6 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks. Show Stoppers' defensive performance broke an EST record - Too Easy's final point total of 17 is the lowest seen in an EST game.
Too Easy (3-10): Julia Ryan 0, Emily Zeyak 0, Alyssa Waters 3, Kenna Guynup 12, Tara Sager 0, Anna Iannotti 2, Bella Stuart 0. Totals: 6-2-17.
Show Stoppers (10-3): Claire Guzielek 5, Nina Fedullo 7, Sophie Tougas 11, Lucy Tougas 5, Shyla Sanford 2, Mary Kate Palleschi 6, Julia Kelner 1, Emily Frodyma 4. Totals: 15-7-41.
Field Goals: Too Easy 6/39 (Ryan 0/4, Zeyak 0/5, Waters 1/4, Guynup 4/10, Sager 0/2, Iannotti 1/8, Stuart 0/6), Show Stoppers 15/48 (Guzielek 2/4, Fedullo 3/6, S. Tougas 4/10, L. Tougas 2/5, Sanford 0/4, Palleschi 3/8, Kelner 0/6, Frodyma 1/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Too Easy 3/15 (Guynup 2/5, Waters 1/2, Iannotti 0/1, Ryan 0/2, Zeyak 0/2, Stuart 0/3), Show Stoppers 4/18 (S. Tougas 3/6, Guzielek 1/2, L. Tougas 0/1, Frodyma 0/1, Fedullo 0/2, Palleschi 0/2, Sanford 0/4).
Free Throws: Too Easy 2/4 (Guynup), Show Stoppers 7/13 (Sanford 2/2, Frodyma 2/2, L. Tougas 1/2, Kelner 1/2, Fedullo 1/3, Guzielek 0/2).
Rebounds: Too Easy 21 (Stuart 6), Show Stoppers 41 (Guzielek, S. Tougas, Kelner 7).
Assists: Too Easy 3 (Zeyak 2), Show Stoppers 10 (4 with 2).
(2) Outwork 39, (7) Rising Stars 36
In the closest quarterfinal game of the night, a game effort from a deceptively strong Rising Stars squad mixed with some poorly timed hero ball from the team tied for the league's top regular season record very nearly proved fatal for Outwork, but a couple big plays from their big guns - and the biggest play from their youngest player - had them breathing a sigh of relief. Outwork led nearly wire-to-wire, with an edge as great as 10 in the 1st half after a made free throw from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) gave them an 18-8 lead. Shots weren't falling early for Rising Stars, especially from long range, which has proven vital to their success through the summer. They eventually started dropping, however, and they quickly stormed back into it. The team in gold went on a 9-0 run spanning the end of the 1st & beginning of the 2nd halves, coming off threes from Brooke Curtin (Cohoes 2020), Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017), and Brianna Legacy (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017). Legacy's three, assisted by Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018), tied it up for the first time at 20. After tying it once more, Rising Stars finally took a short-lived lead at 29-28 on a Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018) coast-to-coast finish. On the ensuing possession, Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) gave Outwork the lead back on a jumper in the lane, but Jankovic quickly answered to put Rising Stars back up 31-30. After a Legacy free throw, Outwork scored 6 unanswered - 2 Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) free throws to tie it, a Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017; Canisius commit) putback to take the lead, and a Chaffin basket to put Outwork up 36-32. Brajac countered for Rising Stars by hitting a three, and she split a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to square it up at 36. That set the stage for Mikyla Mitchell's heroics. After reversing the ball, Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) made the extra pass and found Mitchell with daylight in the corner. The rising freshman canned a three as the buzzer sounded, keeping her Outwork squad's championship hopes alive. Joensen and Chaffin scored 8 points apiece for Outwork, with Joensen adding 7 rebounds and Chaffin supplying 3 assists & 3 steals. Madison Little added 6 points & 6 rebounds. Legacy and Brajac scored 9 points apiece to pace Rising Stars; Legacy had 5 rebounds, and Brajac had 3 boards & 3 assists. Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) added 6 points & 6 rebounds.
Rising Stars (4-9): Brianna Legacy 9, Sam Dayter 5, Brooke Curtin 3, Stephanie Jankovic 2, Kelsey Wood 6, Nerea Brajac 9, Mallory Wood 2, Kyra Oeffler 0. Totals: 13-5-36.
Outwork (10-3): Brianna Rozzi 2, Lyndsey McCoy 1, Madison Little 6, Lauraine Joensen 8, Chloe Chaffin 8, Mikyla Mitchell 4, Kyara Triblet 5, Rebecca Townes 5. Totals: 15-8-39.
Field Goals: Rising Stars 13/44 (Legacy 3/9, Dayter 2/9, Curtin 1/4, Jankovic 1/7, K. Wood 2/4, Brajac 3/5, M. Wood 1/3, Oeffler), Outwork 15/44 (Rozzi 1/9, McCoy 0/2, Little 2/6, Joensen 3/5, Chaffin 4/12, Mitchell 1/2, Triblet 2/3, Townes 2/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Rising Stars 5/19 (Brajac 2/3, Legacy 2/6, Curtin 1/1, M. Wood 0/1, Jankovic 0/2, Dayter 0/3, Oeffler 0/3), Outwork 1/10 (Mitchell 1/2, McCoy 0/1, Little 0/1, Joensen 0/1, Townes 0/2, Rozzi 0/3).
Free Throws: Rising Stars 5/18 (K. Wood 2/8, Legacy 1/2, Brajac 1/2, Dayter 1/4, M. Wood 0/2), Outwork 8/15 (Little 2/3, Joensen 2/5, Triblet 1/1, McCoy 1/2, Mitchell 1/2, Townes 1/2).
Rebounds: Rising Stars 35 (M. Wood 8), Outwork 27 (Joensen 7).
Assists: Rising Stars 8 (Jankovic 4), Outwork 7 (Chaffin 3).
(3) Lockdown 45, (6) Upstate Select 34
This quarterfinal game nearly didn't happen, as it took until less than 2 minutes before the forfeit clock ran out for a 5th Upstate Select player to arrive. Those 5 kept it tight most of the way, but Lockdown had too much Cameron Tooley and enough of a supporting cast to come out with a victory. Tooley, a standout 5'7" PG at Shenendehowa, had 15 of her EST career high 20 in the 1st half as she helped Lockdown forge a 27-21 lead into the break. Shaker 2017 and Army commit CeCe Mayo came through with a very strong offensive effort, scoring over half of Upstate Select's points, but Lockdown - true to namesake - was able to lock down their other 4 players most of the way. Alexandra Tudor (Shenendehowa 2018) added 8 points in Lockdown's win, and Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018), recently offered by Niagara, added 6. For Upstate Select, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) - recently offered by East Carolina to bump her total to 20 - and Shiane Irwin (Poland 2017) had 6 each on a pair of threes.
Upstate Select (5-8): Shiane Irwin 6, Haley Steenland 0, CeCe Mayo 19, Namir Davis 3, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 6. Totals: 11-8-34.
Lockdown (8-5): Anna VanRoy 4, Maggie Schuermann 0, Abi Selfridge 2, Grace VanRoy 2, Cameron Tooley 20, Alexandra Tudor 8, Addy Sackett 3, Julie Ford 6. Totals: 16-10-45.
3-Point Field Goals: Upstate Select 4 (Irwin 2, Abdul-Aziz 2), Lockdown 3 (Tooley).
Free Throws: Upstate Select 8/10 (Mayo 7/9, Davis 1/1), Lockdown 10/12 (Tooley 7/8, A. VanRoy 2/2, Sackett 1/2).
(4) Next Level 84, (5) Dynasty 59
Court 1 at the Viniar Athletic Center saw two extremes in the first two hours of playoff night. In the 5:30, it was treated to a team scoring the lowest point total in EST history. Next Level made up for it in the 6:30, setting a pair of EST girls scoring records en route to a runaway victory over a tough, but undermanned Dynasty crew. The 5 seed briefly held the lead early, but a pair of free throws from Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) quickly gave Next Level a lead that they'd never give back. As a group, they got hot from beyond the arc and stayed that way the rest of the game. A Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018) trey on a feed from Heeps gave them their first double digit lead at 25-14, and after Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020) answered with a three of her own, a long range bomb from Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018) rang true for Next Level, bumping it back up to double digits for good at 28-17. They led by as much as 20 in the 1st half and carried a 41-23 edge into the break, with 5 players scoring either 6 or 7 points. Strong efforts from Cairns and Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018) kept Dynasty around, and a Paige Brinkman (Schalmont 2018) three brought their deficit back down to 15 at the beginning of the 2nd, but there was no cooling a historically hot Next Level squad. Sophie Wittenbeck (Waterville 2018) hit back-to-back threes to push their lead to 20, and they enjoyed a cushion of as much as 34 when Whelan hit a three to put them up 81-47. The 84 points set an EST girls' league record for most points scored by a team in a single game, and half of those points came from beyond the 3 point line; their 14 threes also shattered the previous EST girls' league record for trifectas in a single game of 11. Heeps had a monster game for Next Level, leading all scorers with 22 points (8/14 FG), and she added 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Wittenbeck added 19 points (7/12 FG) and 7 rebounds. Four other players for Next Level scored 8 or 9 points; Whelan added 7 rebounds and 7 assists with her 9 points. Cairns and DeBeatham each pumped in 18 points to lead Dynasty, and DeBeatham had a game high 12 rebounds and 4 assists to go with her 18. Brinkman had a solid game to finish the season as well, adding 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Dynasty (5-8): Dolly Cairns 18, Julianna Taylor 0, Lexi DeBeatham 18, Julia DeBeatham 10, Paige Brinkman 13. Totals: 22-6-59.
