By getting through one long road trip, each of the Jamesville-DeWitt basketball teams earned the right to take another one on Saturday – and play for a spot in the state final four.
The girls Red Rams, making its first state playoff appearance since 1998, pulled away late to beat Massena 46-31 Wednesday night at SUNY-Potsdam, right before the J-D boys, at full strength, handled Malone’s Franklin Academy 72-41.
More suspense was found in the girls contest. Massena, the Section X champions, were playing fairly close to home and traded baskets with J-D throughout the first quarter.
Up 13-11 going to the second period, the Rams proceeded to hold Massena to a mere two points the rest of the half. However, J-D hit its own offensive skid, partially because its two leading scorers, Kayleigh Cavanaugh and Cydney Goodrum, got into foul trouble. The Rams went to the break with a 20-13 edge.
More concern arose in the third quarter, as the Red Raiders rallied and moved within one, 28-27. But as it has done so many other times this season, J-D used its depth – and its defense – to wear Massena down, holding them to just four points in the final period.
Both Stephanie Mannion, with 14 points, and Goodrum, with 11 points (six off them successful free throws), made up for the struggles of Cavanaugh, who had just five points in her limited minutes. Katie Maroney also had five points, with Lauren Beville and Alyssa Robens each got four points and Maddy Frank added three points.
When the J-D boys took the court against Franklin to commence its pursuit of an unprecedented fifth straight state championship, Tyler Cavanaugh was with them, glad that the left hip injury he suffered late in Sunday’s Section III Class A final against Cortland (X-rays turned out negative) was not a serious one.
Wasting little time, the Rams roared out to a 25-13 lead by the end of the first quarter, and extended the margin to 40-21 by halftime. From there, J-D cruised, getting 10 different players to score at least one point before it was done.
Dajuan Coleman proved far too much for Franklin, amassing 30 points off 14 converted field goals and adding 10 rebounds. Cavanaugh managed 12 points, while guards Pete Drescher and Jafar Kinsey managed seven points apiece. Point guard Rasheed Baker dished out 11 assists.
On Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, J-D’s girls team meets Section II champion Averill Park at 12:30 in the Class A regional final, with the winner returning to HVCC for next weekend’s state final four.
Later that same day at HVCC, at 6:30, the boys Red Rams face Scotia-Glenville, also from Section II, J-D sitting just one win from another trip to Glens Falls Civic Center to continue its historic quest.
