Shots were falling from everywhere. Concern was bubbling up on the other side.
And for a few fleeting moments on Saturday morning at Troy’s Hudson Valley Community College, the West Genesee girls basketball team was having its way and barreling toward a possible shot at the state Class AA championship.
Then reality, and the Ossining Pride, took over.
What was a double-digit Wildcats lead turned into a Ossining lead by the third quarter, and ultimately out of WG’s reach as it lost, 60-45, providing an unhappy conclusion to the program’s second state final four appearance.
“We couldn’t score in the second half,” said WG head coach Stafford Spreter. “They were really strong and really big, but we just stopped answering.”
There was reason to feel good as things got underway. It was, again, a morning tip-off, just like the Section III and regional finals that the Wildcats had won the previous two weeks. And it was on the same HVCC floor where WG had defeated Colonie for that AA regional title.
However, the opposition was quite formidable. Ossining won four consecutive state titles from 2013 to 2016 before falling in last year’s final to Baldwin, from Long Island.
What was more, the Pride were at full strength. There was concern that junior sensation Aubrey Griffin, one of the country’s top prospects who has averaged more than 28 points and eight rebounds per game this season, might not play due to a knee sprain suffered late in Ossining’s regional final.
Griffin was ready for tip-off, but she, and the rest of the Pride, quickly found out just hungry the Wildcats were for a historic upset.
Finding its range, WG hit on five 3-pointers from the likes of Madison Smith and Mya Case in the opening stages. Helped by an 8-0 run, the Wildcats found itself up 18-5.
Ossining did not take too long to adjust. It started to blanket the perimeter while, at the same time, it kept giving the ball to Griffin, forcing WG’s defense to focus on her – which had a long-term effect.
Not only did the Pride reduce WG’s lead to 26-24 by halftime, it was forcing the Wildcats into major foul trouble that, in the third quarter, would doom the Wildcats’ cause.
From a 31-31 tie, Ossining outscored WG 12-5 the rest of the period, which was alarming enough. Worse was seeing the forward duo of Kaitlyn Walker and Catie Cunningham both foul out.
“As much as you want to stay mentally strong and respond in those moments it takes a lot wind out of your sails when two of your best players come out of the game,” said Spreter. “That was tough.”
Now the Wildcats needed more from its remaining rotation, but it just proved too difficult an assignment. With a 16-5 dash, Ossining secured yet another state finals berth.
Griffin scored 19 of her 27 points in the second half, helped by Kailah Harris, who had 17 points, and Kelsey Quain, who got 15 points. They all topped Smith, whose 14 points paced the Wildcats as Case got 12 points. Mackenzie Smith was held to seven points, with Walker earning six points before fouling out.
While the story for WG ended, it only had three seniors on its roster – Case, Haley Collins and Bailey Legnetto, who delighted the fans in Troy with five points in the final minute after the starters left.
She is a special kid,” said Spreter of Legnetto. “She is (maybe) 4-foot-10, works every single day and does anything you ask her to do and always has a smile on her face.”
Having the Smith sisters, Walker and Cunningham part of the returning cast in 2018-19 could signal that the Wildcats could still add to its championship total.
Click on a photo below to view a full size version of the rest.
Jim Franco contributed to the writing of this story.