Next Level (7-6): Lexi VanVorst 8, Bridget Whelan 9, Grace Heeps 22, Katelyn Flanagan 8, Allison Moreau 4, Sophie Wittenbeck 19, Cat Almeida 6, Hanna Strawn 8. Totals: 31-8-84.
Field Goals: Dynasty 22/58 (Cairns 6/11, Taylor 0/5, L. DeBeatham 7/15, J. DeBeatham 4/18, Brinkman 5/9), Next Level 31/68 (VanVorst 4/9, Whelan 3/12, Heeps 8/14, Flanagan 2/7, Moreau 2/3, Wittenbeck 7/12, Almeida 3/5, Strawn 2/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 9/25 (Cairns 4/6, Brinkman 3/6, J. DeBeatham 2/11, Taylor 0/2), Next Level 14/33 (Wittenbeck 5/9, Heeps 3/5, Whelan 3/8, Flanagan 2/4, Strawn 1/3, VanVorst 0/4).
Free Throws: Dynasty 6/13 (L. DeBeatham 4/8, Cairns 2/2, J. DeBeatham 0/3), Next Level 8/15 (Heeps 3/4, Strawn 3/4, Flanagan 2/6, Almeida 0/1).
Rebounds: Dynasty 28 (L. DeBeatham 12), Next Level 45 (Heeps, Moreau 8).
Assists: Dynasty 16 (Taylor 5), Next Level 20 (Whelan 7).
SEMIFINALS
(1) Show Stoppers 48, (4) Next Level 40
Next Level was able to keep it dangerously close throughout despite illness issues putting a damper in available bodies for the semifinal, but top-seeded Show Stoppers gained some control in the 2nd half and were able to use strong play and a major size advantage to make the plays needed late. They held the lead for the vast majority of the first half, but Next Level took a 25-24 edge into halftime thanks to a phenomenal start from Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018). The standout 5'4" guard used her superior mix of speed, skill, and IQ to give her opponent fits. Their 25-24 lead was gained on a basket from her; their other brief lead (18-17) was on a Lexi VanVorst (Columbia 2019) three assisted by Strawn. Hanna had 9 points and 4 assists in the half, and she either scored or assisted on 25 of Next Level's first 30 points. However, their final lead was short-lived as Show Stoppers scored the first 9 points of the 2nd half and extended their run to 12-2, enjoying their largest lead of 9 in the meantime on a Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018) three. Next Level cut their deficit to 4 on two occasions late - one on a Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) basket, who was severely limited due to illness, and again when Heeps assisted a Bridget Whelan (Albany 2018) basket to make the score 42-38. Show Stoppers responded with the EST girls' version of Stockton/Malone, as Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017) found Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) to extend their lead to 6. Show Stoppers put it out of reach directly thereafter, as Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) grabbed her 12th rebound and put it back home to push the lead to 46-38. Kelner led Show Stoppers with 11 points. Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) had a big 1st half for them and finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Sanford added 9 points to Show Stoppers' cause, who saw 3 girls finish with 10+ rebounds; Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) had 11 rebounds, joining Palleschi and Fedullo in the 10+ rebound club. The much-taller Show Stoppers crew outrebounded Next Level 47-26. For Next Level, the extremely quick & pesky backcourt of 5'4" Strawn (11 points), 5'5" VanVorst (11 points), and 5'5" Whelan (9 points) carried the bulk of the offensive load for Next Level. Strawn, a recent St. Bonaventure decommit receiving recent attention from Yale, Binghamton, and Adelphi, added 5 assists, and Whelan had 5 rebounds.
Next Level (7-7): Lexi VanVorst 11, Bridget Whelan 9, Hanna Strawn 11, Grace Heeps 2, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Allison Moreau 0, Sophie Wittenbeck 0, Cat Almeida 3. Totals: 16-3-40.
Show Stoppers (11-3): Claire Guzielek 3, Nina Fedullo 10, Sophie Tougas 6, Lucy Tougas 0, Shyla Sanford 9, Mary Kate Palleschi 2, Julia Kelner 11, Emily Frodyma 7. Totals: 18-8-48.
Field Goals: Next Level 16/57 (VanVorst 4/10, Whelan 3/13, Strawn 5/9, Heeps 1/5, Flanagan 2/7, Wittenbeck 0/7, Almeida 1/6), Show Stoppers 18/59 (Guzielek 1/2, Fedullo 3/7, S. Tougas 3/11, L. Tougas 0/6, Sanford 3/8, Palleschi 1/7, Kelner 5/12, Frodyma 2/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 5/20 (VanVorst 3/7, Strawn 1/3, Whelan 1/7, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/2), Show Stoppers 4/18 (Sanford 2/6, Frodyma 1/1, Guzielek 1/2, Palleschi 0/1, L. Tougas 0/2, S. Tougas 0/6).
Free Throws: Next Level 3/7 (Whelan 2/2, Almeida 1/2, Strawn 0/1, Heeps 0/2), Show Stoppers 8/11 (Fedullo 4/4, Frodyma 2/2, Sanford 1/2, Kelner 1/3).
Rebounds: Next Level 26 (Flanagan 6), Show Stoppers 47 (Palleschi 12).
Assists: Next Level 7 (Strawn 5), Show Stoppers 12 (L. Tougas 6).
(2) Outwork 28, (3) Lockdown 18
It was a game that perhaps no one wants to remember besides the most ardent defensive purists, but Outwork made enough plays on the offensive end to advance as Lockdown locked up on that end. Lockdown was able to tie it up early in the 2nd half, but only managed to score 6 total points - with 1 field goal - in the final 20 minutes. Although Outwork didn't manage much better, they picked up 2nd half offensive contributions from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020), Kyara Triblet (Colonie 2019), and Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019), who each had a pair of baskets in the final stanza. Mitchell had 6 points, which proved to be a game high. Triblet had 7 rebounds to go with her 5 points. 3 players had 4 points apiece for Lockdown, who scored 10 of their 18 points from the free throw line. Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa 2018) had 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks to go with her 4 points.
Outwork (11-3): Brianna Rozzi 4, Lyndsey McCoy 2, Madison Little 4, Lauraine Joensen 0, Chloe Chaffin 2, Mikyla Mitchell 6, Kyara Triblet 5, Rebecca Townes 5. Totals: 11-5-28.
Lockdown (8-6): Anna VanRoy 0, Maggie Schuermann 4, Abi Selfridge 4, Grace VanRoy 3, Cameron Tooley 4, Addy Sackett 3, Julia Ford 0. Totals: 4-10-18.
Field Goals: Outwork 11/45 (Rozzi 2/8, McCoy 0/3, Little 2/8, Joensen 0/3, Chaffin 0/6, Mitchell 3/7, Triblet 2/7, Townes 2/3), Lockdown 4/33 (A. VanRoy 0/8, Schuermann 2/3, Selfridge 0/3, G. VanRoy 1/3, Tooley 1/7, Sackett 0/3, Ford 0/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 1/11 (Townes 1/2, Little 0/1, Triblet 0/1, Joensen 0/2, Mitchell 0/2, Rozzi 0/3), Lockdown 0/9 (Schuermann 0/1, Selfridge 0/1, Ford 0/1, Sackett 0/2, Tooley 0/4).
Free Throws: Outwork 5/9 (McCoy 2/2, Chaffin 2/2, Triblet 1/2, Mitchell 0/3), Lockdown 10/12 (Selfridge 4/4, Sackett 3/4, Tooley 2/2, G. VanRoy 1/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 27 (Triblet 7), Lockdown 32 (Ford 9).
Assists: Outwork 6 (Chaffin 3), Lockdown 2 (Ford 2).
FINALS
(2) Outwork 46, (1) Show Stoppers 45
With under 7 minutes remaining, it would've been tough to convince a soul in the gym that Outwork would bring home the girls championship.
That is, except for Outwork's players and their coach, Scott Alvarez.
After falling behind by as many as 13 with the clock quickly ticking away on their summer, they succeeded in speeding the game up and reeled off one last run to take home not only the finals victory, but the rubber match between the two teams.
