By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
ALLEGANY, NY – In the lowest scoring affair of the Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase, the Allegany-Limestone girls’ basketball team was unable to complete the comeback, falling to Ellicottville 29-28.
The season has not proved fruitful for the Lady Gators thus far. Starting their season with four consecutive losses, A-L was only able to buck the losing trend in their most previous matchup, beating Southwestern 53-22.
“We’ve got to find a leader in our offense. If you look at our games, this person is our high scorer, this person is our high scorer,” Allegany-Limestone head coach Andrea Darrows said of the team’s issues early in the season. “It’s kind of finding that confidence in our ability to score. I think we’re all so hesitant right now. Sometimes the girls need to be selfish and look to score on their own.”
Both team’s offenses materialized in a slow drip at the start of the game. After each scored a basket in the first minute – Natalee Leiper cut to the basket for a layup and Emerson Ortego made two shots at the free throw line – they would find themselves in the midst of a dry spell. They would score back-to-back with just over five minutes remaining before fighting through another three minute drought.
However, late in the quarter, the Lady Eagles would find their groove. Starting with a made 3-pointer from Leiper, Ellicottville would score eight unanswered points as they built a 12-4 lead going into the second quarter.
While both teams struggled offensively in the first, they would grind to a halt entering the second. Starting immediately, turnovers became a regularity on each possession. Through the first three minutes, the Lady Gators and Lady Eagles combined for 10 giveaways.
When able to get the ball across halfcourt, A-L slowly chipped away at the lead with a basket from Abby Peck and two made free throws from Ortego. Ellicottville would not score in the second quarter as they gave up 14 turnovers – A-L tallied eight for a combined 22. Going into the intermission, the Lady Eagles held a six-point lead.
“I still feel like our offense isn’t super confident. We have a newer point guard in Serena Frederick, she took over for Mia Herzog from last year,” said Darrows on the turnover troubles. “Collectively on offense, we’re not confident so we’re forcing things that might not actually be there. It’s just kind of settling in in our offense.”
Throughout the majority of the third quarter, both teams continued to struggle offensively. Missed shots and turnovers plagued the court as neither squad could find a solution. Late in the period, however, both teams found their best stretch yet.
Near the two minute mark, Addie Fisher sunk the first Lady Gator 3-pointer, closing the gap to just two points. On the next possession, however, Ellicottville’s Ande Northrup responded with a triple of her own. Both teams scored tick-for-tack in the closing moments of the quarter, yet A-L still found themselves down five with one quarter to go.
Emerson Ortega shoots a contested jumper during the Lady Gators’ one-point loss to Ellicottville. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Despite the scoring burst, both offenses faded to start the fourth, with neither recording a point until just under four and a half minutes – Mya Hayes broke the stalemate going 1-for-2 at the line. A minute later, Hayes would bridge the gap on the scoreboard to just one with two shots at the charity stripe before Maddie Kahm cashed in on a triple for the Lady Gators first lead of the night. Again, the Lady Eagles would retaliate on the next trip down the floor with Drew Fink hitting a 3-pointer of her own.
As in the end of the second, both teams battled back-and-forth in the final minutes of the game and with just 18 seconds left, the game was knotted at 28. Inbounding the ball from Ellicottville’s baseline, A-L misfired, tossing a pass wide and out of bounds. That costly turnover would prove to be the dagger as the Lady Eagles made it down the floor and to the free throw line with just 3.9 seconds left on the clock.
Having the game in her hands, Riley Whitmer buried one of her two shots and after collecting the rebound, sealed the fate of the game. Ellicottville had survived, notching their second win while A-L tallied their sixth loss.
“We kept our intensity. We played hard from the first minute to the last minute. We really worked hard,” said Darrows. “They worked really hard so to get to overtime would have been nice. It was kind of a heartbreaker at the end.”
Ellicottville’s Northrup earned the team’s Player of the Game award, recording six points in the win. Courtney Marsh took home the Sportsmanship award, finishing with two points. For A-L Peck won the Player of the Game award, tying Kahm with a team-high six points. Frederick won the Sportsmanship award with five points.
AT ALLEGANY
Ellicottville (29)
Leiper 2 2-4 7, Ficek 2 2-2 7, Northrup 2 0-0 6, Finn 1 0-0 2, Marsh 0 2-2 2, Potter 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 7-10 29
Allegany-Limestone (28)
Kahm 2 0-0 6, Peck 3 0-2 6, Frederick 2 0-0 5, Ortega 0 4-4 4, Fisher 1 1-2 4. Totals: 8 8-12 28
Ellicottville 12 12 23 29
Allegany-Limestone 4 8 19 28
Three-point goals: EL (4) Northrup 2, Ficek, Leiper, A-L (4) Kahm 2, Frederick, Fisher; Total fouls: EL 9, A-L 13; fouled out: None.
