By SPENCER BATES
ALLEGANY — It was far from the tidiest affair, but nevertheless the Salamanca girls basketball team was able to edge out the 45-44 overtime win and complete a regular season sweep over Allegany-Limestone.
After a tightly contested first half, the Warriors put some distance between themselves and the Gators in the third quarter on the back of some good offensive possessions. However, a 10-0 run by the hosts to start the fourth quarter flipped the game on its head and it was Salamanca that needed to battle back. Eventually, there was nothing in it to split the sides after regulation and an extra frame was needed. But as the offenses of both teams continued to struggle with consistency, the lone field goal scored by freshman Maliyah Foster handed the guests the win.
It was a big bucket in a big game in hostile territory for the Warriors and what impressed their coach Joe Hinman the most was the resiliency his side showed to come back and close out the win.
“This is just a really resilient group,” Hinman said. “Good teams find a way to win, whether it’s sloppy or not. This is always a tough place to play, Allegany-Limestone is tough. We knew we were going to get a good game out of them. They’re well coached, per usual, but it’s good to come out on top and get out of here with a win.”
Allegany-Limestone’s Abby Peck (20) attempts to go up for a layup through contact from a number of Salamanca defenders. (Spencer Bates)
Ultimately the victory would not have been possible without the likes of Foster and Makenzie Crouse, the former doing much more than just hitting a big shot at the very end and the latter posing as a threat under both rims.
Foster, who has progressively grown into a sixth man role as the season has progressed, netted a game-high 12 points for the Warriors and showed off her versatility with two buckets on either side of the 3-point line. Crouse was the main interior threat on the night, recording numerous big blocks that sent bodies crashing to the ground and finishing off quick trips down the floor.
“I don’t know how many (blocks Makenzie) had off the top of my head, but she and Maliyah stepped up huge,” Hinman said. “Maliyah’s really picking up that role as the sixth man, coming off the bench and playing a huge role in our defense too. She really gets things moving for us, transition-wise, getting the ball up and down the floor. Kenzie is just consistent inside. We know what we’re going to get out of her every night. She’s tough, tall and gritty. Those two really played a huge factor tonight, but it was a whole team effort at the end of the day.”
The two played a big role in stifling an A-L offense that found itself, at times, dribbling into traps and getting stuck in corners, the exact opposite of its game plan according to coach Andrea Darrow. Some of those precarious situations her players found themselves in Darrow attributed to a level of panic where they were thinking too far ahead as opposed to remaining in the moment and executing in real time.
“We like to stay out of the corners, but I give it to Salamanca because they’re tall and they’re big,” Darrow said. “Once you get there, it’s hard to get out of there because of their size. We do want to avoid that kind of thing.
“I think sometimes we get in these games and we’re so worried about getting that good shot that sometimes there’s a little bit of panic. We need to settle in and not get so nervous, so panicked.”
Salamanca’s Makenzie Crouse (3) rises up for a floater while taking contact from Allegany-Limestone’s Mya Hayes (22). (Spencer Bates)
But when the Gators did manage to find veins for success it came exclusively from its starters. Addie Fisher led A-L with a game-high 12 points that she shared with Salamanca’s Foster. She was backed up by 10 points from Serena Frederick and nine points apiece from Mya Hayes and Abby Peck. And considering that the three players Darrow did manage to get in from the bench did not record a stat, she was more than happy with how her starters performed with their backs against the wall, late in a high-stakes game.
“They played so hard, I’m so proud of them, especially because I had a limited bench again tonight,” Darrow said. “Most of the time, we were running the straight five, so for them to play through being tired, fouls, all of that, I couldn’t ask for anything more from them.”
Darrow and Hinman agreed that the feeling on the night was akin to a playoff environment and both understand how much that can help their teams as the regular season winds down.
For the Gators, Darrow is still eyeing some improvements. Specifically in their offense after implementing some defensive alterations as of late.
“We’ve been working on some different things defensively, with our press and switching things up there,” Darrow said. “I thought they did really well with that tonight. Going forward, I just think (the problem is in) a lot of our offensive looks. We just need confidence in that offense all around, not just shooting. We are shooting more than at the beginning of the season, but getting good open looks I think is what our key going forward needs to be.”
As for Hinman, the win is a huge boost for his team which has now put a bow on its CCAA Div. I season, locking up a second-place finish.
“It’s a huge confidence boost, because now that we know we can win close games, even when we get down, … it just shows how resilient we are, getting back in games and clawing our way back.”
Allegany-Limestone’s Maddie Kahm (3) puts up a 3-pointer. (Spencer Bates)
Next up for Salamanca is a non-league affair against Ellicottville at home on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in which it will look to secure its second three-game win streak of the season.
A-L will also square off against non-league opposition next as it travels to face East Aurora on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
AT ALLEGANY
Salamanca (45)
Foster 4 2-2 12, Crouse 5 1-2 11, Wass 3 0-0 7, Lafferty 2 2-2 7, Dowdy 1 0-0 3, McComber 0 3-4 3, Stahlman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 8-10 45
Allegany-Limestone (44)
Fisher 4 4-7 12, Frederick 5 0-0 10, Hayes 2 4-7 9, Peck 3 2-4 9, Kahm 1 2-2 4. Totals: 15 12-20 44
Sala. 8 18 34 43 45
A-L 6 19 29 43 44Three-point goals: Sala. 5 (Foster 2, Lafferty, Dowdy, Wass), A-L 2 (Hayes, Peck); Total fouls: Sala. 18, A-L 11; fouled out: McComber (Sala.), Lafferty (Sala.).