Coach Jared Zeidman, also the assistant coach at Union College, had his squad ready to go from the tip. Show Stoppers held the lead right from the get-go, as one of their more unheralded players came through on a scoring tear early. Catholic Central rising junior guard Emily Frodyma - who averaged 4 PPG heading into playoff day - scored 10 points in the early portion of the game as she spotted up and torched the Outwork zone. Back-to-back threes off high post feeds from Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville 2018) put Show Stoppers up 15-4. With Outwork's offense completely stalling, the scoring prowess of Highland 2019 standout Brianna Rozzi was vital as she almost singlehandedly kept her squad in the game on the offensive end. She scored Outwork's final 10 points of the half, including the last 5 for either team, and a three followed by a steal & layup to beat the buzzer had Outwork back within 5 at 21-16 at the break.
The teams traded baskets for the first part of the 2nd half, with Julia Kelner (Jamesville-Dewitt 2017) and Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) powering the offense for Show Stoppers and Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) along with Rozzi countering for Outwork. With the margin at 6 after a Tougas three, Show Stoppers - namely, Amsterdam 2017 standout Nina Fedullo - went for the knockout blow. The 6 point difference quickly swelled to 13 in favor of Show Stoppers, as Fedullo went off for 9 quick points to make it 42-29. The multi-position 5'11" senior scored in a variety of ways - got to the basket from the perimeter, ducked in the lane and finished, converted an offensive rebound, and hit a three. However, Outwork was far from through. Then, the run happened.
It started with a Kyara Triblet (Colonie 2019) layup on a Rozzi feed. Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) quickly had a steal & layup followed by a pull-up jumper. Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) converted, as did Chaffin on a basket. Mitchell, the youngest player in the game, had a strong finish at the rim through contact and converted a 3 point play to cut their deficit to 42-41. Outwork finally took their first lead thanks to Rozzi - the 5'7" guard got into the lane and buried a running hook over the outstretched arm of 6'2" Kelner to forge a 43-42 edge. Kelner responded by splitting a pair of free throws, and she gave Show Stoppers the lead back once more at 45-43 after finishing on a feed from Lucy Tougas (Glens Falls 2017), the final time of dozens that those two have connected in the summer league. Their retaking of the lead was short-lived, however, as Outwork gained it back on the following possession. Chaffin attacked from the top of the key with the court spread, and when the defense collapsed, she found Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) - also her AAU teammate - in the left corner, who proceeded to bury a three to give Outwork the lead back at 46-45. That would prove to be the game winning basket, as Show Stoppers turned it over on an entry pass in the ensuing possession, and when Rozzi missed the front end of a one-and-one, Little was able to save the rebound inbounds and Show Stoppers couldn't catch up to foul until the buzzer sounded.
Rozzi, a scrappy point guard who has recently heard from New Hampshire, led all scorers with 16 points in Outwork's victory and added 4 rebounds. Chaffin, a strong 5'10" wing whose suitors include Fordham, St. Joseph's, Albany, and Siena among plenty of others, added 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Fedullo, who has received attention from schools such as St. Peter's, Monmouth, Wagner, St. Anselm, and NYIT, led Show Stoppers with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Kelner, who has an existing offer from Division II Queens and is garnering attention from Dartmouth, Columbia, Colgate, and a growing count of high academic Division II schools, added 10 and 7. Frodyma, a little-known local product who will be certain to put people on notice this winter, joined them in double digits with 10.
Outwork (12-3): Brianna Rozzi 16, Lyndsey McCoy 0, Madison Little 5, Lauraine Joensen 2, Chloe Chaffin 9, Mikyla Mitchell 6, Kyara Triblet 2, Rebecca Townes 6. Totals: 19-5-46.
Show Stoppers (11-4): Claire Guzielek 0, Nina Fedullo 13, Sophie Tougas 6, Lucy Tougas 4, Shyla Sanford 2, Mary Kate Palleschi 0, Julia Kelner 10, Emily Frodyma 10. Totals: 19-2-45.
Field Goals: Outwork 19/52 (Rozzi 6/18, Little 2/6, Joensen 1/4, Chaffin 4/11, Mitchell 2/5, Triblet 1/3, Townes 3/5), Show Stoppers 19/56 (Guzielek 0/4, Fedullo 6/8, S. Tougas 2/9, L. Tougas 2/6, Sanford 1/8, Palleschi 0/3, Kelner 4/10, Frodyma 4/8).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 3/12 (Rozzi 2/6, Little 1/3, Joensen 0/1, Townes 0/2), Show Stoppers 5/16 (Frodyma 2/3, S. Tougas 2/6, Fedullo 1/1, Guzielek 0/1, Palleschi 0/1, Sanford 0/4).
Free Throws: Outwork 5/9 (Rozzi 2/3, Mitchell 2/3, Chaffin 1/1, Little 0/2), Show Stoppers 2/10 (Kelner 2/5, Palleschi 0/2, Fedullo 0/3).
Rebounds: Outwork 35 (Chaffin 8), Show Stoppers 40 (Fedullo 9).
Assists: Outwork 5 (Chaffin 3), Show Stoppers 11 (L. Tougas 4).
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Week 6 Girls Recap
*** Full stats will be updated as time is available to review film and compile statistics ***
Outwork 49, Too Easy 37
An understaffed but pesky Too Easy group was able to make it interesting late in a sloppy game for both sides, but they were never able to make it close enough to really make a tough Outwork squad worry. Outwork was able to establish some control of the game using an 8-0 run over a stretch in the middle of the 1st half, extending their lead to 20-10. An Emma Carter (Mount Abraham Union (VT) 2018) basket right before the halftime buzzer cut Too Easy's deficit to 7 at 23-16. Outwork was able to gradually push their lead forward in the first stretch of the 2nd half. An 8-3 run, which included a Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) 4 point play and ended with a Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019) breakaway layup, gave Outwork its largest lead of the night at 40-22. A stretch of stagnant offense for them, mixed with strong play on Too Easy's end from Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017), helped fuel a 9-0/11-2 response run to cut Too Easy's deficit back to single digits at 40-31 and one last time at 42-33. Guynup had 4 points and 2 assists in that run. A strong stretch from Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) finally helped ice it for Outwork; her rebound & assist to Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) followed by a three pushed their lead back to 14 in the waning moments. Chaffin had a team high 11 points along with 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Rozzi joined her in double figures with 10 in the victory. Mitchell, the 2nd shortest player on the Outwork roster, had a team high 7 rebounds to go with 7 points and 4 steals. Outwork set an EST record in their 1st game of the night by totaling 17 steals on the night. Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) paced Too Easy in defeat with 11 points; Guynup added 10 along with 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
Outwork (8-3): Brianna Rozzi 10, Madison Little 4, Lauraine Joensen 8, Chloe Chaffin 11, Mikyla Mitchell 7, Kyara Triblet 2, Rebecca Townes 7. Totals: 19-6-49.
Too Easy (2-9): Alyssa Waters 5, Kenna Guynup 10, Madison Graber 11, Emma Carter 4, Anna Iannotti 7. Totals: 15-5-37.
Field Goals: Outwork 19/63 (Rozzi 4/11, McCoy 0/3, Little 1/7, Joensen 4/10, Chaffin 5/12, Mitchell 2/12, Triblet 1/3, Townes 2/5), Too Easy 15/50 (Zeyak 0/3, Waters 2/8, Guynup 3/10, Graber 5/9, Carter 2/14, Iannotti 3/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 5/20 (Rozzi 2/6, Mitchell 1/3, Townes 1/3, Little 1/5, Joensen 0/3), Too Easy 2/13 (Waters 1/3, Guynup 1/6, Zeyak 0/1, Carter 0/3).
Free Throws: Outwork 6/13 (Mitchell 2/3, Townes 2/3, Little 1/2, Chaffin 1/5), Too Easy 5/11 (Guynup 3/4, Iannotti 1/2, Graber 1/3, Carter 0/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 38 (Mitchell 7), Too Easy 36 (Carter 11).
Assists: Outwork 14 (Little, Mitchell 3), Too Easy 10 (Zeyak 4).
Upstate Select 42, Show Stoppers 34
Upstate Select shook off a halftime deficit with a strong start to the final 20 minutes, and when the game was in question late, they had one more run in them to come out with a win. Both teams started hot, with Show Stoppers jumping up 10-8 under 5 minutes into the game, but cooled off for the remainder of the half. After Show Stoppers took their largest lead of the game at 20-14 in the final minute of the 1st half, a CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017; Army commit) basket on an inbounds play right before the halftime buzzer cut Select's deficit to 6. They then scored 10 of the first 12 points in the 2nd half, with an Olivia Marshall (Stockbridge Valley 2017) basket giving them their first lead at 23-22 and an Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017) three extending it to 4. 5 straight points from Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) gave Show Stoppers a brief lead once more at 27-26, but Mayo returned the favor with a basket to give Select the lead for good. Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018) was able to cut Show Stoppers' deficit to 1 one final time after knocking down a three, but Upstate Select scored the final 7 points of the game - 4 from Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) - to ice the game. Mayo and Abdul-Aziz, who recently picked up an East Carolina offer to up her Division I offer list to 20, led the way with 12 points apiece. Mayo added a team-high 8 rebounds; Abdul-Aziz added 7. Baumann added 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals; the combination of those 3 accounted for all of Select's 16 points in the 1st half. For Show Stoppers, Fedullo led the way with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Sanford added 8 points, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. They each hit a pair of threes, 4 of Show Stoppers' 6 on the night.
