Two Suburban Council girls’ basketball teams will battle it out for the Section II Class A Championship after registering lop-sided victories in the semifinal round Tuesday night at Colonie Central High School.
In the opener, Mohonasen, fueled by a 12-2 run after the intermission, went on to defeat The Academy of the Holy Names 45-31. In the nightcap, Scotia was looking to extend its unbeaten streak and earn its first trip to the final, but Averill Park would not oblige the top-seeded team handing the Tartans a 49-36 defeat.
Averill Park (10-11) and Mohonasen (12-8) will meet Friday at Hudson Valley Community College at 7:45 p.m.
Holy Names’ Bernie Jordan hit two three-pointers in the final two minutes of the first half to give her team a 19-14 lead at the half, but that lead was short-lived.
The Mighty Warriors defense held Holy Names to just one field goal and two free-throws in the third quarter. Lea McClain and Samantha Hall combined for 10 points after the intermission giving Mohonasen a 27-23 advantage entering the final quarter. Holy Names would get no closer as McClain added two field goals and was four-for-four from the line in the finals eight minutes of play.
At the end of the half we had a bit of a let down, Mohonasen coach Paul Brosious said. `I told the girls we had to pick it up and we did. We had the ball in our hands much of the fourth quarter and we got the job done.`
Hall finished with 15 points, while Mallory Kuchis added 14 and McClain 12. Holy Names was led by Sarah Agan’s nine points, while Mary Kate Murray scored eight.
Averill Park, the defending state champion, will be returning to the title game for the fifth time in the last six years. The Lady Warriors were led by junior Bridget Carney, who scored 17 points and dominated the boards.
`Playing in the Suburban Council and having all underclassmen on the roster, nobody gave us much credit,` Averill Park coach Sean Organ said. `We learned a lot and we learned fast. Now just to have a chance to defend our title is a great achievement.`
Alison Nunziato and Julia Mai combined for 23 points for the Warriors. Scotia was led by Cassie Broadhead with 18 points including 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
Averill Park, the No. 4 seed, raced out to a 16-4 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back. The closest the Tartans could get within the lead was nine.
`When we got out to a 12-point lead that was great for our confidence,` Carney said. `We knew rebounding was crucial and once we began winning the rebounding battle, we got in a rhythm and our offense kicked in.`
Mohonasen and Scotia-Glenville had little trouble advancing to the semifinals. Mohonasen downed Queensbury 53-29 in one quarterfinal game last Saturday, while Scotia-Glenville disposed of Hudson Falls 52-37.
Queensbury stayed within striking distance until the third quarter when Mohonasen went on a 10-2 run to build a 32-20 lead. McClain and Sara McGrath then opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back three-pointers, and the Mighty Warriors never looked back.
McClain scored 16 points, while Hall contributed 15 for Mohonasen.
Scotia-Glenville put together several spurts to build a 36-23 lead after three quarters on its way to its third victory over Hudson Falls this season. The Lady Tartans defeated the Tigers twice during the Foothills Council season.
Broadhead led a balanced Scotia-Glenville attack with 15 points. Danielle Conley contributed 14, and Sarah Janson added 10.“