Johnstown Makes Plays Late to Hold Off Fonda-Fultonville in Opener

November 26, 2018

Johnstown 52, Fonda-Fultonville 44

In a back & forth battle whose largest margin was the final score, host Johnstown was able to string together a series of consecutive stops and hit free throws in the final minutes to score the game's final 7 points and come out with a season-opening win.

It didn't take long to see that the game would be a battle. Fonda started off strong, with 2022 PG Carly Atty converting a three-point play and knocking down a three directly after to spark an 8-0 start for the Braves. Johnstown responded with a 9-0 run of their own, including all 5 of standout 2021 Anna Lee's 1st half points, and the back & forth contest was on. A foul-riddled 1st half saw 4 ties, 7 lead changes, and 30 combined free throw attempts. In a 16 minute stretch that lacked flow because of the accruing fouls, Atty was the exception, showing more assertiveness offensively at the point guard spot. Her final basket of the 2nd quarter gave her 11 at the half and tied the game at 23.

Abby Lombardoni (Fonda-Fultonville 2020) defended by Anna Lee

Atty continued where she left off, knocking down a corner three to start the 3rd quarter, and Fonda extended their 3rd quarter lead to as much as 4 at 33-29 on a basket from Alyssa Duval. However, that was when the tide turned. Johnstown 2022 Jaden Wilson scored on the Bills' next possession, and Lee took it from there. After being hampered with three fouls in the 1st half, she got loose late in the 3rd. After jumping a passing lane and getting a steal & layup to give Johnstown the lead - a lead they'd never relinquish - she got another steal on the press, pulled up, and knocked down a left elbow three to extend their run to 9-0. Fonda didn't go away quietly though, making one more push deep into the 4th quarter. Braves 2020 Abby Lombardoni - also riddled with some early foul trouble - knocked down a three to end the 3rd quarter, got into the lane & found 2022 Marilyn Whitcavitch for a layup, and hit another three on an open look to keep it a one-possession game. With just under two minutes left, Atty hit a free throw to cut Fonda's deficit to 45-44, but Johnstown responded by finding an open Abigail VanValkenburgh against a Braves defense slow in rotation. They then turned up the heat in their half-court man, with Lee spearheading it & forcing a turnover. After an intentional foul, Lee went to the line and sank a pair to make it a two-possession game in the final minute. All-in-all, Johnstown went 5/6 from the line in the game's waning moments to allow them to score the game's final 7 points.

Despite the early foul trouble, Lee - already a local standout & 3rd year varsity player - paced a balanced Johnstown offense with 12 points. Wilson, a 2nd year varsity player as a freshman, added 11. Abby VandeWalker, another sophomore, chipped in with 9, all in the 2nd half. For Fonda, Atty led all scorers with 15 points. Lombardoni & Duval each chipped in with 7.

Abby VandeWalker (Johnstown 2021)

Jeff's Notes

- I realized that both teams were young - Lee, Atty, and Lombardoni were all in 2018 EST events, with Lee being a pretty consistent summer league face - but I don't think I realized just how young they were. Fonda starts a pair of 2022s (Atty & Whitcavitch), and not only does Johnstown start three 2021s & a 2022, but they only have one junior & no seniors on the roster. Without looking at varsity rosters, it may sound a bit alarming that neither of these Class B teams are fielding a JV squad this winter. However, once you look and see that 19 of the 26 players on these two rosters are from the 2021/2022 graduating classes, it changes perspective. There's plenty to look forward to in the future with these two programs.

Carly Atty (Fonda-Fultonville 2022) will be a player to watch for years to come.

- If you're a local basketball fan that hasn't seen Carly Atty play since last winter, hit the Fonda gym soon and get another look. You always hope for the 8th/9th grade jump to be a big one, and she's seemed to make every bit of that and then some. She's a gym rat that can be found on the court all the time between tournaments, workouts, open gyms, etc., and it's showing in her growth as a player not only with skill, but maybe even more so with confidence. Carly looked like a point guard that wasn't afraid of the moment and was willing to see pressure. She broke the press with the dribble or with the pass, almost always making the right decision. Always a capable scorer but without the scorer's mentality, she seems to have a much better understanding of when it's time to 'go get one'. With Lombardoni sitting and a handful of girls with two fouls in the 2nd quarter - her included - Fonda was able to score enough to keep it a tie game on the road at half thanks in large part to her willingness to be that true threat. Between Saturday's scrimmage against Broadalbin and Monday's game against Johnstown, I'm happy with what I'm seeing in her development.

- As a whole, it probably wasn't the type of game Anna Lee was hoping for, but the poise to respond after a first half riddled with foul trouble shows growth & maturity in the sophomore. Besides a pair of free throws and an open three consecutively in the 1st quarter, she had a quiet half, compounded with her 3rd foul in the final minute of the 2nd. Not only was she able to play a foul-free 2nd half, but I thought her individual stretch late in the 3rd quarter was the turning point of the game. Not long after getting a steal in the half-court & breaking away for a layup, she got another steal on the press and instead of attacking the rim, she came to a stop, pulled up, and buried a three. Not only did the three give Johnstown a 5 point lead and complete a 9-0 run, but it was probably the loudest the crowd was all night and definitely got the biggest reaction from the bench. It's noticeable that her court vision as a PG has improved since last year too. She was deadly in transition because of her ability & willingness to take 1 or 2 dribbles, then pitch ahead to finishers on time & on target. With the mental growth & on-court improvements, Anna is really molding herself into a well-rounded player that makes a legitimate two-way impact.

Anna Lee (Johnstown 2021) made several big plays in the 2nd half to help her team get a season opening win.

- Speaking of 8th/9th grade jumps, I think Johnstown 2022 Jaden Wilson has made one of her own. She finished with 11 points in the win, but it wasn't scoring amount that I cared about. She's starting to look smoother and more polished on the court with a better understanding of the game. Wilson was able to play at the wing, handle the ball, or play as more of an undersized 4 for a pretty small Johnstown group. Defensively, she often drew the assignment of Lombardoni - Fonda's leading scorer last year - and she did well in that matchup. Altogether, Wilson had a very solid season opener, doing a bit of everything. I was happy to see the strides she's made.

- Foul trouble has been mentioned several times in this post. Both teams experienced a ton of it in the 1st half, but learned to adjust and avoided any more serious issues after halftime. The main reasoning for the foul trouble was simple - the difference between legal & illegal contact against ballhandlers. Both referees for this contest are collegiate officials as well. Anyone that pays attention to both HS & college ball likely understands that freedom of movement for offensive players is much more heavily policed at the collegiate level. Two-hand contact, two-touch contact, and bumps that aren't necessarily called consistently in high school basketball were called in this game. It was officiated like a college game, which is completely fine with me. Thankfully, both teams were able to adjust out of the locker room, which made for a 2nd half with much better flow.