Show Stoppers (8-3): Claire Guzielek 5, Nina Fedullo 9, Sophie Tougas 5, Lucy Tougas 2, Shyla Sanford 8, Julia Kelner 3, Emily Frodyma 2. Totals: 13-2-34.
Upstate Select (4-7): Olivia Baumann 9, Haley Steenland 3, Olivia Marshall 2, Giuliana Pritchard 3, CeCe Mayo 12, Namir Davis 1, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 12. Totals: 16-7-42.
Field Goals: Show Stoppers 13/48 (Dunlap 0/2, Guzielek 2/6, Fedullo 3/9, S. Tougas 2/10, L. Tougas 1/3, Sanford 3/8, Frodyma 1/3, Kelner 1/7), Upstate Select 16/51 (Baumann 4/8, Steenland 1/4, Marshall 1/3, Pritchard 1/6, Mayo 6/12, Abdul-Aziz 3/16, Davis 0/2).
3-Point Field Goals: Show Stoppers 6/20 (Fedullo 2/3, Sanford 2/5, Guzielek 1/3, S. Tougas 1/7, Dunlap 0/1, Kelner 0/1), Upstate Select 3/9 (Pritchard 1/1, Baumann 1/2, Steenland 1/3, Abdul-Aziz 0/3).
Free Throws: Show Stoppers 2/8 (Fedullo 1/2, Kelner 1/2, S. Tougas 0/2, L. Tougas 0/2), Upstate Select 7/14 (Abdul-Aziz 6/6, Davis 1/2, Pacatte 0/1, Baumann 0/1, Mayo 0/4).
Rebounds: Show Stoppers 37 (Fedullo, Kelner 9), Upstate Select 29 (Mayo 8).
Assists: Show Stoppers 11 (L. Tougas 4), Upstate Select 9 (4 with 2).
Rising Stars 41, Dynasty 36
The woes of Rising Stars' 1st half became the strengths of their 2nd as they were able to reel off the game's final 8 points and get their 4th win of the season. The prognosis looked bleak early for the team in gold, as free throw shooting troubles were the most evident of their all-around offensive issues. Dynasty led by as much as 8 in the 1st half at 13-5; the team with just 6 bodies was working its way into some foul trouble, but Rising Stars couldn't capitalize at the line, going just 3/14 in the first 20 minutes. They were able to shrug it off in the half's final moments, going on a 10-2 run with a Kyra Oeffler (Heatly 2018) three with 5 seconds left to tie it up at 15 going into the break. It was a back-and-forth affair in the 2nd, with the lead changing hands 5 times in the final 20 minutes. Dynasty's largest lead in that stretch was 3, which they hit three times. The first two came off Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) threes. One put them up 27-24, the other 34-31. DeBeatham and Rising Stars' Emily Wander (Bethlehem 2017) had an individual duel in the middle of the half, with the two combining to score 14 consecutive points. Dynasty led by 3 once more, with a Brooke Bjelko (Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) bucket off a DeBeatham feed. An Oeffler 3, her 2nd of the game with both being big, tied it up at 36. With the game in question, Cohoes 2017 Nerea Brajac scored the final 5 points for Rising Stars. Her 3 point play off a Brooke Curin (Cohoes 2020) steal and Wander feed put Stars up 39-36, and she sank both ends of a one-and-one with 5 seconds remaining to ice it. Wander led Rising Stars with 12 points in the win, Brajac added 11, and Oeffler had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They shook off an awful 3/16 start from the line to knock down their final 7 attempts. The aforementioned Julia DeBeatham led all scorers with 13 points for Dynasty and added 6 rebounds, and 6'3" Bryant-bound Bjelko had a double-double with 12 points (6/7 FG) and 11 rebounds.
Dynasty (5-6): Lexi DeBeatham 4, Julia DeBeatham 13, Paige Brinkman 3, Lauren Obermayer 4, Brooke Bjelko 12. Totals: 14-4-36.
Rising Stars (4-7): Emily Wander 12, Stephanie Jankovic 3, Kelsey Wood 4, Nerea Brajac 11, Mallory Wood 2, Rylee vonWedel 2, Kyra Oeffler 7. Totals: 13-10-41.
Field Goals: Dynasty 14/50 (Carpenter 0/5, L. DeBeatham 1/10, J. DeBeatham 4/14, Brinkman 1/7, Obermayer 2/7, Bjelko 6/7), Rising Stars 13/47 (Legacy 0/2, Wander 4/8, Dayter 0/3, Curtin 0/4, Jankovic 1/5, K. Wood 1/5, Brajac 4/7, M. Wood 0/4, vonWedel 1/6, Oeffler 2/3).
3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 4/18 (J. DeBeatham 3/9, Brinkman 1/5, Carpenter 0/4), Rising Stars 5/16 (Wander 3/5, Oeffler 2/2, Legacy 0/1, Brajac 0/1, Dayter 0/2, Jankovic 0/2, Curtin 0/3).
Free Throws: Dynasty 4/4 (L. DeBeatham 2/2, J. DeBeatham 2/2), Rising Stars 10/23 (Brajac 3/5, K. Wood 2/4, M. Wood 2/4, Wander 1/2, Jankovic 1/2, Oeffler 1/2, Dayter 0/2, vonWedel 0/2).
Rebounds: Dynasty 34 (Bjelko 11), Rising Stars 32 (M. Wood, Oeffler 6).
Assists: Dynasty 7 (L. DeBeatham 4), Rising Stars 8 (Wander 2).
Next Level 44, Lockdown 41
Court 2 in the Viniar Athletic Center was treated to a 2nd consecutive close game, as the 6:30 between two squads jockeying for playoff position went down to the final possessions. Lockdown was able to stay in it from end to end, including holding a late lead, but Next Level picked up some timely post production to counter its strong backcourt to secure the win. Lockdown led by 1 late in the 1st half before their opponents scored the final six points of the stanza, culminating with a Katelyn Flanagan (Canton 2018) buzzer beater to give Next Level a 21-16 halftime cushion. They started off the 2nd with a Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) driving scoop finish to secure their largest lead of 7, but strong 2nd halves from Lockdown's Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018) and Anna VanRoy (Saugerties 2019) helped change their fortune. VanRoy started a 9-2 run with a basket and Ford scored the next 7, tying it at 25 with a free throw. A jumper from the 6'2" forward off an inbound pass from VanRoy gave Lockdown a 30-28 lead, which extended to as much as 4 at 36-32 on a Ford basket. Next Level quickly tied it up after with 4 points from Seton Catholic 2018 standout Hanna Strawn - after splitting a pair of free throws, Heeps secured the offensive rebound and kicked back out to Strawn for a game-tying three. Addy Sackett (Delaware Academy 2018) scored to give Lockdown a 2 point lead, but Next Level's Ally Crosby (Hammond 2018) responded with 2 free throws and a basket to give them a 40-38 lead. The aforementioned VanRoy answered with a three to put Lockdown on top once more at 41-40, but Strawn quickly brought it up the court and buried a pull-up jumper to put Next Level back up 1. After getting a stop, Next Level was able to successfully avoid getting fouled in the final seconds, and Crosby scored the game's final points on a layup before the buzzer. She finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds, including 6 of Next Level's final 8 points. Strawn, a standout 5'4" guard who recently reopened her recruitment after previously committing to St. Bonaventure, had a team high 11 points and added 4 steals. Heeps, also Division I offered, had 8 points, a game high 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. For Lockdown, Ford - coming directly off receiving her 1st Division I offer from Niagara - dominated with a game high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Anna VanRoy had all 7 of her points after halftime, and Sackett added 7 points.
Next Level (6-5): Lexi VanVorst 3, Bridget Whelan 3, Hanna Strawn 11, Belle Kranbuhl 5, Grace Heeps 8, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Sophie Wittenbeck 2, Ally Crosby 8. Totals: 16-6-44.
Lockdown (7-4): Anna VanRoy 7, Abi Selfridge 6, Grace VanRoy 2, Addy Sackett 7, Julie Ford 19. Totals: 19-2-41.
Field Goals: Next Level 16/56 (VanVorst 1/7, Whelan 1/6, Strawn 3/10, Kranbuhl 2/2, Heeps 3/11, Flanagan 2/3, Moreau 0/3, Wittenbeck 1/7, Crosby 3/7), Lockdown 19/48 (A. VanRoy 3/6, Schuermann 0/4, Selfridge 3/6, G. VanRoy 1/8, Sackett 3/10, Ford 9/14).
