Short-handed Lady Bobcats shut down by Unatego in Class C semifinals
Pete Mansheffer Photo
By Pete Mansheffer
Sun Contributor
CORTLAND – Abi Selfridge did all she could, but Bainbridge-Guilford could not overcome a key missing player and a surprising switch of defense by Unatego in a 36-26, Section IV Class C girls’ basketball semifinal loss Tuesday night at SUNY Cortland.
Unatego (19-2) advanced to the Class C championship on Saturday at SUNY Cortland, where they will play Watkins Glen, who downed Newfield in the earlier semifinal.
Selfridge scored 17 points, but B-G’s usually potent offense was stifled by Unatego’s switch to a man-to-man defense for the first time this season.
“We’ve played zone all season long,” said Unatego coach Bob Zeh. “In our first two meetings against B-G, they got off to quick starts against us and we wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again tonight.
“So we went to man for the first time this season and the kids worked hard and I think we may have caught them off-guard a little bit.”
The man switch may have had something to do with the slow start, but B-G coach Bob Conway pointed to the girl in street clothes and a knee wrap as the biggest culprit.
Starting guard Macie Leizaer was injured in the Midstate Athletic Conference championship and did not play in the game. Without her and Unatego’s aggressive defense, B-G had issues anything out of their half-court offense.
“We knew we’d have troubles scoring with (Leizaer) out,” Conway said. “She’s one of our leading scorers in our set offense and a good shooter who loosens things up inside.”
B-G did not score until Selfridge’s offensive putback with 1:47 left in the opening quarter. Their defense, however, kept them close before Dana Stepp drained a three-pointer and scored a layup off transition for her only points of the game and an 11-2 lead for Unatego at the first-quarter turn.
Erica Selfridge’s foul-line jumper got B-G off to a good start in the second quarter, but an 8-0 Unatego run pushed a lead that eventually ballooned to 21-8 at halftime.
Meghan Perry (16 points) scored off back-to-back possessions early in the third quarter to give Unatego its biggest lead of the game, 25-9, before B-G went on a 7-0 run of its own to get it back to single digits.
Sophomore Erica Selfridge started it with a dribble/drive down the lane before her sister, Abi, potted the next five of the run to draw B-G to 25-16. Meghan Perry’s bucket off a pretty pick and roll ended the run and sent Unatego into the final eight minutes up 27-16.
A 7-2 start to the fourth quarter gave B-G some hope. Erica and Abi Selfridge scored off back-to-back possessions to start the quarter. After Morgan Perry scored for Unatego on an offensive putback, Kori Thornton drained a long 3-pointer, her only bucket of the game, to cut the Unatego lead to 29-23.
B-G cut the lead to six again with 1:37 left after Abi Selfridge converted a three-point play, but Unatego made enough free throws and came off with several key loose balls and offensive rebounds to fend off the late rally.
Unatego shot 5-for-16 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
“We don’t shoot free throws well,” Zeh said. “And when you don’t, 12-point leads can evaporate fast, especially with the 3-point shot.”
Abi Selfridge scored 11 points in the second half – after scoring all but two of B-G’s points in the opening half.
“We got her the ball in the second half much better,” Conway said.
B-G loses three seniors off this year’s team – Abigail Selfridge, Thornton and Matraca Harmon.
Selfridge’s loss will be felt greatly next year.
“She’s a strong, dynamic rebounder who, at 5’6”, elevated well and could get to the glass and score,” Conway said. “And she did it against girls who were usually bigger than her.”
B-G ends their season with a final record of 17-3.
Unatego 36, Bainbridge-Guilford 26
B-G 2 6 8 10 – 26
Unatego 11 10 6 9 – 36
Bainbridge-Guilford: Allie Miller 0; Matraca Harmon 0; Abigail Selfridge 5 7-9-17; Erica Selfridge 3 0-0-6; Ashley Matthews 0; Celeste Baldwin 0; Katrien Roefs 0; Isabelle Decker 0; Bailey Hart 0; Kori Thornton 1 0-0-3; Abbey Delello 0; Taylor Parsons 0; Sara Cannistra 0. TOTALS: 9 7-9-26
Unatego: Paige McCoy 0; Dana Stepp 2 1-4 6; Alexa Lucia 0; Mallory Frazier 0; Tatum Coddington 0; Kylie Mussaw 0; Jenna Faulkner 0; Maddie Wilsey 0; Meghan Perry 5 6-10-16; Morgan Perry 1 1-4-3; Morgan Newman 1 1-4-3; Hali Lucia 4 1-4-10. TOTALS: 12 10-24-36
3-point goals: (B-G) Thornton 1; (U) Stepp 1, Lucia 1.
