SYRACUSE – What it all came down to for the Liverpool girls basketball team was the simple notion of playing at its highest level when it was absolutely required.
By doing so, the Warriors defeated Colonie 53-47 Saturday at SRC Arena, won the Class AAA regional championship and earned its second consecutive trip to the state final four.
Trailing midway through the fourth quarter after once holding a 14-point lead, Liverpool changed up – and cranked up – its defense, that energy translating into clutch baskets on the other end.
“They were not going to lose this game,” said head coach Mike Wheeler.
“We just had to push through,” said A’briyah Cunningham, who led the Warriors with 20 points.
The late run began with the Warriors down 43-40. Cunningham, rushing shots and rarely getting open otherwise against a Raiders defense designed to stop her, had gone scoreless in the second half following a 13-point effort in the first half.
Then Cunningham turned it around – on the defensive side, garnering back-to-back steals that led to a basket and free throw that tied the game, 43-43.
It didn’t stop there. Liverpool switched out of its 1-3-1 zone to a full-court press. Mia Berthoff, in for defensive reasons, took a well-timed charge and, on Colonie’s next possession, it could not cross midcourt, a 10-second violation.
With 1:52 left, Cunningham hit a driving layup, her seventh consecutive point to put the Warriors ahead for good. “We had to play defense in order to get our points,” said Cunningham.
The press caused another turnover, and Angie Kohler hit a tough jump shot from the left baseline to make it 47-43.
Colonie hit a basket to cut it to two, but with less than a minute to play Gracie Sleeth hit what Wheeler called “the biggest 3-pointer of her life” from the right, making it 50-45.
Three free throws by Kaylyn Sweeney sealed a victory that, at least at the outset, didn’t look like it would be so stressful.
An 18-2 run bridging the first and second quarters saw Liverpool hold the Raiders without a field goal for more than six minutes, and even some off-balance shots by Cunningham and Gianna Washington managed to go in.
All of that changed in the third quarter. Colonie, having cut the margin to 29-20 by halftime, confused Liverpool, continued to force bad shots while, on the other end, it used a 14-4 run to go out in front.
Just in time, though, the Warriors returned to the strong all-around play that has now produced back-to-back sectional and regional titles, with the hope, said Wheeler, that winning a game in this fashion might lead to even more success in games with higher stakes.
Next Saturday at 9 a.m. at Troy’s Hudson Valley Community College, Liverpool faces Section VI champion Lancaster in the state semifinals, with the winner to advance to the March 17 title game Sunday at 10 a.m.