3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 6/25 (Heeps 2/6, Strawn 2/7, VanVorst 1/3, Whelan 1/5, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/3), Lockdown 1/2 (A. Van Roy 1/1, Ford 0/1).
Free Throws: Next Level 6/14 (Strawn 3/6, Crosby 2/4, Kranbuhl 1/4), Lockdown 2/5 (Sackett 1/2, Ford 1/2, Selfridge 0/1).
Rebounds: Next Level 34 (Heeps 12), Lockdown 33 (Ford 10).
Assists: Next Level 12 (Heeps 4), Lockdown 11 (Schuermann 3).
Upstate Select 51, Lockdown 35
Coming off a momentum-shifting victory earlier in the night, Upstate Select didn't wait until the final 20 minutes to flex their muscle in the nightcap. After building a 31-14 halftime cushion, they were able to coast home to a victory to move up to the 6 seed for playoffs. Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017) got off to a hot start, scoring all 10 of her points in the opening stanza. Army commit CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017) had 6 in that stretch and led all scorers with 16 in the game. Haley Steenland (Stamford 2018), Allie Pacatte (Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018), and Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) helped the early push as well, as they had all 15 of their combined points early. Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018) paced Lockdown again with 15 points, 11 after halftime. These two teams - with Lockdown being able to utilize their full squad - will meet in playoff quarterfinals Wednesday.
Lockdown (7-5): Anna VanRoy 7, Abi Selfridge 3, Grace VanRoy 6, Addy Sackett 4, Julie Ford 15. Totals: 16-2-35.
Upstate Select (5-7): Allie Pacatte 5, Olivia Baumann 10, Haley Steenland 6, Olivia Marshall 4, Giuliana Pritchard 6, CeCe Mayo 16, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 4. Totals: 19-9-51.
Too Easy 40, Rising Stars 36
In a game that seemed like no one really wanted to win for a while, Too Easy took control made all the plays in the game's final 2 minutes, scoring the final 6 points of the game and coming out with a win to end the night. It was a 3rd straight close game on Court 2, with no one enjoying an advantage of more than 6 points. After trailing by 2 at the break, Rising Stars quickly reeled off the first 8 points of the 2nd half to take a 28-22 lead on a Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017) basket. They had a 6 point edge once more, at 30-24, when Brajac stole a pass and assisted on a Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018) layup. Too Easy responded with a 9-2 run of their own, taking the lead back at 33-32 on a basket from Anna Iannotti (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2018) with 5:30 remaining. Brajac hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to give Rising Stars a 34-33 edge, where it remained for a few minutes before Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) tied the game on a free throw. Rising Stars picked up a bucket from Kyra Oeffler (Heatly 2018) on the following possession, but the well would dry up for the team in gold for the rest of the game. Iannotti scored again in the post on a feed from AAU teammate Emma Carter (Mount Abraham Union (VT) 2018) to tie it, and then Carter stole a pass and fed another AAU teammate, Alyssa Waters (Beekmantown 2018), to give Too Easy the lead for good. Graber iced it in the final seconds by hitting a pair of free throws, something the team had issues with throughout the game. The resident Vermonters, Carter & Iannotti, led the way with 12 points apiece. Carter added 5 rebounds. Graber joined them in double digits with 11, 6 from the free throw line; while trailing 34-33, Too Easy missed 5 consecutive FT tries to tie or take the lead. Brajac paced Rising Stars in defeat with 10 points.
Rising Stars (4-8): Brianna Legacy 4, Emily Wander 4, Sam Dayter 6, Stephanie Jankovic 6, Kelsey Wood 4, Nerea Brajac 10, Kyra Oeffler 2. Totals: 16-3-36.
Too Easy (3-9): Alyssa Waters 3, Kenna Guynup 2, Madison Graber 11, Emma Carter 12, Anna Iannotti 12. Totals: 15-8-40.
Field Goals: Rising Stars 16/49 (Legacy 1/4, Wander 1/5, Dayter 3/7, Curtin 0/3, Jankovic 3/9, K. Wood 2/5, Brajac 5/7, M. Wood 0/1, vonWedel 0/4, Oeffler 1/4), Too Easy 15/38 (Zeyak 0/4, Waters 1/3, Guynup 1/3, Graber 2/7, Carter 5/11, Iannotti 6/10).
3-Point Field Goals: Rising Stars 1/6 (Wander 1/1, Legacy 0/1, Curtin 0/1, Oeffler 0/1, Jankovic 0/2), Too Easy 2/4 (Carter 1/1, Graber 1/2, Guynup 0/1).
Free Throws: Rising Stars 3/8 (Legacy 2/2, Wander 1/2, Jankovic 0/1, K. Wood 0/1, M. Wood 0/2), Too Easy 8/22 (Graber 6/12, Waters 1/2, Carter 1/4, Guynup 0/2, Iannotti 0/2).
Rebounds: Rising Stars 27 (K. Wood 8), Too Easy 26 (Guynup 10).
Assists: Rising Stars 9 (Jankovic 3), Too Easy 11 (Guynup 3).
Outwork 60, Dynasty 47
The 1 on 1 matchup featured in Week 6's 7:30 at Court 1 didn't disappoint, but the Outwork team had more bullets from start to finish than their undermanned Dynasty opponent. Each side featured a forward that has already made a Division I verbal commitment, and Outwork's Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017; Canisius commit) and Dynasty's Brooke Bjelko (Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) brought it. It was a game of runs early, as Outwork jumped to a 12-2 lead only to have Dynasty use an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to 2 and eventually tie it at 21 on a Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) three. Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) responded with a three of her own to spark a half-ending 8-0 run for Outwork. There would be no runs of the sort for either side for most of the 2nd half, as teams traded baskets with Outwork holding between a 6 & 10 point lead until the game's waning moments. With a timeout called after Bjelko made a free throw to cut Dynasty's deficit to 9 at 51-42, Outwork went on a quick 7-2 spurt and eventually hit their largest lead of 15 in the final minute. Joensen led all scorers with 14 points and added 5 rebounds. Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019) and Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) added 10 points apiece in Outwork's victory. Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) filled the stat line with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Bjelko led the way for Dynasty with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Gwen Carpenter (Mount Everett (MA) 2019) added 10 points for Dynasty, a season high for her.
Outwork (9-3): Brianna Rozzi 10, Lyndsey McCoy 2, Madison Little 8, Lauraine Joensen 14, Chloe Chaffin 9, Mikyla Mitchell 10 Kyara Triblet 2, Becca Townes 5. Totals: 24-6-60.
Dynasty (5-7): Gwen Carpenter 10, Lexi DeBeatham 9, Julia DeBeatham 9, Paige Brinkman 3, Lauren Obermayer 3, Brooke Bjelko 13. Totals: 17-7-47.
Field Goals: Outwork 24/57 (Rozzi 4/13, McCoy 1/3, Little 3/7, Joensen 5/10, Chaffin 4/11, Mitchell 4/7, Triblet 1/2, Townes 2/4), Dynasty 17/47 (Carpenter 3/4, L. DeBeatham 4/9, J. DeBeatham 3/8, Brinkman 1/11, Obermayer 1/4, Bjelko 5/11).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 6/15 (Little 2/3, Rozzi 2/6, Mitchell 1/1, Townes 1/2, McCoy 0/1, Joensen 0/1, Chaffin 0/1), Dynasty 6/18 (J. DeBeatham 3/7, Carpenter 2/2, Brinkman 1/7, L. DeBeatham 0/1, Obermayer 0/1).
Free Throws: Outwork 6/9 (Joensen 4/4, Chaffin 1/2, Mitchell 1/3), Dynasty 7/11 (Bjelko 3/4, Carpenter 2/3, L. DeBeatham 1/2, Obermayer 1/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 28 (Little, Chaffin 6), Dynasty 35 (Bjelko 15).
Assists: Outwork 12 (Rozzi 3), Dynasty 7 (J. DeBeatham 3).
Show Stoppers 45, Next Level 30
The lid placed itself firmly on the basket for Next Level in the first half, and the Lucy Tougas/Julia Kelner pick & roll show was in full effect simultaneously for Show Stoppers as they pulled to a large cushion early and held on the rest of the way. Kelner, a 6'2" 2017 F at Jamesville-Dewitt, was on the receiving end of numerous feeds from 5'11" Glens Falls 2017 G Tougas in the early going. Kelner had 9 of her game high 14 points in the 1st half. Lucy's younger sister Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) also had the shot going early; the 6'1" wing knocked down 3 threes and had all 11 of her points before halftime. Show Stoppers took a 28-10 lead into the break and were able to push it up to a 33-10 cushion with 15 minutes left before Next Level broke out of their offensive doldrums. Led by a very strong backcourt, they pressed and went on a 19-6 run by picking up the pace, cutting the lead all the way down to 10 at 39-29 before Show Stoppers put the clamps on late and were able to get 3 insurance baskets to bump their lead back up to 16. Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019), a 5'11" combo guard with a scholarship offer in the pocket from Lafayette, paced Next Level with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Her backcourt mate Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018), a speedy & intelligent PG who recently reopened her recruitment after previously committing to St. Bonaventure, added 7 points in defeat. In the win, Kelner tied Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) for the game high with 10 rebounds apiece. The aforementioned Lucy Tougas had 6 assists, all in the 1st half, and Sophie added 7 rebounds to her 11 points.
