Given their high standing and the high seed they would both receive in the Section III Class D playoffs, the Hamilton and New York Mills girls basketball teams may not be done with each other yet.
In two regular-season clashes, the Emerald Knights and Marauders split, the latter of those events a memorable affair Monday night at Mills where Hamilton nearly erased a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter before losing a 47-42 decision.
The Emerald Knights were going for a season sweep, having won the previous meeting at home Jan. 11 – not to mention beating the Marauders in last year’s sectional final at Utica Auditorium.
Also, a win would mean first place in the Center State Conference, with both teams 7-1 in the league (Hamilton’s loss was to Oriskany) entering the night.
What the Emerald Knights could not afford, though, took place in the first half. Heavily defended by the Marauders’ Adriana Supernant, Jordan Peterson rarely got open and missed when she did. Worse yet, she got three fouls and went to the bench with just one point.
Without its top player for much of the half, Hamilton watched Mills bolt ahead 14-5 and build the margin to 25-13 by halftime. And it got worse in the third quarter as, with Erica Pendrak (16 points) setting the pace, the Marauders expanded its margin to 39-19 entering the final period.
Despite all this, the Emerald Knights almost pulled off the comeback. Katie Weeks’ 3-pointer ignited a late charge where Peterson started to convert with regularity. Meanwhile, Mills missed seven straight free throws as its lead nearly vanished.
Hamilton closed within 41-39 when, with 44.5 seconds left, the Marauders’ Kaila Wilkinson was fouled. She made both free throws and, after Weeks saw a 3-pointer rattle in and out of the net, Supernant made a free throw.
Now trailing 44-39, Hamilton still didn’t quit as Peterson converted a three-point play, giving her 16 points for the night, to make it 44-42. Only when Supernant made two free throws with 16.4 seconds left did Mills put the game away.
Aside from Peterson, Sara Whyatt, with 11 points, led the furious comeback as Katie Weeks added eight points and Lauren Weeks five points. Supernant had 10 points for Mills as Wilkinson and Carly Dziekan both added eight points.