Sun Contributor
CORTLAND – Abi Selfridge did all she could, but Bainbridge-Guilford could not overcome a key missing player and a surprising switch of defense by Unatego in a 36-26, Section IV Class C girls’ basketball semifinal loss Tuesday night at SUNY Cortland.
Unatego (19-2) advanced to the Class C championship on Saturday at SUNY Cortland, where they will play Watkins Glen, who downed Newfield in the earlier semifinal.
Selfridge scored 17 points, but B-G’s usually potent offense was stifled by Unatego’s switch to a man-to-man defense for the first time this season.
“We’ve played zone all season long,” said Unatego coach Bob Zeh. “In our first two meetings against B-G, they got off to quick starts against us and we wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again tonight.
“So we went to man for the first time this season and the kids worked hard and I think we may have caught them off-guard a little bit.”
The man switch may have had something to do with the slow start, but B-G coach Bob Conway pointed to the girl in street clothes and a knee wrap as the biggest culprit.
Starting guard Macie Leizaer was injured in the Midstate Athletic Conference championship and did not play in the game. Without her and Unatego’s aggressive defense, B-G had issues anything out of their half-court offense.
“We knew we’d have troubles scoring with (Leizaer) out,” Conway said. “She’s one of our leading scorers in our set offense and a good shooter who loosens things up inside.”
B-G did not score until Selfridge’s offensive putback with 1:47 left in the opening quarter. Their defense, however, kept them close before Dana Stepp drained a three-pointer and scored a layup off transition for her only points of the game and an 11-2 lead for Unatego at the first-quarter turn.
Erica Selfridge’s foul-line jumper got B-G off to a good start in the second quarter, but an 8-0 Unatego run pushed a lead that eventually ballooned to 21-8 at halftime.
Meghan Perry (16 points) scored off back-to-back possessions early in the third quarter to give Unatego its biggest lead of the game, 25-9, before B-G went on a 7-0 run of its own to get it back to single digits.
Sophomore Erica Selfridge started it with a dribble/drive down the lane before her sister, Abi, potted the next five of the run to draw B-G to 25-16. Meghan Perry’s bucket off a pretty pick and roll ended the run and sent Unatego into the final eight minutes up 27-16.
A 7-2 start to the fourth quarter gave B-G some hope. Erica and Abi Selfridge scored off back-to-back possessions to start the quarter. After Morgan Perry scored for Unatego on an offensive putback, Kori Thornton drained a long 3-pointer, her only bucket of the game, to cut the Unatego lead to 29-23.
B-G cut the lead to six again with 1:37 left after Abi Selfridge converted a three-point play, but Unatego made enough free throws and came off with several key loose balls and offensive rebounds to fend off the late rally.
Unatego shot 5-for-16 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
“We don’t shoot free throws well,” Zeh said. “And when you don’t, 12-point leads can evaporate fast, especially with the 3-point shot.”
Abi Selfridge scored 11 points in the second half – after scoring all but two of B-G’s points in the opening half.
“We got her the ball in the second half much better,” Conway said.
B-G loses three seniors off this year’s team – Abigail Selfridge, Thornton and Matraca Harmon.
Selfridge’s loss will be felt greatly next year.
“She’s a strong, dynamic rebounder who, at 5’6”, elevated well and could get to the glass and score,” Conway said. “And she did it against girls who were usually bigger than her.”
B-G ends their season with a final record of 17-3.
Unatego 36, Bainbridge-Guilford 26
B-G 2 6 8 10 – 26
Unatego 11 10 6 9 – 36
Bainbridge-Guilford: Allie Miller 0; Matraca Harmon 0; Abigail Selfridge 5 7-9-17; Erica Selfridge 3 0-0-6; Ashley Matthews 0; Celeste Baldwin 0; Katrien Roefs 0; Isabelle Decker 0; Bailey Hart 0; Kori Thornton 1 0-0-3; Abbey Delello 0; Taylor Parsons 0; Sara Cannistra 0. TOTALS: 9 7-9-26
Unatego: Paige McCoy 0; Dana Stepp 2 1-4 6; Alexa Lucia 0; Mallory Frazier 0; Tatum Coddington 0; Kylie Mussaw 0; Jenna Faulkner 0; Maddie Wilsey 0; Meghan Perry 5 6-10-16; Morgan Perry 1 1-4-3; Morgan Newman 1 1-4-3; Hali Lucia 4 1-4-10. TOTALS: 12 10-24-36
3-point goals: (B-G) Thornton 1; (U) Stepp 1, Lucia 1.
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