Show Stoppers (9-3): Madison Dunlap 3, Claire Guzielek 2, Nina Fedullo 5, Sophie Tougas 11, Lucy Tougas 5, Shyla Sanford 5, Julia Kelner 14. Totals: 18-4-45.
Next Level (6-6): Lexi VanVorst 5, Bridget Whelan 2, Hanna Strawn 7, Grace Heeps 8, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Allison Moreau 2, Sophie Wittenbeck 2. Totals: 11-6-30.
Field Goals: Show Stoppers 18/53 (Dunlap 1/4, Guzielek 1/3, Fedullo 2/5, S. Tougas 4/9, L. Tougas 2/5, Sanford 2/9, Kelner 6/11, Frodyma 0/7), Next Level 11/47 (VanVorst 1/7, Whelan 1/7, Strawn 2/9, Kranbuhl 0/1, Heeps 3/13, Flanagan 2/4, Moreau 1/1, Wittenbeck 1/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Show Stoppers 5/19 (S. Tougas 3/6, Dunlap 1/3, Sanford 1/4, Fedullo 0/1, Guzielek 0/2, Frodyma 0/3), Next Level 2/20 (Strawn 1/4, Heeps 1/5, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/1, Whelan 0/3, VanVorst 0/6).
Free Throws: Show Stoppers 4/14 (Kelner 2/3, L. Tougas 1/3, Fedullo 1/6, Sanford 0/2), Next Level 6/9 (VanVorst 3/4, Strawn 2/2, Heeps 1/3).
Rebounds: Show Stoppers 42 (Fedullo, Kelner 10), Next Level 28 (VanVorst 7).
Assists: Show Stoppers 14 (L. Tougas 6), Next Level 7 (Strawn 2).
Outwork 49, Too Easy 37
An understaffed but pesky Too Easy group was able to make it interesting late in a sloppy game for both sides, but they were never able to make it close enough to really make a tough Outwork squad worry. Outwork was able to establish some control of the game using an 8-0 run over a stretch in the middle of the 1st half, extending their lead to 20-10. An Emma Carter (Mount Abraham Union (VT) 2018) basket right before the halftime buzzer cut Too Easy's deficit to 7 at 23-16. Outwork was able to gradually push their lead forward in the first stretch of the 2nd half. An 8-3 run, which included a Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) 4 point play and ended with a Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019) breakaway layup, gave Outwork its largest lead of the night at 40-22. A stretch of stagnant offense for them, mixed with strong play on Too Easy's end from Kenna Guynup (Beekmantown 2017), helped fuel a 9-0/11-2 response run to cut Too Easy's deficit back to single digits at 40-31 and one last time at 42-33. Guynup had 4 points and 2 assists in that run. A strong stretch from Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) finally helped ice it for Outwork; her rebound & assist to Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) followed by a three pushed their lead back to 14 in the waning moments. Chaffin had a team high 11 points along with 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Rozzi joined her in double figures with 10 in the victory. Mitchell, the 2nd shortest player on the Outwork roster, had a team high 7 rebounds to go with 7 points and 4 steals. Outwork set an EST record in their 1st game of the night by totaling 17 steals on the night. Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) paced Too Easy in defeat with 11 points; Guynup added 10 along with 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
Outwork (8-3): Brianna Rozzi 10, Madison Little 4, Lauraine Joensen 8, Chloe Chaffin 11, Mikyla Mitchell 7, Kyara Triblet 2, Rebecca Townes 7. Totals: 19-6-49.
Too Easy (2-9): Alyssa Waters 5, Kenna Guynup 10, Madison Graber 11, Emma Carter 4, Anna Iannotti 7. Totals: 15-5-37.
Field Goals: Outwork 19/63 (Rozzi 4/11, McCoy 0/3, Little 1/7, Joensen 4/10, Chaffin 5/12, Mitchell 2/12, Triblet 1/3, Townes 2/5), Too Easy 15/50 (Zeyak 0/3, Waters 2/8, Guynup 3/10, Graber 5/9, Carter 2/14, Iannotti 3/6).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 5/20 (Rozzi 2/6, Mitchell 1/3, Townes 1/3, Little 1/5, Joensen 0/3), Too Easy 2/13 (Waters 1/3, Guynup 1/6, Zeyak 0/1, Carter 0/3).
Free Throws: Outwork 6/13 (Mitchell 2/3, Townes 2/3, Little 1/2, Chaffin 1/5), Too Easy 5/11 (Guynup 3/4, Iannotti 1/2, Graber 1/3, Carter 0/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 38 (Mitchell 7), Too Easy 36 (Carter 11).
Assists: Outwork 14 (Little, Mitchell 3), Too Easy 10 (Zeyak 4).
Upstate Select 42, Show Stoppers 34
Upstate Select shook off a halftime deficit with a strong start to the final 20 minutes, and when the game was in question late, they had one more run in them to come out with a win. Both teams started hot, with Show Stoppers jumping up 10-8 under 5 minutes into the game, but cooled off for the remainder of the half. After Show Stoppers took their largest lead of the game at 20-14 in the final minute of the 1st half, a CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017; Army commit) basket on an inbounds play right before the halftime buzzer cut Select's deficit to 6. They then scored 10 of the first 12 points in the 2nd half, with an Olivia Marshall (Stockbridge Valley 2017) basket giving them their first lead at 23-22 and an Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017) three extending it to 4. 5 straight points from Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) gave Show Stoppers a brief lead once more at 27-26, but Mayo returned the favor with a basket to give Select the lead for good. Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018) was able to cut Show Stoppers' deficit to 1 one final time after knocking down a three, but Upstate Select scored the final 7 points of the game - 4 from Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) - to ice the game. Mayo and Abdul-Aziz, who recently picked up an East Carolina offer to up her Division I offer list to 20, led the way with 12 points apiece. Mayo added a team-high 8 rebounds; Abdul-Aziz added 7. Baumann added 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals; the combination of those 3 accounted for all of Select's 16 points in the 1st half. For Show Stoppers, Fedullo led the way with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Sanford added 8 points, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. They each hit a pair of threes, 4 of Show Stoppers' 6 on the night.
Show Stoppers (8-3): Claire Guzielek 5, Nina Fedullo 9, Sophie Tougas 5, Lucy Tougas 2, Shyla Sanford 8, Julia Kelner 3, Emily Frodyma 2. Totals: 13-2-34.
Upstate Select (4-7): Olivia Baumann 9, Haley Steenland 3, Olivia Marshall 2, Giuliana Pritchard 3, CeCe Mayo 12, Namir Davis 1, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 12. Totals: 16-7-42.
Field Goals: Show Stoppers 13/48 (Dunlap 0/2, Guzielek 2/6, Fedullo 3/9, S. Tougas 2/10, L. Tougas 1/3, Sanford 3/8, Frodyma 1/3, Kelner 1/7), Upstate Select 16/51 (Baumann 4/8, Steenland 1/4, Marshall 1/3, Pritchard 1/6, Mayo 6/12, Abdul-Aziz 3/16, Davis 0/2).
3-Point Field Goals: Show Stoppers 6/20 (Fedullo 2/3, Sanford 2/5, Guzielek 1/3, S. Tougas 1/7, Dunlap 0/1, Kelner 0/1), Upstate Select 3/9 (Pritchard 1/1, Baumann 1/2, Steenland 1/3, Abdul-Aziz 0/3).
Free Throws: Show Stoppers 2/8 (Fedullo 1/2, Kelner 1/2, S. Tougas 0/2, L. Tougas 0/2), Upstate Select 7/14 (Abdul-Aziz 6/6, Davis 1/2, Pacatte 0/1, Baumann 0/1, Mayo 0/4).
Rebounds: Show Stoppers 37 (Fedullo, Kelner 9), Upstate Select 29 (Mayo 8).
Assists: Show Stoppers 11 (L. Tougas 4), Upstate Select 9 (4 with 2).
