Ichabod Crane Rides To Win Behind Graham's 27

December 4, 2018

Ichabod Crane 55, Mohonasen 46

On a busy Tuesday night, a cold start in Valatie turned into a competitive Colonial Council battle that remained close for the duration. The host Riders finished the game on a 10-2 run, getting what could be a momentum building win to even their league record over a Mohonasen squad new to the league from the Suburban.

The first eight minutes were close but slow, as both teams were victims of cold shooting to start the game. After missing a few good looks early, Madison Graham (Ichabod Crane 2020) was able to see the ball go through after putting it on the floor and connecting on a pair of floaters, and they took a 10-6 lead after one quarter as she scored the last 6 Ichabod Crane points of the period. After a pair of Warrior free throws cut their deficit to 14-13 midway through the 2nd quarter, Graham saw the perimeter J start to fall. She knocked down back-to-back pull-up threes off the dribble, a boost of momentum that gave them their largest lead at the time of 7. Breanna Lott, Mohonasen standout 2020, answered back with a three of her own to stop the bleeding. A Kateri Vumbaco three-point play late in the half helped Mohonasen go into the locker room down just 23-19.

Kyla Elliot had 9 of her 11 in the 2nd half for Ichabod Crane.

The 3rd quarter saw a more uptempo back-and-forth stretch, with Mohonasen starting to become the aggressor with the press. It bothered Ichabod Crane in the backcourt, forcing several turnovers and even more rushed decisions, but the Riders were able to get plenty of easy looks in the half court once it was broken to balance it out. Mohon cut their deficit to 1 on two occasions in the quarter - an Ava Fasolino (Mohonasen 2020) three cut it to 24-23, then a Lott free throw made the score 33-32 - but they weren't able to get over the hump, as Graham answered Fasolino's three with a long ball of her own, then a Kyla Elliot (Ichabod Crane 2019) corner three answered Lott's free throw, but the margin never grew past 6. Another Lott free throw to end the quarter cut Mohon's deficit to 38-35. Lott, who was battling noticeable illness, started to make things happen in the 4th quarter. Her & Graham traded baskets, cutting it to 1 with Graham making it a 3 point game. Lott scored to cut it to 1 again, and after Elliot knocked down another three, Lott answered with a three of her own to make it 45-44 Ichabod Crane with 4:00 left. After a long scoreless stretch both ways, Raegan Beaucage hit a pair of free throws for ICC. Graham added a steal & layup to stretch the Riders' lead to 49-44 with 1:40 left, and after Vumbaco answered with a layup, Graham hit a short baseline jumper behind Mohon's zone to make it 51-46 with :52.0 left. The Warriors came up empty on their next three possessions and Riley Paul hit 4 free throws on the other end to ice the win for Ichabod Crane.

Bre Lott got going in the 2nd half, adding on 12 of her team high 17 points for Mohon.

Madison Graham, who was unable to see the court during the fall due to an ankle injury suffered earlier in the year, looked to be back to form in this one. The standout scoring guard was a consistent source of production for Ichabod Crane, scoring at least 6 in each quarter en route to a game high 27 points. Kyla Elliot added 9 of her 11 points in the 2nd half for the winners. Bre Lott was able to come back from a slow start, helping Mohonasen stay in it until the closing minute by scoring 12 of her team high 17 in the 2nd half along with being active on the defensive glass. Kateri Vumbaco was also a source of energy & production in the backcourt for the Warriors, contributing 15 points.


#JeffsNotes

- Good scorers find ways to produce even when things aren't going smoothly for them. Madison Graham got a few good looks early that I'm used to seeing her make. She missed them all - a couple of them uncharacteristically badly. Instead of forcing up more jumpers or pouting, she responded by finding other ways to get into the flow of the game. A couple jumped passing lanes turned into tips, with one of them resulting in a layup. She broke ahead and got an easy one, then got into the gaps against Mohonasen's zone and hit a couple floaters. Then another steal & layup gave her 8 points early in the 2nd quarter without hitting a jumper, keeping her confidence up and keeping her team in the lead. Once she hit back to back threes off the dribble in the middle of the quarter, it was off to the races and she got it clicking. In the past, you could've called Madie a shooter; now, she's a scorer. That distinction will not only help her & her team this winter, but it'll be a big plus on the AAU circuit in front of coaches this spring & summer, as she has the dynamic 'get hot' scoring ability to turn heads.

Madison Graham shook off a slow shooting start to pump in 27 points en route to a victory.

- If you're on the Mohon side, this is probably one you're kicking yourself about as they had all sorts of chances to break through. It felt like they were right there throughout the game. Never once did they hold a lead, but the game was tied twice, and the Warriors cut their deficit to 1 on seven different occasions. The vast majority of the game was played with Mohon being down by four or less, and the nine point final margin was the game's largest. They were one big play away from putting the pressure on the hosts' shoulders at many points in the 2nd half. Unfortunately for them, when that 'one big play' was in need, they either weren't able to get the stop or their possession came up empty. Three different times when the deficit was cut to 1, Ichabod Crane knocked down a trey on the ensuing possession. A very winnable road game for Mohonasen, and a learning experience for a team that looks to be improving to me. They played harder & more together as a group than I've seen in recent memory, and getting offensive production from others besides Lott (Vumbaco's 15 points, 8 from Ava Fasolino including a pair of 3rd quarter threes) bodes well for them. I think this team will really be able to contend in their new digs in the Colonial Council, and they probably will just grow from this early season learning experience.

Kateri Vumbaco gave Mohon a lift throughout Tuesday's game with her energy & production.