BROADALBIN – The Class B girls basketball sectionals got underway at Broadalbin-Perth High School Friday night with a play-in game between the 16th-seeded Lady Patriots and the 17th-seeded Mustangs of Cairo-Durham.
Backing up a solid defensive effort and a strong rebounding performance, Broadalbin-Perth got 14 fourth-quarter points from Erica Kordyjak to seal the 53-42 victory.
“I was very proud of our defense in the first half,”Broadalbin-Perth coach Michael Magliocca said. “Ali Visco did a great job on the boards. She had eight rebounds in the first half and 13 for the game. That’s what we need out of someone, to get rebounds.”
Both teams had a shaky start in the first quarter.
Cairo-Durham’s Sydney Spohler scored the first two points of the period with a lay-up and Gloria Kleinmeier made a free throw to give the Mustangs an early 3-0 lead. After Danielle Biggers got the Lady Patriots on the board with a free throw, Mikaela Phillips scored and extended the lead to 5-1 with 5:07 left in the period.
Then Broadalbin-Perth went on a 7-0 run getting a bucket from Isabella Magliocca, and free throws from Kordyjak and Tatiana Ivery to tie the game at five.
With 1:08 left, Ivery hit a 3-pointer to give the Lady Patriots their first lead of the game. Cairo-Durham tied the game back up with a 3-point basket from Sophia Pambianchi in the closing seconds of the first period.
The second quarter saw the Lady Patriots slow down the pace and they found the open shots. Twenty seconds into the period, Ivery was fouled on a 3-point shot attempt and made all three free throws. Biggers added two 3-pointers and Michael Eagan connected for the third 3 pointer in a row for Broadalbin-Perth. Visco added a bucket to close out the scoring for the Lady Patriots.
The Mustangs struggled and they could only manage one basket from Spohler, and three free throws from Sierra Panicola (2) and Phillips (1) for only a five-point second-quarter effort to make the halftime score 22-13.
“To hold them to 13 points in the first half I thought was a great job,” coach Magliocca said.
The Mustangs charged back in the third quarter outscoring the Lady Patriots, 15-9.
With a strong defensive effort creating turnovers, Cairo-Durham was able to connect on the offensive end and climb back into it.
The Mustangs’ Keegan Deyo started the scoring in the third but Visco answered with a bucket to keep the lead at nine. Kleinmeier made a free throw and Biggers scored to push the lead to 10 points with 6:05 remaining.
Pambianchi stepped up and hit a 3-pointer and a minute later Joelle Tyrell made a 3-point shot for the Mustangs to cut the Lady Patriot lead to six. Visco made two free throws and Biggers hit a 3-pointer to give Broadalbin-Perth a 31-22 lead with 3:20 left in the quarter.
The Mustangs fought back to get to within three points with a basket and a free throw from Panicola and a 3-pointer from Shannon Gleason making the score 31-28 entering the fourth quarter.
Cairo-Durham carried their momentum into the fourth quarter.
With baskets from Spohler and Panicola, the Mustangs took the lead for the first time since the 1:49 mark of the first quarter, leading 32-31.
That’s when Kordyjak took control of the game for the Lady Patriots by scoring 14 of their next 16 points.
Kordyjak made two free throws to regain the lead but Panicola made a free throw for the Mustangs to tie the score at 33 apiece. Kordyjak scored eight more points and Visco added a bucket to jump the lead back up to 10, 43-33.
Phillips scored the Mustangs’ final nine points of the game, while Kordyjak poured in four more to give her a total of 15 on the night.
Broadalbin-Perth closed out the scoring with Ivery, Isabella Magliocca, Biggers and Hannah Magliocca combining to shoot 6-for-12 from the foul line in the final 1:13 to make the final score 53-42.
“Our hats go off to them. We left a lot of points on the foul line tonight,” Cairo-Durham coach Keith Phillips said after his team made only 10 of 22 free throws.
By virtue of the win, the Lady Patriots now move on to play top-seded Hoosick Falls at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Hoosick Falls.
“We did what we had to do to win and now we’re going to play number seven in the state,” coach Magliocca said. “A tall task but ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it,’ and we’re in it.”
Broadalbin-Perth 53, Cairo-Durham 42
Cairo-Durham8 5 15 14 – 42
Broadalbin-Perth8 14 9 22 – 53
Cairo-Durham
Panicola 2-4-8, Tyrell 1-0-3, Gleason 1-0-3, Kleinmeier 0-2-2, Phillips 3-4-12, Pambianchi 2-0-6, Spohler 4-0-8. Totals 13-10-42.
Broadalbin-Perth
Biggers 4-2-13, Eagan 1-0-3, Kordyjak 5-5-15, I. Magliocca 1-1-3, Visco 3-2-8, H. Magliocca 0-2-2, Ivery 1-6-9. Totals 15-18-53.
3 point goals: Cairo-Durham 6 (Phillips 2, Pambianchi 2, Tyrell, Gleason); Broadalbin-Perth 5 (Biggers 3, Eagan, Ivery).
Section III Class C First Round
Pulaski 57, Dolgeville 38
PULASKI – Morgan Jordal finished with 18 points to lead sixth-seeded Pulaski to a win over 11th-seeded Dolgeville in a Section III first-round contest.
Lauren Denny scored 10 points for the Blue Devils, while Lindsey Prye added nine points. Jordan Marsh and Sam Paternoster each had eight points for Pulaski.
Emilie Lewandowski finished with 19 points to lead Dolgeville.
Pulaski (16-4) advances to face third-seeded Sauquoit Valley (18-3) in the quarterfinals.
Dolgeville finished its season with a 10-11 overall record.
Pulaski 57, Dolgeville 38
Dolgeville7 7 13 11 – 38
Pulaski17 13 12 15 – 57
Dolgeville
Bode 1-4-6, Carpenter 1-1-4, George 2-0-4, Lewandowski 7-1-9, Zilkowski 2-1-5. Totals 13-6-38.
Pulaski
Denny 3-4-10, Hanley 1-0-2, Jordal 7-4-18, Marsh 3-0-8, Paternoster 3-0-8, Prye 4-1-9, Robinson 1-0-2. Totals 22-8-57.
3-point goals: Dolgeville 6 (Lewandowski 4, Carpenter, Zilkowski); Pulaski 5 (Marsh 2, Paternoster 2, Prye).
Non-league
Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville 44, Sharon Springs 30
SHARON SPRINGS – Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville snapped its four-game losing streak with a non-league win over Sharon Springs on Wednesday.
Alexis Romeyn and Fontana LaCoppola each scored 12 points to lead OESJ (7-12 overall).
Allison Cross scored 14 points to lead Sharon Springs.
Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville 44,
Sharon Springs 30
Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville14 14 12 4 – 44
Sharon Springs2 6 15 7 – 30
Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville
Lynch 1-0-2, Romeyn 5-0-12, Raux 1-0-2, Brundage 1-1-3, Mosher 4-0-9, Handy 2-0-4, LaCoppola 5-2-12. Totals 19-3-44.
Sharon Springs
Seegers 1-0-2, Russman 0-1-1, Cross 5-4-14, Keller 3-2-9, Reynolds 2-0-4. Totals 11-7-30.
3-point goals: Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville 3 (Romeyn 2, Mosher); Sharon Springs 1 (Keller).