Rising Stars 41, Dynasty 36
The woes of Rising Stars' 1st half became the strengths of their 2nd as they were able to reel off the game's final 8 points and get their 4th win of the season. The prognosis looked bleak early for the team in gold, as free throw shooting troubles were the most evident of their all-around offensive issues. Dynasty led by as much as 8 in the 1st half at 13-5; the team with just 6 bodies was working its way into some foul trouble, but Rising Stars couldn't capitalize at the line, going just 3/14 in the first 20 minutes. They were able to shrug it off in the half's final moments, going on a 10-2 run with a Kyra Oeffler (Heatly 2018) three with 5 seconds left to tie it up at 15 going into the break. It was a back-and-forth affair in the 2nd, with the lead changing hands 5 times in the final 20 minutes. Dynasty's largest lead in that stretch was 3, which they hit three times. The first two came off Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) threes. One put them up 27-24, the other 34-31. DeBeatham and Rising Stars' Emily Wander (Bethlehem 2017) had an individual duel in the middle of the half, with the two combining to score 14 consecutive points. Dynasty led by 3 once more, with a Brooke Bjelko (Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) bucket off a DeBeatham feed. An Oeffler 3, her 2nd of the game with both being big, tied it up at 36. With the game in question, Cohoes 2017 Nerea Brajac scored the final 5 points for Rising Stars. Her 3 point play off a Brooke Curin (Cohoes 2020) steal and Wander feed put Stars up 39-36, and she sank both ends of a one-and-one with 5 seconds remaining to ice it. Wander led Rising Stars with 12 points in the win, Brajac added 11, and Oeffler had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They shook off an awful 3/16 start from the line to knock down their final 7 attempts. The aforementioned Julia DeBeatham led all scorers with 13 points for Dynasty and added 6 rebounds, and 6'3" Bryant-bound Bjelko had a double-double with 12 points (6/7 FG) and 11 rebounds.
Dynasty (5-6): Lexi DeBeatham 4, Julia DeBeatham 13, Paige Brinkman 3, Lauren Obermayer 4, Brooke Bjelko 12. Totals: 14-4-36.
Rising Stars (4-7): Emily Wander 12, Stephanie Jankovic 3, Kelsey Wood 4, Nerea Brajac 11, Mallory Wood 2, Rylee vonWedel 2, Kyra Oeffler 7. Totals: 13-10-41.
Field Goals: Dynasty 14/50 (Carpenter 0/5, L. DeBeatham 1/10, J. DeBeatham 4/14, Brinkman 1/7, Obermayer 2/7, Bjelko 6/7), Rising Stars 13/47 (Legacy 0/2, Wander 4/8, Dayter 0/3, Curtin 0/4, Jankovic 1/5, K. Wood 1/5, Brajac 4/7, M. Wood 0/4, vonWedel 1/6, Oeffler 2/3).
3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 4/18 (J. DeBeatham 3/9, Brinkman 1/5, Carpenter 0/4), Rising Stars 5/16 (Wander 3/5, Oeffler 2/2, Legacy 0/1, Brajac 0/1, Dayter 0/2, Jankovic 0/2, Curtin 0/3).
Free Throws: Dynasty 4/4 (L. DeBeatham 2/2, J. DeBeatham 2/2), Rising Stars 10/23 (Brajac 3/5, K. Wood 2/4, M. Wood 2/4, Wander 1/2, Jankovic 1/2, Oeffler 1/2, Dayter 0/2, vonWedel 0/2).
Rebounds: Dynasty 34 (Bjelko 11), Rising Stars 32 (M. Wood, Oeffler 6).
Assists: Dynasty 7 (L. DeBeatham 4), Rising Stars 8 (Wander 2).
Next Level 44, Lockdown 41
Court 2 in the Viniar Athletic Center was treated to a 2nd consecutive close game, as the 6:30 between two squads jockeying for playoff position went down to the final possessions. Lockdown was able to stay in it from end to end, including holding a late lead, but Next Level picked up some timely post production to counter its strong backcourt to secure the win. Lockdown led by 1 late in the 1st half before their opponents scored the final six points of the stanza, culminating with a Katelyn Flanagan (Canton 2018) buzzer beater to give Next Level a 21-16 halftime cushion. They started off the 2nd with a Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019) driving scoop finish to secure their largest lead of 7, but strong 2nd halves from Lockdown's Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018) and Anna VanRoy (Saugerties 2019) helped change their fortune. VanRoy started a 9-2 run with a basket and Ford scored the next 7, tying it at 25 with a free throw. A jumper from the 6'2" forward off an inbound pass from VanRoy gave Lockdown a 30-28 lead, which extended to as much as 4 at 36-32 on a Ford basket. Next Level quickly tied it up after with 4 points from Seton Catholic 2018 standout Hanna Strawn - after splitting a pair of free throws, Heeps secured the offensive rebound and kicked back out to Strawn for a game-tying three. Addy Sackett (Delaware Academy 2018) scored to give Lockdown a 2 point lead, but Next Level's Ally Crosby (Hammond 2018) responded with 2 free throws and a basket to give them a 40-38 lead. The aforementioned VanRoy answered with a three to put Lockdown on top once more at 41-40, but Strawn quickly brought it up the court and buried a pull-up jumper to put Next Level back up 1. After getting a stop, Next Level was able to successfully avoid getting fouled in the final seconds, and Crosby scored the game's final points on a layup before the buzzer. She finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds, including 6 of Next Level's final 8 points. Strawn, a standout 5'4" guard who recently reopened her recruitment after previously committing to St. Bonaventure, had a team high 11 points and added 4 steals. Heeps, also Division I offered, had 8 points, a game high 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. For Lockdown, Ford - coming directly off receiving her 1st Division I offer from Niagara - dominated with a game high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Anna VanRoy had all 7 of her points after halftime, and Sackett added 7 points.
Next Level (6-5): Lexi VanVorst 3, Bridget Whelan 3, Hanna Strawn 11, Belle Kranbuhl 5, Grace Heeps 8, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Sophie Wittenbeck 2, Ally Crosby 8. Totals: 16-6-44.
Lockdown (7-4): Anna VanRoy 7, Abi Selfridge 6, Grace VanRoy 2, Addy Sackett 7, Julie Ford 19. Totals: 19-2-41.
Field Goals: Next Level 16/56 (VanVorst 1/7, Whelan 1/6, Strawn 3/10, Kranbuhl 2/2, Heeps 3/11, Flanagan 2/3, Moreau 0/3, Wittenbeck 1/7, Crosby 3/7), Lockdown 19/48 (A. VanRoy 3/6, Schuermann 0/4, Selfridge 3/6, G. VanRoy 1/8, Sackett 3/10, Ford 9/14).
3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 6/25 (Heeps 2/6, Strawn 2/7, VanVorst 1/3, Whelan 1/5, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/3), Lockdown 1/2 (A. Van Roy 1/1, Ford 0/1).
Free Throws: Next Level 6/14 (Strawn 3/6, Crosby 2/4, Kranbuhl 1/4), Lockdown 2/5 (Sackett 1/2, Ford 1/2, Selfridge 0/1).
Rebounds: Next Level 34 (Heeps 12), Lockdown 33 (Ford 10).
Assists: Next Level 12 (Heeps 4), Lockdown 11 (Schuermann 3).
Upstate Select 51, Lockdown 35
Coming off a momentum-shifting victory earlier in the night, Upstate Select didn't wait until the final 20 minutes to flex their muscle in the nightcap. After building a 31-14 halftime cushion, they were able to coast home to a victory to move up to the 6 seed for playoffs. Olivia Baumann (Guilderland 2017) got off to a hot start, scoring all 10 of her points in the opening stanza. Army commit CeCe Mayo (Shaker 2017) had 6 in that stretch and led all scorers with 16 in the game. Haley Steenland (Stamford 2018), Allie Pacatte (Cobleskill-Richmondville 2018), and Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Mohonasen 2017) helped the early push as well, as they had all 15 of their combined points early. Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018) paced Lockdown again with 15 points, 11 after halftime. These two teams - with Lockdown being able to utilize their full squad - will meet in playoff quarterfinals Wednesday.
Lockdown (7-5): Anna VanRoy 7, Abi Selfridge 3, Grace VanRoy 6, Addy Sackett 4, Julie Ford 15. Totals: 16-2-35.
Upstate Select (5-7): Allie Pacatte 5, Olivia Baumann 10, Haley Steenland 6, Olivia Marshall 4, Giuliana Pritchard 6, CeCe Mayo 16, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz 4. Totals: 19-9-51.
Too Easy 40, Rising Stars 36
In a game that seemed like no one really wanted to win for a while, Too Easy took control made all the plays in the game's final 2 minutes, scoring the final 6 points of the game and coming out with a win to end the night. It was a 3rd straight close game on Court 2, with no one enjoying an advantage of more than 6 points. After trailing by 2 at the break, Rising Stars quickly reeled off the first 8 points of the 2nd half to take a 28-22 lead on a Nerea Brajac (Cohoes 2017) basket. They had a 6 point edge once more, at 30-24, when Brajac stole a pass and assisted on a Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018) layup. Too Easy responded with a 9-2 run of their own, taking the lead back at 33-32 on a basket from Anna Iannotti (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2018) with 5:30 remaining. Brajac hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to give Rising Stars a 34-33 edge, where it remained for a few minutes before Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) tied the game on a free throw. Rising Stars picked up a bucket from Kyra Oeffler (Heatly 2018) on the following possession, but the well would dry up for the team in gold for the rest of the game. Iannotti scored again in the post on a feed from AAU teammate Emma Carter (Mount Abraham Union (VT) 2018) to tie it, and then Carter stole a pass and fed another AAU teammate, Alyssa Waters (Beekmantown 2018), to give Too Easy the lead for good. Graber iced it in the final seconds by hitting a pair of free throws, something the team had issues with throughout the game. The resident Vermonters, Carter & Iannotti, led the way with 12 points apiece. Carter added 5 rebounds. Graber joined them in double digits with 11, 6 from the free throw line; while trailing 34-33, Too Easy missed 5 consecutive FT tries to tie or take the lead. Brajac paced Rising Stars in defeat with 10 points.
Rising Stars (4-8): Brianna Legacy 4, Emily Wander 4, Sam Dayter 6, Stephanie Jankovic 6, Kelsey Wood 4, Nerea Brajac 10, Kyra Oeffler 2. Totals: 16-3-36.
Too Easy (3-9): Alyssa Waters 3, Kenna Guynup 2, Madison Graber 11, Emma Carter 12, Anna Iannotti 12. Totals: 15-8-40.
Field Goals: Rising Stars 16/49 (Legacy 1/4, Wander 1/5, Dayter 3/7, Curtin 0/3, Jankovic 3/9, K. Wood 2/5, Brajac 5/7, M. Wood 0/1, vonWedel 0/4, Oeffler 1/4), Too Easy 15/38 (Zeyak 0/4, Waters 1/3, Guynup 1/3, Graber 2/7, Carter 5/11, Iannotti 6/10).
3-Point Field Goals: Rising Stars 1/6 (Wander 1/1, Legacy 0/1, Curtin 0/1, Oeffler 0/1, Jankovic 0/2), Too Easy 2/4 (Carter 1/1, Graber 1/2, Guynup 0/1).
Free Throws: Rising Stars 3/8 (Legacy 2/2, Wander 1/2, Jankovic 0/1, K. Wood 0/1, M. Wood 0/2), Too Easy 8/22 (Graber 6/12, Waters 1/2, Carter 1/4, Guynup 0/2, Iannotti 0/2).
Rebounds: Rising Stars 27 (K. Wood 8), Too Easy 26 (Guynup 10).
Assists: Rising Stars 9 (Jankovic 3), Too Easy 11 (Guynup 3).
Outwork 60, Dynasty 47
The 1 on 1 matchup featured in Week 6's 7:30 at Court 1 didn't disappoint, but the Outwork team had more bullets from start to finish than their undermanned Dynasty opponent. Each side featured a forward that has already made a Division I verbal commitment, and Outwork's Lauraine Joensen (Northampton (MA) 2017; Canisius commit) and Dynasty's Brooke Bjelko (Beekmantown 2017; Bryant commit) brought it. It was a game of runs early, as Outwork jumped to a 12-2 lead only to have Dynasty use an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to 2 and eventually tie it at 21 on a Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) three. Madison Little (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2017) responded with a three of her own to spark a half-ending 8-0 run for Outwork. There would be no runs of the sort for either side for most of the 2nd half, as teams traded baskets with Outwork holding between a 6 & 10 point lead until the game's waning moments. With a timeout called after Bjelko made a free throw to cut Dynasty's deficit to 9 at 51-42, Outwork went on a quick 7-2 spurt and eventually hit their largest lead of 15 in the final minute. Joensen led all scorers with 14 points and added 5 rebounds. Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019) and Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) added 10 points apiece in Outwork's victory. Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018) filled the stat line with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Bjelko led the way for Dynasty with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Gwen Carpenter (Mount Everett (MA) 2019) added 10 points for Dynasty, a season high for her.
Outwork (9-3): Brianna Rozzi 10, Lyndsey McCoy 2, Madison Little 8, Lauraine Joensen 14, Chloe Chaffin 9, Mikyla Mitchell 10 Kyara Triblet 2, Becca Townes 5. Totals: 24-6-60.
Dynasty (5-7): Gwen Carpenter 10, Lexi DeBeatham 9, Julia DeBeatham 9, Paige Brinkman 3, Lauren Obermayer 3, Brooke Bjelko 13. Totals: 17-7-47.
Field Goals: Outwork 24/57 (Rozzi 4/13, McCoy 1/3, Little 3/7, Joensen 5/10, Chaffin 4/11, Mitchell 4/7, Triblet 1/2, Townes 2/4), Dynasty 17/47 (Carpenter 3/4, L. DeBeatham 4/9, J. DeBeatham 3/8, Brinkman 1/11, Obermayer 1/4, Bjelko 5/11).
3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 6/15 (Little 2/3, Rozzi 2/6, Mitchell 1/1, Townes 1/2, McCoy 0/1, Joensen 0/1, Chaffin 0/1), Dynasty 6/18 (J. DeBeatham 3/7, Carpenter 2/2, Brinkman 1/7, L. DeBeatham 0/1, Obermayer 0/1).
Free Throws: Outwork 6/9 (Joensen 4/4, Chaffin 1/2, Mitchell 1/3), Dynasty 7/11 (Bjelko 3/4, Carpenter 2/3, L. DeBeatham 1/2, Obermayer 1/2).
Rebounds: Outwork 28 (Little, Chaffin 6), Dynasty 35 (Bjelko 15).
Assists: Outwork 12 (Rozzi 3), Dynasty 7 (J. DeBeatham 3).
Show Stoppers 45, Next Level 30
The lid placed itself firmly on the basket for Next Level in the first half, and the Lucy Tougas/Julia Kelner pick & roll show was in full effect simultaneously for Show Stoppers as they pulled to a large cushion early and held on the rest of the way. Kelner, a 6'2" 2017 F at Jamesville-Dewitt, was on the receiving end of numerous feeds from 5'11" Glens Falls 2017 G Tougas in the early going. Kelner had 9 of her game high 14 points in the 1st half. Lucy's younger sister Sophie Tougas (Glens Falls 2019) also had the shot going early; the 6'1" wing knocked down 3 threes and had all 11 of her points before halftime. Show Stoppers took a 28-10 lead into the break and were able to push it up to a 33-10 cushion with 15 minutes left before Next Level broke out of their offensive doldrums. Led by a very strong backcourt, they pressed and went on a 19-6 run by picking up the pace, cutting the lead all the way down to 10 at 39-29 before Show Stoppers put the clamps on late and were able to get 3 insurance baskets to bump their lead back up to 16. Grace Heeps (Columbia 2019), a 5'11" combo guard with a scholarship offer in the pocket from Lafayette, paced Next Level with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Her backcourt mate Hanna Strawn (Seton Catholic 2018), a speedy & intelligent PG who recently reopened her recruitment after previously committing to St. Bonaventure, added 7 points in defeat. In the win, Kelner tied Nina Fedullo (Amsterdam 2017) for the game high with 10 rebounds apiece. The aforementioned Lucy Tougas had 6 assists, all in the 1st half, and Sophie added 7 rebounds to her 11 points.
Show Stoppers (9-3): Madison Dunlap 3, Claire Guzielek 2, Nina Fedullo 5, Sophie Tougas 11, Lucy Tougas 5, Shyla Sanford 5, Julia Kelner 14. Totals: 18-4-45.
Next Level (6-6): Lexi VanVorst 5, Bridget Whelan 2, Hanna Strawn 7, Grace Heeps 8, Katelyn Flanagan 4, Allison Moreau 2, Sophie Wittenbeck 2. Totals: 11-6-30.
Field Goals: Show Stoppers 18/53 (Dunlap 1/4, Guzielek 1/3, Fedullo 2/5, S. Tougas 4/9, L. Tougas 2/5, Sanford 2/9, Kelner 6/11, Frodyma 0/7), Next Level 11/47 (VanVorst 1/7, Whelan 1/7, Strawn 2/9, Kranbuhl 0/1, Heeps 3/13, Flanagan 2/4, Moreau 1/1, Wittenbeck 1/5).
3-Point Field Goals: Show Stoppers 5/19 (S. Tougas 3/6, Dunlap 1/3, Sanford 1/4, Fedullo 0/1, Guzielek 0/2, Frodyma 0/3), Next Level 2/20 (Strawn 1/4, Heeps 1/5, Flanagan 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/1, Whelan 0/3, VanVorst 0/6).
Free Throws: Show Stoppers 4/14 (Kelner 2/3, L. Tougas 1/3, Fedullo 1/6, Sanford 0/2), Next Level 6/9 (VanVorst 3/4, Strawn 2/2, Heeps 1/3).
Rebounds: Show Stoppers 42 (Fedullo, Kelner 10), Next Level 28 (VanVorst 7).
Assists: Show Stoppers 14 (L. Tougas 6), Next Level 7 (Strawn 2).
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